Demòcrates per Andorra Submits Bill for National Electronic Property Registry

Demòcrates per Andorra (DA) has formally submitted a parliamentary bill to establish a national electronic property registry, mandating inscription for all built properties and key transactions to provide greater legal certainty in the real estate market.

The system will record land parcel details, including owners and encumbrances like mortgages or seizures, going further than existing communal cadastres that capture only physical characteristics. It will incorporate real rights and offer full legal protection for dealings. Access remains restricted: judicial authorities can view records freely, while private individuals need prior approval based on a legitimate commercial interest.

Counsellor General Maria Martisella, alongside group president Jordi Jordana, presented the bill on Friday, noting it builds on an advanced draft discussed publicly in June 2025. The initiative followed a year of consultations with notaries, property owners, and the Andorran Financial Authority.

Full operations are expected by late 2027 or 2028, after approving a companion law on real rights—such as mortgages, easements, and usufructs—which DA aims to finalise by summer for passage this term. The government must then develop the electronic platform and select at least two independent professional registrars through public tender; these roles will resemble notaries to ensure specialised, non-public sector management and avoid expanding the civil service.

With around 150,000 real estate assets nationwide—from apartments and houses to warehouses, commercial spaces, and land—inscription will proceed gradually. Initial focus falls on built properties, with unbuilt land exempt until urban development or sales occur. New deeds will register immediately, while the government will set inscription priorities via regulation, potentially favouring private homes over public buildings or shopping centres to address essentials first. Officials estimate eight to ten years to register all built properties.

Jordana emphasised that the registry will ensure legal security for transactions, protect owners' rights, organise the national property stock, and support housing policies, though it will not alone resolve the housing crisis.

DA hopes for approval in coming months, with rollout paced to manage the scale.