Buying land in Cotonou, Benin: land title, checks and steps

To buy land in Cotonou, Benin's law sets a clear rule: the seller proves their rights before the sale. Article 17 of the Land and State Property Code (Code foncier et domanial) requires every sale to be "précédée de la confirmation de droits fonciers" (preceded by confirmation of land rights). In a 2023 statement, the head of the National Land Agency (ANDF) called the land title (titre foncier) "l'unique acte de propriété", the only deed of ownership. If the seller's rights are not confirmed, they must get a certificat d'appartenance from ANDF, valid for one year. So do your checks before paying anything: with ANDF, on the plot with a surveyor, then at the notary's office.

What Benin's land code says

Before signing, the seller must show confirmed rights or an ANDF certificat d'appartenance. The governing text is Law No. 2013-01 of 14 August 2013 on the Land and State Property Code, amended and supplemented by Law No. 2017-15.

Article 17, first paragraph: "Toute vente d'un fonds de terre ou d'un immeuble doit être précédée de la confirmation de droits fonciers détenus sur l'immeuble." (Any sale of land or a building must be preceded by confirmation of the land rights held over it.) Second paragraph: "à défaut de la confirmation des droits fonciers, le vendeur devra, préalablement à la transaction, obtenir auprès de l'Agence nationale du domaine et du foncier, un certificat d'appartenance dont le délai de validité mentionné au bas dudit document est d'un (01) an non renouvelable". In plain terms: without confirmed rights, the seller must first get a certificat d'appartenance from ANDF, valid for one non-renewable year (text reproduced by KoriActu, July 2023). The same ANDF statement says the certificate "n'est délivré qu'une seule fois sur un terrain": it is issued only once per plot.

For ten years, Article 516 allowed a transition period. For property whose rights were not confirmed, agreements could be recorded by notarial deed, by a private deed lodged with a notary, or by a deed certified by the local administrative authority. The article adds: "Passé ce délai, les dispositions de l'article 17 du présent code est applicable" (after that period, Article 17 applies). According to the ANDF statement published by KoriActu, the period ended on 14 August 2023.

Watch the acronyms. In Benin, ADC stands for attestation de détention coutumière (certificate of customary holding). ANDF lists it among "présomption de propriété" documents, along with the resettlement certificate and a final court decision. A presumption of ownership is not a land title.

Why every check comes before payment

Once the purchase is done, it is hard to undo. In 2017, the secretary of Benin's surveyors' association told La Nouvelle Tribune that "le titre foncier est revenu avec son caractère définitif et inattaquable": the land title is again final and unchallengeable. According to lawyer Timothée Yabit (2025), since the 2017 law only a claim for compensation remains open, even in cases of fraud or error. In practice: if a title is issued in someone else's name, a wronged buyer may get money back, not the land.

Checks to make before paying anything

Start with the paperwork, then go to the plot. Pay no advance before these steps are done.

1. The seller's document. Ask for a copy of the land title. If the seller shows a certificat d'appartenance, check the date: it is valid for one year and cannot be renewed (Article 17). An ADC or a bare sale agreement is not enough.
2. The état descriptif. Ask the notary to obtain the état descriptif (title status statement) from ANDF. In April 2020, ANDF announced that its fee was cut from 10,000 to 5,000 FCFA (gouv.bj). Ask for the current rate.
3. The online cadastre. Since 9 April 2019, the national cadastre at cadastre.bj has let owners look up their parcel references: title number, neighbourhood, lot number, site plan (CIO Mag, 2019). Compare them with the seller's papers.
4. Public-interest zones. In 2020, the government said that to find out whether a plot sits in a zone declared of public interest, you can apply to ANDF or to a local land office (BCDF). The application must include a topographic survey (ask.gouv.bj).
5. The plot itself. Bring your own surveyor (géomètre). They check that the boundary markers match the plan and that no neighbour is occupying part of the plot.
6. Payment. Pay against a deed signed at the notary's office, never in cash to a middleman.

How a purchase runs, step by step

The notary runs the sale. Since 1 April 2020, with ANDF's e-Notaire platform, "les notaires ou requérants ... peuvent désormais les faire en ligne": notaries or applicants can complete land formalities online. According to the government, with this platform "un titre foncier peut changer de propriétaire en 72h" (a land title can change owner within 72 hours) (gouv.bj, April 2020).

Step	Who is involved	What you get
Check the seller's document	Seller, notary, ANDF	Land title or valid certificat d'appartenance, état descriptif
Site visit and boundary check	Your own surveyor	Markers, plan and cadastre references that match
Signing the deed of sale	Notary, seller, buyer	Deed of sale and traceable payment
Title transfer	Notary, via e-Notaire	Land title in your name

Costs (notary, registration, transfer, surveyor) are not fixed once and for all. Get a written quote from the notary before you sign. Our guide to purchase costs: notary and registration fees (in French) lists the items to budget for.

Finding land in Cotonou on Imonga

Listings for land and property in Cotonou are on the Cotonou real estate page. To widen your search, see the Abomey-Calavi real estate page as well. Before setting a budget, read property prices in Cotonou and compare them with the listings on the Cotonou page. A listing is a starting point: every plot still needs the checks above.

Buying from abroad? Send someone you trust and your own surveyor to visit. Run everything through a notary you chose yourself. Our guide on avoiding property scams in West Africa lists the most common warning signs.

Frequently asked questions

Is a sale agreement enough to buy land in Cotonou?

No. Since the Article 516 transition period ended (on 14 August 2023, according to ANDF), Article 17 of the land code applies. Every sale must be preceded by confirmation of land rights. If rights are not confirmed, the seller must first get a certificat d'appartenance from ANDF, valid for one year. A sale agreement without these documents does not protect you.

What is an ADC worth in Benin?

In Benin, an ADC is an attestation de détention coutumière, a certificate of customary holding. ANDF classes it as a presumption of ownership, along with the resettlement certificate and a final court decision. A presumption is not a title. If the seller only has an ADC, the sale must follow Article 17: confirmed rights, or a certificat d'appartenance from ANDF obtained before the transaction.

Can a foreigner buy land in Cotonou?

Benin's land code deals with this case in Article 14. According to the sources consulted for this guide, "lorsque la parcelle est située en milieu urbain ... s'il s'agit d'un étranger, il doit apporter la preuve de la réciprocité": for a plot in an urban area, a foreign buyer must provide proof of reciprocity. We do not detail the other conditions of that article here. Before you commit, put the question in writing to the notary handling the sale and to ANDF. Ask them how they apply Article 14 of the land code to your situation.

How long does the title transfer take?

In April 2020, the government announced that with ANDF's e-Notaire platform, "un titre foncier peut changer de propriétaire en 72h", a land title can change owner within 72 hours (gouv.bj, April 2020). The 72-hour figure is official, but it dates from 2020. The real time also depends on the file: a clean title or not, a plot subdivision, missing documents. Ask the notary for a written timeline.

Can a certificat d'appartenance be renewed?

No. Article 17 says it is valid for one year, "non renouvelable", and ANDF states it is issued only once per plot. If the seller's certificate has expired, do not sign. Ask where the rights confirmation or the land title application stands.

Sources

• a-mla.org, Code foncier et domanial 2013: text of Law No. 2013-01 (accessed 27 October 2026).
• a-mla.org, law amending and supplementing Law No. 2013-01: the 2017 law amending the code (accessed 27 October 2026).
• KoriActu, July 2023: ANDF director's statement, text of Articles 17 and 516, end of the transition period, certificat d'appartenance, ADC (accessed 27 October 2026).
• Government of Benin, April 2020: e-Notaire platform, transfer time, état descriptif fee (accessed 27 October 2026).
• CIO Mag, April 2019: launch of cadastre.bj and what it shows (accessed 27 October 2026).
• #AskGouvBenin, 2020: checking public-interest zones with ANDF or a BCDF (accessed 27 October 2026).
• La Nouvelle Tribune, June 2017 and Avocat Yabit, February 2025: final and unchallengeable status of the land title since 2017 (accessed 27 October 2026).

These rules apply to Benin only. They differ in other countries, Togo for example: see our guide to land status in Togo (in French).