26 October 2026
8 min
· Rédaction Imonga
In Abidjan, urban land is safe to buy when it is covered by an arrêté de concession définitive (ACD) and the transfer is registered in the buyer's name. An allocation letter (lettre d'attribution), a provisional concession order (ACP) or a village attestation is not an ACD: these are steps toward ownership, not ownership itself. Before paying anything, get the plot's official land status, have the plan checked by a surveyor and sign before a notary. Under Ivorian law a foreigner can buy in town, but ownership of rural land is reserved to the State, public bodies and Ivorian individuals.
What you are actually buying: the ACD and the other papers
The document to insist on is the ACD. It is defined as "l'acte administratif par lequel le ministre chargé de l'Urbanisme ou le préfet transfère la propriété", the administrative act by which the planning minister or the prefect transfers ownership of State urban land to a person or company. The same report (29 September 2023) quotes the Construction Ministry as saying 60% of ACDs requested between 2020 and 2022 had been issued, so many plots on the market still have no ACD.
Other papers sellers and middlemen (démarcheurs) will show you:
- Allocation letter and ACP: the government portal has a separate procedure to obtain an ACD from the allocation letter, ACP and land title. A plot with only these papers does not yet have an ACD.
- Village attestation: on 24 May 2023 the Council of Ministers created a single model, the Attestation de droit d'usage, signed by the village chief, the head of the village land committee and the developer, on a secure form that can be checked online. The government said this ends sales based on customary attestations, and that ACDs will only be issued for serviced or semi-serviced plots with a land title number.
In May 2024 the Construction Minister told a Senate committee that under the reform of the Urban Planning Code, "au-delà de 4 mois, aucune contestation de l'Arrêté de concession définitive (Acd), ne sera possible" (no challenge after four months), unless it was based on forged documents. Ask your notary whether that rule applies to your plot's ACD.
Foreign buyers and the diaspora: what Ivorian law says
What matters is whether the land is urban or rural. Article 1 of Law 98-750 of 23 December 1998 on rural land says this land is a national heritage anyone may access, but "seuls l'Etat, les collectivités publiques et les personnes physiques ivoiriennes sont admis à en être propriétaires" (only the State, public bodies and Ivorian individuals may own it). The same chapter excludes urban perimeters, among others, from rural land.
For rural land, Decree 2023-238 of 5 April 2023 provides, according to the rural land agency AFOR as reported by Koaci on 2 June 2026, that ineligible persons must, unless they give up their rights, register the land in the State's name and may then obtain a long lease (bail emphytéotique). For towns, the chair of the 2016 constitutional drafting committee said foreigners can be owners in town and lease land in rural areas. If the plot is on the edge of the city, get written confirmation that it lies inside the urban perimeter.
Checks before you pay, and the official procedures
- Identify the exact document the seller holds (ACD, allocation letter, ACP, attestation) and get a legible copy.
- Request the land status (situation foncière) from the Guichet unique du foncier et de l'habitat (GUFH), the land and housing one-stop office. The portal lists it as the first step in transferring an ACD.
- Have the plan checked: ACD files require a plan stamped by a sworn cadastre surveyor. Compare its coordinates with the boundary markers on the ground.
- Check the seller's identity: the name on the ACD must match the ID. If the holder has died, the PVAD page requires the death certificate with the national ID card (CNI), the inheritance deed, the certificate of non-appeal (certificat de non-appel) and the heirs' IDs.
- Sign before a notary and pay traceably. The transfer certificate is requested with a notarial or court deed.
The servicepublic.gouv.ci portal publishes these amounts (checked 26 October 2026). The ACD page shows a 2016 update date, so confirm every figure at the office before filing.
| Procedure | Office | Published fee | Published time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land status request | GUFH | 5 000 FCFA per plot, plus 1 000 FCFA per folder | 10 days |
| Signing the waiver of rights (PVAD) | GUFH | 100 000 FCFA (seller) | Not published |
| Filing the ACD in the buyer's name | GUFH | 90 000 FCFA per plot (individual), 250 000 FCFA per plot (company or SCI), plus 1 000 FCFA per folder | Not published |
| ACD from allocation letter, ACP and land title | GUFH | 80 000 FCFA (individual), 240 000 FCFA (company), 90 000 FCFA (association) | Not published |
| Property transfer certificate | Land registry (CPFH) | 15 000 FCFA | 15 days |
These amounts exclude notary fees and registration duties, which these pages do not list. Ask the notary for a written quote before signing.
Searching for land on Imonga
Listings in Côte d'Ivoire are grouped by city: property in Abidjan and property in Bingerville, next to Abidjan. Further inland, see property in Yamoussoukro and property in Bouaké. For any plot, ask the advertiser which document covers it before paying for a visit or a deposit.
Frequently asked questions
Is a village attestation enough to buy in Abidjan?
No. On 24 May 2023 the government announced the end of sales based on customary attestations and created a single model, the Attestation de droit d'usage, on a secure form verifiable online. It is a step toward an ACD, not ownership. If the seller only has an attestation, the regularisation (technical file, fees, waiting time) is still to be done, and the risk is yours. Before committing to such a plot, have the file reviewed by a notary or a lawyer.
Can a foreigner buy land in Abidjan?
In urban areas, yes: the restriction to Ivorians in Ivorian Law 98-750 applies to rural land, and urban perimeters are excluded from rural land. A non-Ivorian cannot own rural land; the route provided is registration in the State's name with a long lease. Get the plot's status confirmed in writing, and have your situation checked by a notary or a lawyer before you commit.
Who issues the ACD, and where do you file?
The ACD is issued by the minister in charge of urban planning or by the prefect. The servicepublic.gouv.ci portal places ACD files, land status requests and the PVAD with the Guichet unique du foncier et de l'habitat (GUFH). The property transfer certificate is issued by the land registry, the Conservation de la propriété foncière et des hypothèques.
I live abroad: can I buy without travelling to Abidjan?
The sources reviewed describe no diaspora-specific procedure, and the PVAD page requires the seller and the new buyer to be physically present to sign the PV, with a photocopy of both parties' national ID cards (CNI), so plan to travel to Abidjan for that signature. A consular card and a passport are among the IDs accepted for an ACD application. For the other steps, ask the notary whether a power of attorney is accepted and in what form. Never pay a middleman without a written mandate and a receipt.
Sources
- servicepublic.gouv.ci, ACD from allocation letter, ACP and land title: documents, fees, GUFH office. Accessed 26 October 2026.
- servicepublic.gouv.ci, waiver of rights (PVAD): transferring an ACD, steps, fees, land status time, presence of both parties at signing, documents if the holder has died. Accessed 26 October 2026.
- servicepublic.gouv.ci, property transfer certificate: notarial or court deed, 15 000 FCFA, 15 days, CPFH. Accessed 26 October 2026.
- Law 98-750, chapter one (loidici.biz): text of articles 1 and 2. Accessed 26 October 2026.
- Koaci, 2 June 2026: Decree 2023-238, long lease for ineligible persons. Accessed 26 October 2026.
- Fraternité Matin, 24 May 2023: Attestation de droit d'usage, conditions for issuing ACDs. Accessed 26 October 2026.
- allAfrica, 10 May 2024: minister's statement on the four-month challenge period. Accessed 26 October 2026.
- Connectionivoirienne, 29 September 2023: ACD definition, 2020 to 2022 issuance rate. Accessed 26 October 2026.
- Connectionivoirienne, 9 October 2016: foreigners as urban owners, per the drafting committee chair. Accessed 26 October 2026.
Land rules differ in other countries of the region, so do not apply this guide outside Côte d'Ivoire.
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From reading to searching
The advice above is worth most when applied to a specific property. 120 listings are online, viewable without an account.