Category: Law and ownership
Public deed (escritura pública)
A formal document authorized by a notary public that records the sale, gift, or transfer of real estate and perfects the transmission of ownership.
Last updated:
In Paraguay, transferring a property is not perfected by the preliminary boleto but by the public deed signed before a notary and registered with the Dirección General de los Registros Públicos. The deed describes the property (matrícula, location, area), identifies the parties, records price and payment terms, and constitutes the title enforceable against third parties. Notary fees and registration costs are typically the buyer's. Without the registered deed, the buyer only has a personal claim against the seller, not ownership.
Example
On a USD 100,000 purchase, beyond the deposit the buyer budgets notary fees (1%–1.5%), the transfer tax, and registration charges. Only once the deed is registered with the Public Registry does the buyer own the property as against third parties.
Related tools
Sources
Related terms
Boleto de compraventa (preliminary sale agreement)
A preliminary sale contract signed between buyer and seller before the public deed, setting price, conditions, and deadline for executing the deed.
Notary public (escribano público)
A legal professional with public authority empowered to authenticate signatures, attest legal acts, and execute public deeds in Paraguay.
Matrícula inmobiliaria (real-estate registry number)
A unique number assigned by the Dirección General de los Registros Públicos to each property, identifying the parcel and consolidating its legal history.
Full ownership (dominio pleno)
The most complete form of property ownership: the holder can use, enjoy, and freely dispose of the property without partial-rights carveouts like usufruct or anticresis.