How to Transfer Land Title in the Philippines 2021

Here in the Philippines, the ultimate proof of property ownership is a title. We adopted the Torrens Title
System, a land registration and land transfer system documenting transfer of ownership of the property,
from the original owner who registered it to the succeeding owners.
How to transfer lot title in the Philippines may not be relevant to you if you are not a real estate
professional, a property seller or a property buyer. The moment you sell or buy a property, the transfer of
title process becomes something that you may want to know about.
In a property purchase process, it should be made clear to all parties involved – seller, listing broker,
buyer and buyer’s broker – who should be doing the title transfer. That should have been agreed on from
the start.
If you are the buyer, it is in your best interest to know how to transfer land title to new owner, namely:
YOU. You may want to do this yourself, on the assumption that you have the time and the patience to go
through with it. Alternatively, you can hire the services of a lawyer, a licensed real estate broker or a title
transfer company, for a certain service fee. Service fees vary depending on the location of the property.
For your reference and guidance, here are the:
4 Steps on How to Transfer Land Title in the Philippines
Note that we refer to it as a land title transfer procedure but the same goes when transferring title for a
condominium.
Now, before the step-by-step guide on how to transfer land titles, we assume that both parties, the seller
and the buyer have had a meeting of the minds and have executed a document to effect the conveyance
of the property. This deed of conveyance for a sale (for example), referred to as a Deed of Absolute Sale,
spells out the details of the subject property, the selling price and the parties involved.
 
Title Transfer Requirements
1. Deed of Conveyance – whether it is a Deed of Absolute Sale (DOAS), Extrajudical
Settlement of Estate with Sale (EJS with Sale), Deed of Donation, etc. Prepare 8 copies.
 For sales transactions, prepare an Acknowledgement Receipt of the amount
received by the seller. Or an Official Receipt, if the seller is a real estate dealer
or habitually engaged in real estate.
 Make sure the deed indicates the unique Tax Identification Number (TIN)
numbers of the parties involved. Important: the spelling of the names on the
deed of conveyance, the name on the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) TIN and
on the identification documents should be the same; the signature on the deed
of conveyance and on the IDs should be the same.
 Both the Deed and the Acknowledgement Receipt must be notarized.
 Why prepare 8 copies? Here’s the distribution breakdown:
1. Notary Public
2. Seller
3. Seller’s Licensed Real Estate Broker
4. Buyer
5. Buyer’s Licensed Real Estate Broker
6. Copy for submission to the various government agencies (Bureau
of Internal Revenue, LGU Treasurer’s Office, Registry of Deeds,
LGU Assessor’s Office)
7. Copy for the Condominium Corporation or Homeowner’s
Association
8. Copy as Reserve
2. Photocopies of IDs of all signatories in the deed; all photocopies must have 3 signatures of
the owner of the ID; IDs are called “competent evidence of identity” and are defined as a
“current identification document issued by an official agency bearing
the photograph and signature of the individual”. Examples: Valid Passport, Valid Driver’s
License, Valid license cards issued by the Professional Regulations Commission,
etc. Important: Do not use expired IDs.
3. Official Receipt of the Notary Public for the notarization of the deed.
4. Certified True Copy of the Title (Get 3 copies.) You will get this from the Registry of Deeds
that has jurisdiction over the property.
 5. Certified true copy of the latest Tax Declaration. When you request for the certified true
copies of the latest Tax Declaration indicate for “BIR Purposes”. Please take note that there
are separate tax declarations for the land and for the improvement (ex. house, building). The
Tax Declaration is issued by the Assessor’s Office of the city or municipality where the
property is located.
6. Tax Clearance – Issued by the Office of the Treasurer of the city or municipality. This certifies
that the Real Property Taxes for the property, both the land and improvements, have been
paid. Requirements to get a Tax Clearance:
 Latest Tax Declaration
 Latest Official Receipts of Real Property Tax payments
 Previous Tax Clearance (if any)
 SPA and valid ID if the requesting party is not the registered owner
7. Clearance from the Homeowners Association (HOA) if property, whether lot, house and lot,
lot with building, is located inside a subdivision or Management Certificate if property is a
condominium unit. Both the HOA Clearance and Management Certificate prove that the
seller has settled all HOA/condo dues for the year. The certificate also indicates if the
property has been leased. Note: Have this certificate notarized.
8. Marriage certificate (for married sellers and buyers)
9. Birth certificate (only when applicable). In cases of Deed of Donation proving relationship
between donor and donee or Extra-Judicial Settlement to prove relationship between
decedent and heirs.
10. Certificate of No Marriage (Cenomar) (only when applicable). Needed if seller or buyer is
single. Please take note that the Cenomar is valid only for six (6) months from issuance by
the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
11. For lots-only sale: Certificate of No Improvement. Secure this from the Assessor’s Office of
the city or municipality
12. 3” x 5” color photos of the property frontage or facade
 Land and House – Photo showing the front outside of the house including the
house number.
 Condominium – Photo showing the building with the building name visible. Photo
of the unit door with the door number visible.
13. Location map – just print a Google Map pertaining to the property.
14. Owner’s Duplicate Copy of the Title
 Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) – for land or house and lot or lot with
improvement
 Condominium Certificate of Title (CCT) – for a residential condominium, office
condominium or parking unit
15. Special Power of Attorney to Process the Title Transfer – if someone else shall process your
title transfer. This SPA shall be required by the BIR, LGU Treasurer’s Office, Registry of
Deeds, and LGU Assessor’s Office. Important: It should be signed by the seller.

Note on Notarization
A notarized document signifies that both parties appeared before a notary public and executed the deed. The act of
notarization makes the document a public document.
If one or more than one of the signatories to a deed of conveyance are based abroad, the contract must be Apostilled
in the country where the signatory/signatories reside. Or, if the seller/s or buyer/s does not reside in the Philippines
or, for some reason, cannot be present for the signing of the contract, the concerned party can appoint an Attorney-
in-Fact to sign on their behalf by producing a notarized Special Power of Attorney.
SPAs or Special Power of Attorney
SPAs should have an entire chapter devoted to it but the key things to remember:
 The SPA should clearly state what the Attorney-in-Fact can do: To sell? To lease? To receive the
proceeds on behalf of the seller? To deposit the proceeds to the seller’s bank account?
 An SPA is extinguished by the death of the person granting the special power and the death of the
attorney-in-fact. This is why the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Registry of Deeds would often
require that you present a “fresh” SPA – preferably under 1 year.
 Some institutions, like banks, have a specific format for the SPAs acceptable to them.
STEP 1 – Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR
STEP 1.A – END RESULT: You will get an official computation of the Capital Gains Tax (or Value-
Added Tax, Creditable Withholding Tax – whichever is applicable) and the Documentary Stamp
Tax, signed by a BIR Officer in the RDO.
Submit the documents required to the BIR’s Revenue District Office (RDO) that has jurisdiction over the
sold property. Note: BIR organized the Revenue District Offices per geographic area. For more
information as to which Revenue District Office your property belongs, please visit www.bir.gov.ph.
Documents Required: Items #1 to #11.
Where to Transact: BIR Revenue District Office that has jurisdiction over the property
NOTE: To avoid penalties and surcharges, the Capital Gains Tax / Value-Added Tax should be paid thirty
(30) days from notarization date and the Documentary Stamp Tax should be paid on the nearest 5th day
of the month following the notarization date. Be very careful of the date when your deed of conveyance
will be notarized.
You now have an official computation, go to Step 1.B.
 
STEP 1.B – END RESULT: Capital Gains Tax or Value-Added Tax and Documentary Stamp Taxes
are paid; BIR forms stamped “received” by the Authorized Agent Bank; the stamped BIR returns
are proofs of payments
Go to the Authorized Agent Bank and pay for the Capital Gains Tax or Value-Added Tax and
Documentary Stamp Tax.
Documents Required:
 Signed official computation sheet from the BIR
 Deed of conveyance
 Completely filled-out BIR Form 1706 for the Capital Gains Tax; 3 copies, signed by the seller.
 Completely filled-out BIR Form 2000-OT for the payment of the Documentary Stamp Tax, 3
copies, signed by the buyer
 Cash or Manager’s Check with specific wordings on the Manager’s Check. Important Note:
Contact the bank on what should be written on the Manager’s Check.
 Manager’s Check for Capital Gains Tax/VAT/CWT: it’s usually “IFO (in favor of)
name of seller, TIN of seller, FAO (for the account of) Bureau of Internal
Revenue”
 Manager’s Check for Documentary Stamp Tax: it’s usually “IFO (in favor of)
name of buyer, TIN of buyer, FAO (for the account of) Bureau of Internal
Revenue
Where to Transact: Authorized Agent Bank (AAB) accredited by the Revenue District Office
Important: Check with the RDO or check with the bank itself. Sometimes, the BIR website listing the
Authorized Agent Banks under that RDO is not updated. Avoid a major headache! (1) Make sure the
property is under the RDO you are dealing with. (2) Make sure you are paying in an Authorized Agent
Bank (AAB) of that specific RDO.
You now have your BIR forms stamped by the bank, go to Step 1.C.
 
STEP 1.C – END RESULT: Secure the Certificate Authorizing Registration (CAR) from the BIR
Submit all documents listed in Step 1.A and Step 1.B to the BIR RDO. (except item #5 under Step 1.B
since you’ve already paid it at the Authorized Agent Bank).
You will receive a time estimate of when the CAR and the documents you submitted will be available for
pickup. This used to take about 2 weeks. It should be faster now with the government’s anti-red tape
campaign.
Go back to the BIR RDO on the scheduled date. Pay the fee for the certificate. Important: Keep the
receipt. This is additional proof that the Certificate Authorizing Registration (CAR) is authentic and valid.
Pickup the CAR, the supporting documents, most specially, the original deed of conveyance stamped
“Received by BIR” and signed by an RDO Officer at the back.
The CAR you will receive has 2 copies: one blue color for use for the transfer and one brown as your
copy. Important: Safekeep the brown copy of the CAR with your new title and tax declaration once it
comes out.
Where to Transact: Bureau of Internal Revenue – Revenue District Office that has jurisdiction over your
property.
You now have the CAR, go to STEP 2!

STEP 2 – TREASURER’S OFFICE OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT

Submit documents (#1 to #6, #11, #15) plus the BIR Certificate Authorizing Registration to the Treasurer’s
Office of the Local Government Unit.
The Treasurer’s Office computes for the transfer tax. Pay the transfer tax. You can pay in cash or via
Manager’s Check. This will take just a few minutes.
TIP: The Transfer Tax is due sixty (60) days from the Notarization Date of the deed of conveyance. What
if it’s already 50 days and you still don’t have the CAR from the BIR? You can actually explain this to the
Treasurer’s Office and pay for the Transfer Tax ahead of the issuance of the CAR. This saves you from
the penalties if you fail to pay the Transfer Tax on time. The Treasurer’s Office will issue an Official
Receipt for your Transfer Tax payment but you’ll still need to go back to them once the CAR and the
supporting documents are released by the BIR to have the deed of conveyance stamped. Note: The
Treasurer’s Office may require you to submit an original (not photocopy) of the notarized deed of
conveyance. Aren’t you glad you have an extra copy?
END RESULT: Official Receipt from the LGU’s Treasurer’s Office proving payment of the Transfer Tax
and a rubber stamped mark by the Treasurer’s Office at the back of the deed of conveyance; some LGUs
also release a tax certificate. You now have one original set of the conveyance document with rubber
stamped marks signed by (1) the BIR and the (2) LGU’s Treasurers Office.
Where to Transact: Treasurer’s Office of the LGU where the property is located
STEP 3 – REGISTRY OF DEEDS
Submit documents to the Registry of Deeds. The RD computes for the registration fees. Pay the
registration fees. It normally takes about 2 weeks to produce the new title. It should be faster now.
Note: As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdowns (ECQ, MECQ, GCQ, etc.),
expect delays. For example: the Registry of Deeds of Quezon City would only allow 20-25 transactions
(transfers, etc.) daily. People line up as early as 3AM just to get a number!
END RESULT: New title under buyer’s name
Documents Required:
 All documents – #1 to #10 plus….
 #14 original Owner’s Copy of the title
 CAR issued by BIR
 OR for the Transfer Tax issued by the Local Government Unit
Where to Transact: Registry of Deeds with jurisdiction over the property
TIP: When you go back to pickup the Owner’s Copy of the title, request for a Certified True Copy of your
new title.
STEP 4 – ASSESSOR’S OFFICE
Submit documents to the Assessor’s Office of the Local Government Unit.
END RESULT: Assessor’s Office issues a new tax declaration. New owner pays the assessment fees
under the new tax declaration.
Documents Required:
 Certified true copy of the new title or Photocopy of New Title but present original Owner’s
copy of the new title
 Photocopy of the previous title
 Deed of conveyance
 Certified true copy of latest Tax Declaration (For BIR purposes)
 Transfer Tax Receipt (original and 2 photocopies)
 If previous owner is a corporation: Business Tax Receipt / Business Permit (original and 2
photocopies)
 BIR Certificate Authorizing Registration (Duplicate and photocopy)
 Tax Clearance (original and photocopy)
 Photos of property
 Subdivision plan if land is subdivided
Where to Transact: Assessor’s Office of the Local Government Unit
 
And you’re done!
 
Safekeep:
 Your New Title
 Your New Tax Declaration
 The brown copy of the BIR CAR and the official receipt for the certification fee
BONUS TIP: If you bought a condominium or subdivision property, don’t forget to inform the HOA/condo
corp that you are now the new owner of the property. They will require a Certified True Copy of the Title
(your new title), a copy of the new tax declaration and a copy of the deed of conveyance.
Here is a step-by-step guide on transferring property title or TCT from the seller to the
new owner of a property e.g. house & lot.
1. Execute a "DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE" from the seller of the property and have the document
notarized.

Note: Capital Gains Tax must be paid at the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) within 60 days
starting on the date when the Deed of Absolute Sale was notarized or pay a substantial penalty. (TIP:
If you think you won't be able to pay the Capital Gains Tax within the time period, delay notarizing
the deed.)

2. Go to office of Bureau of Internal Revenue where the property is located. Have the following
documents:
-Original Deed of Absolute Sale
-Original Transfer Certificate of Title
-2 Certified True Copy of TCT from Registry of Deeds
and Official Receipt/ Acknowledgment Receipt
-Certified True Copy of the latest Tax Declaration
-Tax Identification Number (TIN) of seller (BIR Form No. 1904)
-Photocopy of seller's government issued ID e.g. Passport
-Tax Identification Number (TIN) of buyer (BIR Form No. 1904)
-Photocopy of buyer's government issued ID e.g. Driver's License

3. Pay the Capital Gains Tax -6% of the selling price or zonal value (BIR Form No. 1706)

4. Pay Documentary Stamp Tax -1.5% of the selling price (BIR Form No. 2000-OT)

5. Get CERTIFICATE AUTHORIZING REGISTRATION (CAR) after about a month.

6. Go to the Registry of Deeds where the property is located (Usually located at the Municipal or
City Hall). Have the following documents:
-Notarized letter to the Register of Deeds requesting a new TCT be issued
-Certificate Authorizing Registration (CAR)
-Original Transfer Certificate of Title
-Original Deed of Absolute Sale
-Original Transfer Tax Receipt from Assessor's Office Municipal Hall
-Original Tax Clearance Certificate from Municipal Hall
-Original Capital Gains Tax (BIR Form No. 1706),
-Original Documentary Stamp Tax (BIR Form No. 2000- OT) with receipts
-Tax Declaration of Real Property

7. Pay the REGISTRATION FEE at the Registry of Deeds.

8. Get TRANSFER CERTIFICATE of TITLE (TCT) after about 1-2 weeks.

9. Go to the Assessor's Office to get New TAX DECLARATION. Have the following documents:
-Certified True Copy of TCT & show Original TCT
-Certified True Copy of Certificate Authorizing Registration
-Certified True Copy of Deed of Absolute Sale
-Certified True Copy of latest Tax Declaration (in the name of the previous owner)
10. Get new Tax Declaration under the name of the new registered owner.