Bundesportal | Land Register; Application for Registration

More Information

Publisher

Bavaria

Last update or date of publication

September 23, 2026

The land register serves as the basis for legal transactions involving real property. For any legal act establishing or modifying rights in real property to be effective, it must not only be agreed upon but also entered in the land register. For example, if you wish to transfer ownership of a property or create a mortgage on your property, a corresponding entry in the land registry is required for this legal change.

If you have purchased a piece of real property, you do not become the new owner until

you have reached an agreement with the seller regarding the transfer of ownership (“conveyance of the property”) and
the new ownership status has been recorded in the land register.

Registration in the land register is also required for other forms of property transfer.

The land registry office of the local court where the land register for the property is maintained is responsible for this.

Under “Related Topics,” you will find information on various types of entries in the land register made for specific reasons.

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Preconditions

The requirements for registration are normally:

Application for registration
Consent and/or authorization for registration from the person whose rights are affected by the registration
Compliance with specific formal requirements

Depending on the specific case

additional documents may be required (for example, proof of inheritance, permits, certificates of right of first refusal, tax clearance certificate) or
the land register must first be corrected prior to the requested registration (for example, by registering the heirs of a deceased owner).

Hints

An increasing number of websites are offering paid services to help property owners obtain land registry extracts. These are private service providers with which the land registry offices have no affiliation. The processing fees charged by these providers are often significantly higher than the actual court fees incurred. The court fees collected by the State Justice Treasury in Bamberg must be paid separately from any additional costs charged by third-party providers. You can request your land registry extract directly from the land registry office at any time by demonstrating a legitimate interest.

Fees are charged for the notary’s services and the land registry entry. In the case of real estate purchases, for example, the amount of these fees is largely based on the purchase price.

For the registration of ownership, fees are charged according to the rates specified in Nos. 14110 through 14112 of the Schedule of Fees under the Court and Notary Fees Act (GNotKG).

Basis for legal action

Gerichts- und Notarkostengesetz - GNotKG

Grundbuchordnung (GBO)

Procedure

You must apply for registration in the land registry. For more information, consult a notary or an attorney. They will provide you with guidance tailored to your situation regarding the procedure and the documents you will need.

The application may be submitted in writing or recorded by the land registry office. Submitting an application via email is not sufficient.

The statements and documents you use to prove to the land registry office that your application should be granted must be contained in a public deed or a notarized document.

The application for registration of ownership resulting from a purchase or gift is filed by a notary after the notarial certification has taken place.

Once the Land Registry has verified that all requirements for registration have been met, it proceeds with the registration.

Once the registration has been completed, the Land Registry notifies the notary, the applicant, the registered owner(s), and all persons listed in the land register in whose favor the registration is made or whose rights are affected by it.

Deadlines

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Processing time

The processing time depends, in particular, on the workload of the relevant land registry office.