Cadastre ·
Cadastral certificate in Spain: what it is and how to get one
What the Spanish cadastral certificate contains, how it differs from the negative one and what to do if the Cadastre's plan does not match your plot.
The cadastral certificate is the document in which the Cadastre (Catastro, Spain’s land and property register for tax purposes) states in writing the data it holds on a property. The most common one is the descriptive and graphic certificate: it says what is recorded (reference, area, use, holder) and attaches a plan of the plot. Here we explain what it contains, what it is used for, how it differs from the negative certificate and what to do when the drawing does not look like your plot.
What is a cadastral certificate?
It is a certification issued by the Cadastre. It records what appears in its database on the date of issue, no more and no less. Notary’s offices, town halls, banks and other bodies ask for it when they need a cadastral fact with official backing and a screenshot is not enough.
It helps to be clear from the start about what it is. It is a snapshot of what the Cadastre says. It is not a measurement of the plot and it does not prove who owns it before the Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad). That is dealt with in the title deed (escritura) and in the Land Registry.
What does the descriptive and graphic certificate include?
It has two parts, hence the name:
| Part | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Descriptive | Cadastral reference, location, use, area, year of construction and cadastral holder |
| Graphic | The plan of the plot with its shape, its neighbours and its position on the map |
The graphic part is the one that matters most to a surveyor. It is the drawing the Cadastre uses to represent your plot, and it is the starting point for checking whether it matches reality.
What is the negative cadastral certificate?
It says the opposite: that no property is recorded in a person’s name in a given area. It is requested in procedures where you have to show that you do not own a property, so it carries no plan and no reference. It has nothing to do with a specific plot.
If you need to prove the details of your plot or your home, it is not the one you want. You need the descriptive and graphic certificate.
What is it requested for?
The most frequent reasons are these:
- A sale or an inheritance, when the notary’s office wants up-to-date cadastral data.
- A plot subdivision or merger, as a starting point before measuring.
- A building permit, if the town hall asks for the plot to be identified.
- A discrepancy with the Land Registry, to compare what each one says.
- A procedure with a bank or an administration that requires an official document.
In each case, whoever asks for it will tell you whether they need the certificate or whether the free consultation of non-protected data on the electronic office is enough. Ask them before you request it.
How is it requested?
The Cadastre issues it through its electronic office (sedecatastro.gob.es) and its service points. The applicant has to identify themselves as the holder or as an authorised person, because it includes protected data. The exact steps and the identification requirements are set by the Cadastre and can change, so the safest course is to follow the instructions on the electronic office at the time you apply.
Before you start, have the cadastral reference to hand. If you do not have it, how to look up the cadastral reference of a plot explains where to find it.
What if the plan does not match my plot?
It happens more often than you would think, especially on old rural plots and in estates from the 1970s. In the Valencia region (Comunitat Valenciana), in Murcia or in Albacete we see it frequently. Reading the certificate you may find an area different from the title deed, a boundary that does not match the wall on the ground, or a building that does not appear.
The certificate corrects nothing: it only reflects what is there. To fix the difference you need a measurement and a technical document:
- Measure the plot on the ground, in official coordinates (ETRS89 UTM 30N).
- Compare that measurement with the Cadastre’s plan and with the description in the title deed.
- Prepare the relevant technical document: a georeferenced plan, a GML file (the georeferenced parcel format the Cadastre and the Land Registry require) or an alternative graphic validation report (IVGA, Informe de Validación Gráfica Alternativa).
Which procedure applies and what effect it has on the Land Registry is for the notary, the registrar or your lawyer to decide. We measure and deliver the technical part. To see how an update of a title deed is approached, read IVGA and ICUC to update the title deed, and what to do about a cadastral discrepancy covers the general case.
What is the difference between the certificate and the free consultation?
The electronic office lets you consult the non-protected data of any property free of charge. For many informal procedures that is enough. The certificate adds the Cadastre’s official backing and the protected data, which is why it is required by those who need a document they can file in a case.
Frequently asked questions
Does the cadastral certificate prove that I am the owner?
No. It shows the holder recorded in the Cadastre, but ownership is proved by the title deed and the registration in the Land Registry. The two can differ.
Does the certificate tell me the real area of my plot?
No. The area on the certificate is the one the Cadastre holds, and it may differ from the real one. To know the real area the plot has to be measured on the ground.
Can I request the certificate for a plot that is not mine?
Non-protected data can be consulted free of charge. The certificate with protected data, such as the holder, has access conditions set by the Cadastre. Check its requirements on the electronic office.
Can I use the certificate’s plan as a topographic plan?
No. It is the Cadastre’s drawing, with no measurement of its own behind it. A topographic or georeferenced plan is prepared by a technician from a measurement on the ground.
If the certificate for your plot does not match the title deed or what you see on the ground, tell us about it: we measure the plot and prepare the technical document in our Cadastre and Land Registry service. If the file you were given is a GML, we can also help you open and understand it.
Written by Vicent Doménech, geodesy and cartography engineer, chartered surveyor no. 8948.
