Article 41 of Royal Legislative Decree 1/2004, of March 5, approving the revised text of the Real Estate Cadastre Law establishes that in the public instruments and in the Property Registry the cadastral reference of the properties will be recorded. This will be done through the Real Estate Cadastre Certificate. 

The cadastral certification is a document that certifies the physical, legal and economic data of the property. It can be a descriptive and graphic certification, in which case it will also include a graphic description; or literal, in which case it will only contain alphanumeric data. 

The descriptive and graphic electronic cadastral certification is obtained by the notary, so it is not necessary for the transferor to provide it. This certification must be included in all documents that contain facts, acts or businesses that may generate an incorporation in the Real Estate Cadastre and in administrative procedures as a means of accreditation of the physical description of the properties. Notarial deeds that generate an addition to the Real Estate Cadastre can be sales, inheritances, condo extinctions, excess capacity, segregation, horizontal divisions...

Content of a descriptive and graphic cadastral certification

Cadastral reference: It is the unique identifier code of the real estate, consisting of an alphanumeric code of twenty positions, which allows it to be unequivocally located in the cadastral cartography. 

Descriptive data of the property: 

  • The localization: the address where the property is located. 
  • Class: if it is an urban, rustic property or property with special characteristics. 
  • Primary use: according to what is established in article 72.4 of the Consolidated text of the Law Regulating Local Finance. Among others, the main use can be: commercial, cultural, industrial, sports, offices, religious, residential, agrarian, undeveloped land ...
  • Builded surface: This is the sum of the cadastral area built from the private part of the same plus the part corresponding to common elements. 
  • Year of construction.
  • cadastral values: in the year indicated in parentheses. 
  • Ownership: the data related to the cadastral owners of the property, with the right they have (property, usufruct, bare ownership...) and their percentage. 
  • Construction: data relating to each of the premises or private elements assigned to the property. 
  • Crops: the different crop subplots are listed with an indication of the type of crop or use. 

Cadastral plot:  the basic graphic object of cadastral cartography and that delimits the geometry of property rights. 

Graphic representation: It defines the shape, dimensions and situation of the property that is the object of certification. It contains the plot on which the property is located and the general plan of the existing buildings on it. 

List of adjoining plots: From each of the adjoining parcels, its cadastral reference, its location and its ownership are collected. 

Cadastral Certificate FAQ


How much does it cost to obtain a cadastral certificate?:
The cost varies depending on the municipality

How long does it take to issue the cadastral certificate?:
time varies

Where can I request the cadastral certificate?:
It is requested at the municipality's cadastral office or on its online platform, depending on the location.

Is the cadastral certificate the same as the property deed?:
No, the cadastral certificate describes the property, while the deed proves the ownership.

Is it necessary to renew the cadastral certificate?:
Renovation is not usually required, but it is good to update it if there are changes to the property.

What is the cadastral certificate needed for?:
It is necessary for procedures such as the sale of real estate, application for credit and updating of registration data.

Can anyone request a cadastral certificate for any property?:
Generally yes, but some municipalities may restrict access to owners or authorized persons.

What is a cadastral certificate?:
Document that certifies the physical, economic and legal characteristics of a real estate property.

What to do if there are errors in the cadastral certificate?:
It must be reported to the cadastral office for correction, providing the necessary documentation.

What information does the cadastral certificate contain?:
It contains data such as location, dimensions, use, cadastral value and ownership of the property.


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For more information in relation to registrations, cancellations and modifications and discrepancies in the cadastre,  Click here. 

For more information regarding the documents necessary to make a sale, click here.