Certificate of Antiquity

Certificate of Antiquity: What It Is, When You Need It, and How It Can Regulate Your Unlicensed Home

The Certificate of Antiquity is a technical document that certifies a building has existed long enough to be legalized, even if it was constructed without a permit. Its main purpose is to legalize unlicensed homes—especially those built on rural land—through a “declaration of new construction due to age” before a notary and the Land Registry.

This certificate is mandatory for declaring a building as legally constructed based on its age, particularly in rural areas where construction is only allowed under certain conditions.

Thanks to this document, property owners can register the home in the Land Registry, contract utilities like electricity and water, and regularize its urban planning status—providing legal security for future sales, inheritance, or mortgage processes.

Thanks to this document, owners can register the property in the Land Registry, contract electricity and water supplies, and regularize their urban planning situation, providing legal security for future sales, inheritances, or mortgages.