Property
A conclusive Grundbuch and the abstraction principle
Ownership is proved by the Grundbuch land register, which good-faith buyers can rely on. German law separates the sale contract from the transfer of title (the abstraction principle), and both need notarisation.
Key rules
- The purchase contract must be notarised to be valid.
- Title passes only on Auflassung (agreed conveyance) and entry in the Grundbuch.
- Real-estate transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer) varies by Land, roughly 3.5-6.5%.
Governing law
- Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, property book
- Grundbuchordnung
In practice
There are no nationality restrictions on buying, but buyers should budget notary, land-registry and Land-specific transfer-tax costs on top of the price.