Complete process: buying real estate

In Curacao, properties can be purchased either as a natural person or as a legal person. Foreigners have the same rights as Curacao citizens and can purchase residential and commercial properties, including architectural monuments, without limitation. A valid passport is sufficient for the purchase. Sales contracts can also be issued for two or more people.

The buying property in Curacao are registered in the property register, where you can go back to the complete history of the home and obtain complete information on the owner of the property, the exact surface of the land and buildings and if they exist, of cellars or garages connected to the real estate object, of possible charges, as well as debts that the owners have.

For the sale of any property, the seller must deliver an extract from the current property register to the public notary.

Thanks to the regime of transparency and clarity of the forwarding of this operation, which must take place under the strict control of a notary, customers can be sure of buying a private property, without burdens, debts or rights by third parties.

To purchase real estate in Curacao:

1) Choice of property

Our company offers a wide range of properties in Curacao. In the event that the property you are looking for is not available on our database, we will take care of a "search for the property you have requested" and we will search for the property that best suits your search criteria.

2) The reservation of the chosen property

After selecting the property that best suits your expectations, you will have to make a reservation of the property in order to withdraw it from the sale on the market and begin preparing the documents for the purchase. The reservation requires an advance payment, which demonstrates the seriousness of the buyer. Normally, the advance payment corresponds to the amount of brokerage fees. After making the reservation correctly and the customer has received the booking contract from our agency, the seller can verify that on our website the property will be marked with the indication "booked".

3) Preparation of a preliminary sales contract

Immediately after making the reservation, all documents relating to this property will be sent to a public notary or lawyer of your preference. The documents sent will be: an extract from the cadastral register, declaration of the cadastral partition the lease in the event that the property is currently rented. The notary will prepare, through this information, a sales contract, which we will send to both the buyer and the seller.

4) The signing of the purchase contract

The buyer has two options: personally assisting in the signing of the sales contract, or entrust a representation without delegation to our agency

After signing the contract, the original will be sent to you by post.

5) Completion of the payment requirements before the settlement of the purchase price

After the ratification of the purchase and sale contract, the notary will insert the name of the buyer in the land register, as owner.

This will have to meet the following conditions:

• The seller will have to sell the house without any additional charges
• The buyer will have to pay tax on the purchase of real estate
• The buyer will have to pay to the building manager to be able to join the community of owners (if necessary)
• The buyer must pay the notary services

After fulfilling the previous conditions, the notary's financial office will inform you that all the conditions have been completed and you can proceed with the registration of the property in the land register and you in the preliminary register of buyers as new owner.

6) Payment of the purchase price of the property

After making an appointment at the cadastral office, the lawyer or our company, which works on behalf of the client, will receive a letter from the notary notifying him of the completion of all the requirements preliminary to the transfer of the purchase price of the apartment. The buyer will receive a payment notice, by bank transfer directly to the seller or to the notary's trust account, if ordered by the customer.

7) Registration of property rights

After the seller has informed the notary of the payment of the property price, the notary will present a reminder to the cadastral register for the appointment of the new owner. The acquisition and transfer of ownership of the apartment are usually carried out on the first day of the month to facilitate the new calculation of municipal and purchase costs (if there is a renter). With the transfer of ownership to the new buyer, he will receive the rights and obligations relating to the aforementioned property. In the case of an unoccupied apartment, the delivery of the keys is without restrictions. In case of purchase of a rented apartment, the keys are not delivered, the Curacao law states that: the owner of the leased property has no right to the possession of the keys, as this could interfere with the tenant's private sphere. Normally, the keys are managed by a property management company.

8) Obtaining a copy of the register

After being registered as a new owner and after transfer of ownership, you will have the right to request a copy of the extract of ownership from the cadastral register, which, together with the purchase contract, constitutes one of the fundamental documents, and which will have to guard until a possible future sale of the property.