Property Transfer in Nepal: Land Registration, Step by Step

In Nepal, ownership of land transfers only when a deed is registered at the Land Revenue Office (Malpot). A signed agreement, a handshake, even full payment: none of it moves ownership until registration. That single fact explains most property disputes we see.

Before anything is signed

Run the checks first. Obtain the current land ownership certificate (lalpurja) and verify it against the records at the Land Revenue Office. Confirm there are no mortgages or restrictions noted on the plot, check the boundaries against the cadastral map, and confirm the seller is the sole registered owner, since co-owned family land needs every owner’s consent.

The registration day

Both parties appear at the Land Revenue Office with citizenship documents, the ownership certificate, and the deed. The office assesses registration fees and capital gains tax based on the declared value and the government valuation. Once the deed is registered and the new certificate issued, ownership has legally changed; not before.

Where deals go wrong

The recurring failures: paying substantial sums before the title check; relying on an unregistered sales agreement for months; and discovering at the office that a family member’s consent is missing. Each is preventable with a title search and a properly drafted agreement that ties payment milestones to registration.