Coordination Between the Property Registry and the Land Registry

Coordination Between the Property Registry and the Land Registry in Spain: Key Obligations Explained

The Spanish real estate system involves two different registries that often cause confusion: the Property Registry (Registro de la Propiedad) and the Land Registry (Catastro).

While the Land Registry is an administrative record that describes the physical characteristics and location of each property, the Property Registry focuses on ownership, rights and legal security in real estate transactions.

Historically, the lack of coordination between both registries led to discrepancies, duplications and legal uncertainty. To address this, the Law 13/2015 of 24 June, reforming the Mortgage Law and the Consolidated Text of the Land Registry Law, introduced a comprehensive modernization process to harmonize both systems.

One of the most relevant aspects of this reform is the obligation to georeference properties in specific situations — an essential step to improve accuracy, security and transparency in real estate documentation.

When is georeferencing required?

According to Article 9.b) of the Spanish Mortgage Law, properties must be georeferenced in the following situations:

Whenever a property is newly registered in the Property Registry.
When land is subdivided, merged or modified, such as in cases of division, regrouping, expropriation or boundary redefinition.
When new constructions are declared, that is, when a building, structure or plantation occupies a specific portion of land that must be legally delimited.

In other words, any operation that affects the surface, shape or boundaries of a property must include a georeferenced plan with precise coordinates compatible with the Land Registry (Catastro).

What does georeferencing mean in practice?

Georeferencing consists of assigning geographic coordinates (based on official systems such as ETRS89) to define the exact perimeter of a property. This ensures that what appears in the Property Registry matches what is physically visible on the ground and in the Land Registry.

For instance, if a new construction is declared, the plot on which the building stands must first be georeferenced before registration. This guarantees that both the land and the construction are properly aligned in the public records.

The General Directorate of Registries and Notaries (Dirección General de los Registros y del Notariado) reinforced this requirement through a Resolution-Circular, instructing registrars to ensure that the original property is georeferenced before allowing registration of any modification or new construction.

Why is this reform important?

The coordination between the two registries offers several advantages:

✅ Legal security: Eliminates discrepancies that could lead to disputes or double ownership.
📍 Accuracy: Ensures that property descriptions reflect the true situation on the ground.
🧾 Efficiency: Simplifies administrative and notarial procedures in sales, inheritances or urban planning.
💻 Modernization: Establishes a digital and geospatial framework for future registry operations.

Although the implementation of Law 13/2015 will take time, its progressive enforcement will mark a significant step toward a more transparent and reliable real estate system in Spain.

If you are buying, selling, or modifying a property and need guidance on georeferencing or registry coordination, our real estate lawyers in Mallorca and Ibiza can assist you through every step — from technical verification to legal registration.

You can also learn more about Property Registry and Land Registry harmonization in our related article:
➡️ Property Registry and Land Registry: How Spain Improves Coordination Between Them.