Cambodia Counsel

Land titling in Cambodia should be understood in the context of the country’s recent history. Private ownership of land was abolished in 1975 and was not restored until the 1980s. Titles that existed before 1979 have been cancelled and are not recognized. The modern land title system was established by the 2001 Land Law.

There are essentially two types of document that evidence a right to possess or own land: a Letter of Possessory Right, commonly called a “soft title“, and a certificate issued and registered by the cadastral administration of the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (the “Land Office”), commonly called a “hard title“.

Soft Title

A Letter of Possessory Right evidences “possession” of property. A person is in possession when he or she physically occupies the land but is not recognized by the national authority as its owner. The letter is typically issued by the Sangkat (commune) or Khan (district) authority and is not registered at the Land Office. Because it is not registered nationally, it is not a secure form of landholding.

  • A person who had peaceful and uncontested possession of land for at least five years before the Land Law may request a title of ownership from the Land Office (Article 30, Land Law).
  • A possessor waiting to become a full owner has a right in rem over the property, which may be exchanged and transferred (Article 39, Land Law).
  • Until a certificate is issued by the Land Office, possession is transferred by executing a Letter of Possessory Right before the local authority.
  • The letter is only evidence of possession. It is not title, and it can be disputed (Article 40, Land Law).

See also “Soft Title” Ownership.

Hard Title

A hard title evidences ownership, the most secure right a person can hold over land. An owner has the rights to enter, use, stay, exclude others, transfer and alter the property (Articles 85 to 88, Land Law). “Hard title” is used for three certificates registered with the national cadastre:

  • Certificate of Land Use and Occupation Rights (the older “chicken feather” title);
  • Certificate of Immovable Property Possession; and
  • Certificate of Immovable Property Ownership, the strongest of the three, issued through systematic registration and showing full ownership.

A hard title is acquired either when the holder of a Letter of Possessory Right obtains a title of ownership from the Land Office, or by transfer of an existing title. A transfer must be registered at the Land Office in the name of the new owner to be enforceable against third parties (Article 65, Land Law). The original certificate is kept by the owner. When a transfer, lease or security interest is registered, it is noted on the certificate as well as in the Land Office register.

Other Registered Certificates

  • Certificate of ownership of a private unit in a co-owned building (strata title) – the only form of title a foreign person may hold directly. See Condominium Ownership by Foreign Person.
  • Certificate of Perpetual Lease – issued to the tenant under a registered lease of 15 years or more. See Long Term Lease.

The Land Registry

There are three levels of land registry: (i) the General Department of Cadastre and Geography in Phnom Penh; (ii) the provincial or municipal Department of Land Management, Urban Planning, Construction and Cadastre; and (iii) the district or Khan office. The provincial Land Office conducts surveys with the local authorities and maintains and updates the Land Register under the supervision of the General Department (Article 226, Land Law). A title issued by a provincial Land Office is sent to the General Department for verification and then returned.

QR Codes and Online Verification

Title certificates issued since June 1, 2018 carry a QR code. The Ministry has since introduced a new high-security certificate format whose QR code links to the government’s verify.gov.kh portal, where the document can be checked by scanning the code or uploading the document. This is a useful first check for forgery, but it does not replace an inquiry at the cadastral office. See Title Due Diligence.

Protection of Ownership

Once land is properly registered, the Government has only limited rights to take back the property. Land ownership is protected by the Constitution and the Land Law, and the Law on Investment protects investors against nationalization. The State may expropriate private land only in the public interest and on payment of fair and just compensation in advance (Article 5, Land Law), under the procedures of the Law on Expropriation.

Security over Land

The only way to take legally effective security over land is to register it with the Land Office, and only land with a registered title can be secured in this way. Since December 21, 2011 the forms of security are the hypothec and the pledge under the Civil Code, which replaced the mortgage, gage and antichrèse of the Land Law. See Mortgage.

Many land transactions still involve land that is not registered nationally, held only under a certificate of possession from the local authority, or state land held under a concession or long-term lease. Lenders should avoid relying on such land as security, or should take additional security, because security over it cannot be effectively registered.

Systematic Registration

Since 2002 the Government has been registering land area by area through systematic registration, in which every parcel in a commune or district is surveyed, adjudicated and titled. The program began with World Bank support and is now run by the Ministry.

  • In June 2025 the Ministry reported that about 13.3 million of an estimated 13.7 million parcels nationwide had been measured.
  • The Ministry has announced targets for completing registration ranging from 2026 to 2028.
  • Sub-Decree No. 158 of July 15, 2024 gives the Ministry responsibility for collecting the fee for first systematic registration until December 31, 2027.

New certificates may contain discrepancies in the location or dimensions of the land arising from the survey. While an area is undergoing systematic registration, transfers and the registration of security in that area can be delayed until adjudication is complete. Parties should confirm the registration status of the area before signing a sale and purchase agreement.