How to Verify Land Ownership: A Step-by-Step Guide for Ukrainians.

Verifying land ownership is an important step before buying, selling, or conducting any other legal actions. In Ukraine, information about land plots is available in state registers, but to obtain reliable data, you need to know where and how to look.

The News.LIVE editorial team explains how to check a land plot, find out about its owner, encumbrances, or restrictions on usage.

Checking the Cadastral Number

The first step is to determine whether the land plot has a cadastral number. This is a unique code that identifies the plot in state registers. Without it, no legal transaction can take place, such as a sale or lease. To check if a cadastral number exists, use the Public Cadastral Map of Ukraine.

On the map, you can search by the name of the locality or geographic coordinates. You can also find out the type of ownership, intended use (for example, for agriculture or construction), and the area of the plot.

If there is no cadastral number, the owner needs to contact the developer of the land management documentation to have one assigned. Without this document, any actions with the plot are impossible.

'The cadastral number is the key to all legal operations with land. Without it, the plot is effectively 'invisible' to registers,' emphasize the Ministry of Justice.

Obtaining Information from the State Geocadastre

The next step is to check the data on the State Geocadastre's web portal (land.gov.ua). Here, you can obtain a certificate that contains:

• The normative monetary assessment of the plot.
• Information about usage restrictions (for example, protective zones).
• Information about property rights holders.

This data is for reference purposes, but it will help you build a general picture of the land plot. To obtain complete information, you need to refer to the State Register of Property Rights to Real Estate (DRP).