Ukraine continues to modernize its property rights registration system to better protect owners, simplify access to services, and reduce the risk of document loss caused by the war. The State Register of Property Rights officially started operating on January 1, 2013. All rights registered before this date remain valid and do not require re-registration.
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From Paper Archives to a Unified Electronic Register
Before 2004, property rights and encumbrances were recorded on paper by technical inventory bureaus (BTI). Between 2004 and 2013, the process partially transitioned to digital form via the Property Rights Register (PRRN). Today, this register serves as an archival part of the modern State Register of Property Rights, which has been operating for more than ten years.
Although older records remain legally valid, experts recommend that property owners enter their data into the current electronic system. Doing so provides additional protection of ownership rights, enables quick online verification, and significantly reduces the risk of fraud.
Protecting Property During Wartime
The full-scale war has created new risks for citizens, including the loss of documents due to destruction, shelling, or forced displacement. Registration in the State Register allows owners to confirm property rights even if their paper documents are lost. To do this, they only need to obtain an information extract, which can be requested online via the Diia portal or from a notary.
Having property registered in the system is also a prerequisite for receiving compensation for destroyed housing. If ownership rights are recorded in the register, the process of confirming damages and receiving reimbursement becomes much easier.
How to Complete the Registration
Property owners can register their rights through a state registrar, an administrative service center (CNAP), or a notary. According to an order by the Ministry of Justice dated June 9, 2023, the principle of extraterritoriality applies. This means that an owner can register their property in any region of Ukraine, regardless of where the property is physically located.
This rule applies to properties in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, as well as in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Chernihiv regions, and the city of Sevastopol.
Registration can also be completed online via the Diia portal. To do so, the owner needs a qualified electronic signature (QES). The applicant fills out and signs the online form, attaches scanned copies of documents, and submits them digitally. The service is available 24/7, although currently it can only be used for properties registered before January 1, 2013.
If a property has multiple co-owners, they may apply jointly or separately — this does not affect the processing of their registration request.
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