General Directorate for the Cadastre
“The cadastral regulations themselves include collaboration as one of the guiding principles of the Spanish Cadastre, and the new system for exchanging information on physical alterations between the Notaries and the Cadastre allows it to be definitively enshrined.”
Fernando de Aragón Amunárriz
Director, General Directorate for Cadastre, Spain
Notaries in Spain can now use their own applications to modify and update the cadastral map through the electronic cadastre office.
The unique official seamless cadastral map, which is open and free for view and download, includes all private properties and public land in Spain. By law, citizens and all public administrations must declare any modification of the cadastral parcels and provide information with technical conditions defined by the cadastre to verify that the information is correct.
Tools are available for users so that they can easily reflect new boundaries in the cadastral map. Surveyors hired by the citizen, which is not obligatory in Spain, as well as technicians from public organisations, can download the boundary information and coordinates, make the modifications and provide the new ones using INSPIRE GML format.
By means of a validation process that guarantees the non- invasion of the adjoining titleholders or the public domain and, if adjoining properties are invaded asking the conformity of the neighbour, the cadastre updates the map. As Spain has a dual registration system for both cadastre and land registry, users can then obtain a descriptive cadastral and graphic certification for the deed and to register the new parcels.
Prior to 2023, Notaries communicated legal changes to parcels to the Cadastre and Registries. Now they can also communicate the physical changes in the parcels, generate validation reports, and once verified that the change either does not affect neighbours or a request for agreement has been made, the cadastral certificate and deed are sent directly to the Registry via the electronic office.
Benefits
-
Eliminates burdens on citizens as the Cadastre continues its evolution from a model based on citizen declarations to one of direct communication from the Notary.
-
Facilitates the exchange of graphic information in a more efficient and automated way.
-
Avoids transcription errors as the graphic data is created digitally and shared with everyone.
-
Allows Notaries to work simply and easily with graphical information
to which they were not previously accustomed. -
Enables significant progress towards the objective of achieving the greatest legal certainty in real estate transactions.
-
Allows the General Directorate for Cadastre to deepen collaboration with Notaries and land registrars.