Swiss land register: transfer of ownership & land register extract
You only become the owner of a property once it is entered in the land register. What is the land register anyway? And what do you need a land register extract for? Comparis answers the most important questions about the land register.
19.12.2025
iStock / Pattanaphong Khuankaew
1. What is a land register?
The land register is a public register of land. These include
Residential and commercial properties
Land without buildings
Co-ownership shares in land
The land registry offices of the cantons are responsible for maintaining the land register (Art. 4 GBV).
The land register consists of:
Main register: contains all the information in the land register extract.
Journal: chronologically recorded land register applications. The information is transferred from the journal to the main register.
Owners’ register: names of owners in alphabetical order and designation of the properties belonging to them.
Creditors’ register: names of the creditors of a mortgage note or a mortgage certificate.
Auxiliary register: additional information such as street directories or building registers.
2. What is a land register extract?
The land register extract contains information about a specific property. The public land register extract can be inspected by anyone. It contains the following information:
Name of the property
Property description with area information
Names and identification of the owners
Date of acquisition and form of ownership
Easements and land charges such as building regulations or rights of way
Priority notices
Public comments
The complete land register extract is reserved for authorised persons such as the owner or the mortgagees (banks). In addition to the information from the public land register extract, it also contains the mortgages. Mortgages are security rights in which a property serves as collateral for a monetary debt (usually a mortgage).
3. What do I need a land register extract for?
You always need a land register extract if you need to prove or check the legal situation of a property. Such situations include, for example:
Purchase
Sale
Mortgage (hypothec)
Proof to authorities and banks
You want to buy a property: the land register extract contains important information. Order the relevant land register extract before signing the purchase contract. For example, you can find out whether a right of way is registered.
You want to sell a property: the sales documents should include a land register extract.
Do you know the value of your property?
With the online property valuation from Comparis, you can determine the approximate value of your property free of charge.
4. How long does a land register entry take in Switzerland?
The registration of the transfer of ownership in the land register takes place after receipt of the complete documents. Depending on the canton and the workload of the land registry office, this can take from a few weeks to several months.
The time required to create an extract from the land register depends primarily on the responsible land registry office. As a rule, the creation of a land register extract takes between 1 and 5 working days. In some cases, there may be delays. Order the extract early.
Note: if a journal entry is pending on the property, this can delay the creation of the land register extract.
5. What does a land register extract cost in Switzerland?
The costs differ from canton to canton and are based on the scope and level of detail of the land register extract. In some cantons, you will already receive the land register extract from 20 francs. However, the extract can also cost significantly more. In the canton of Thurgau, for example, an extract costs at least 50 francs.
6. Where can I find the responsible land registry office?
Each canton has its own land registry office. In the table you will find the respective land registry website.
7. Frequently asked questions about the land register
In Switzerland, the land register is partially accessible to the public. Certain basic data is accessible to everyone without a justified interest. This includes, among other things:
Name and description of the property
Name and identification of the ownership
Form of ownership
Date of purchase
For a more detailed insight, you need a credible legitimate interest. This is the case, for example, if you are a buyer, a neighbour with a right of way or the financing bank. You can then request a detailed extract from the land register.
Yes, in principle, anyone can request a land register extract with basic public data. For a complete or detailed extract, however, you need a legitimate interest. This is the case, for example, if you are a buyer, a neighbour with a right of way or a financing bank.
Depending on your interest and entitlement, you can obtain data from the land register via the public data or via a land register extract. To do this, contact the competent cantonal land registry office.
You can order the land register extract from the competent cantonal land registry office in which the property is located.
These are the usual ways to order the land register extract:
Online via the order form of the cantonal land registry or via the website of the notaries.
In writing or by telephone directly at the land registry office.
Through the notary if they are involved in the purchase contract or notarisation.
This article was first published on 26.08.2019
