Property
SUNARP registration and large-scale urban titling through COFOPRI
Ownership of real property is transferred by contract under the Código Civil, but registration in SUNARP's Registro de Predios is what makes the right effective against third parties. Peru ran an internationally studied urban land-titling programme through COFOPRI, formalising millions of informal settlement plots. Foreigners cannot own land within 50 kilometres of the border without authorisation.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — National civil law with SUNARP registries
- Deadline — Ordinary prescription: five years; extraordinary: 10 years
- Deadline — Registration priority runs from the date of presentation to SUNARP
Governing law
- Código Civil Peruano (arts. 949 and 1135)
- Ley 27157 and Decreto Legislativo 803COFOPRI titling
- Constitución (art. 71 (border restriction))
In practice
Peru is one of the clearest examples of consensual transfer combined with a priority-by-registration rule: as between two buyers from the same seller, the one who registers first prevails even if the other contracted earlier. The COFOPRI programme is frequently cited in development literature for converting informal possession into registered, mortgageable title at scale.