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If you want to buy or sell a property, you’ll need a detailed land register extract. Find out how to order one and what information you’ll need to provide.
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The land register documents how the ownership and rights to land are arranged. For each of the four million properties in Switzerland, there is a land register sheet, which, among other things, provides information on whether an owner has taken out a mortgage or pledged the property.
The land register is not a thick book with a leather cover that is kept centrally. Rather, the various land registries in the individual cantons maintain local land registers with all the associated entries. In most cases, the land register is a digital register that is continuously updated. If you want to order and view an extract from the land register, you can do this at the relevant land registry. The land register is a public register.
The principle of freedom of information applies to obtaining a land register extract. Any interested person can obtain information from the land registry about the key information relating to a property.
You can view the following information in the land register:
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A land register extract is usually required when buying or selling a house or apartment. It proves that the seller actually owns the property. The information in the land register is also relevant for mortgage lenders, which is why you need the document when you want to obtain real estate financing.
During negotiations on a property, the law requires that all parties be informed about the entries in the land register. This ensures, in the event of dispute, that no one can claim they were not aware of something. The land register always has the last word: what it says goes.
Legal experts call this principle “positive legal force”. It creates legal certainty: anyone who buys residential property in good faith only needs to consult the land register entry and does not need to clarify the ownership structure further. However, this principle has a flipside known as “negative legal force”. The right to dispose of a property only applies if it has been entered in the land register.
It follows from the principle of registration that the acquisition of a property only becomes legally valid once it has been entered in the land register.
Owners must formally apply for each new entry in the land register in writing pursuant to the principle of application. The purchase of a property, for example, must be authenticated by a notary.
How much detail you want from the land register depends on the purpose of your request. For larger construction projects and important contracts, it’s advisable to order a complete land register extract. This contains all entries relating to a property. Some business partners, for example public authorities, even require the land register entry itself to be notarized. To satisfy pure curiosity, basic information is sometimes enough.
Anyone who wants to view several land register entries or order a complete land register extract must be able to demonstrate an “interest worthy of protection” to the land registry. For example, owners, holders of real estate liens (banks) and persons entitled to easements have such an interest.
If you want to obtain a land register extract, you must provide the land registry with the land register sheet number, the address and the EGRID (federal property identification) number of the property. This is the only way the land registry can identify the property.
Depending on the case, the land registry may also ask for proof of identity or further information. The decision on providing access to the information is at the discretion of the official.
How do I determine the value of a property? And which mortgage is right for me? We’ve summarized the most important information on financing your own home.
Most land registries are flexible: a land register extract can be ordered by phone, email, letter or online. The document usually arrives by post within three days.
The land registry provides verbal information free of charge. A written land register excerpt is subject to a fee, which varies from canton to canton. Fees are generally between CHF 20 and CHF 30, with the Canton of Zug being the most expensive at CHF 45. There is normally a surcharge of around CHF 20 for notarization.
Many cantons provide an online cadastral map that owners can use. The plots of land are numbered and official cadastral surveys are entered. In addition, many cantonal land registries offer an online desk where you can order the relevant land register extract with just a few clicks. This makes it particularly easy to view a land register entry.
There is no central land register in Switzerland. Although the federal government is in charge of overall supervision, responsibility lies with the cantons. Some cantons manage with a single land registry, while others have several regional or municipal land registries. Many cantons combine the notary office and land registry into one office. This has the advantage that a transaction can be registered and notarized at the same office.
The land register documents the ownership structure and rights related to properties. There is no central land register: all cantons have their own, mainly digital registers. Part of a land register extract is public and can be viewed free of charge. If you need a complete land registry extract to buy, sell or finance a property, you can order one at any time by phone, email or post. For this, you’ll need the address of the property, the land register sheet number, the EGRID number and, in some cases, an identity document. You’ll generally receive the corresponding land register extract within three days. However, you should be aware that the process for ordering land register extracts varies from canton to canton.
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