FAQs – Documents Processing

Permission should be granted by the Exchange Control Authority before the document transferring title has been executed. Where the approval of the Exchange Control Authority is obtained after the date of execution of the document, a Certificate of Validation must be prepared on behalf of the Central Bank of Barbados.  This will result in an additional cost and a delay in having the document recorded at the Land Registry.

The executed Conveyance along with supporting original documents should be presented to the Land Registry for recording.  These documents include:

1. the Land Tax Certificate of Payment which confirms that all land taxes for the parcel have been paid for the current financial year;
2. a Section 12A Form which has been signed and stamped by the Barbados Revenue Authority (this form indicates whether a commission was paid to an agent in the sale of the parcel and if an agent was used, the amount of the commission);
3. a Notice of Change of Ownership Form which has been signed and stamped by the Barbados Revenue Authority (this form indicates the current and prospective owners of the parcel, the size and land tax reference number for the parcel and whether a building is part of the transfer and is used by the Barbados Revenue Authority to update the land tax roll);
4. a Certificate of Location which has been issued by the Barbados Revenue Authority (this Certificate indicates whether the parcel is located within a Special development area);
5. the most recent Land Tax Bill which confirms the size and value of the property; and
6. a TR Form signed and stamped by the Exchange Control Authority (only required where a party to the transaction is not resident in Barbados).

Certified copies of title deeds can be obtained from the Barbados Land Registry on the payment of the prescribed fee of $3.00 per page. An electronic search of the Land Registry’s records can be done using the name of the landowner on record and the location of the parcel.

Company Charges, according to Section 237 (1A) of the Companies Act, Cap. 308 of the Laws of Barbados must be recorded at the Land Registry within 28 days after the creation of the charge which affects land owned by the company. Each Company Charge must be presented to the Land Registry with two Certificates of Registration and a Statutory Declaration. In a circumstance where the Company Charge is not received by the Land Registry within the required 28 days, an application must be made to the High Court of Barbados for an extension of time to record the Charge. A certified copy of the court order should be produced on recording the Charge which must also be referenced in the Certificate of Registration.

The following must be complied with when recording Company Charges at the Land Registry:

• All dates in the body of the Company Charge, Statutory Declaration and the Certificate of Registration should be entered.
• The Statutory Declaration must be signed by one of the witnesses to the execution of the Company Charge before a Justice of a Peace.
• The information contained in the Certificate of Registration should correspond with that contained within the Company Charge (Company name, amount stamped, Company number, date).
• The Company Charge must have the adjudicated page as well as the original stamp of receipt from the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office confirming its submission there.
• Any amendments to these documents after their submission at the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office will attract the prescribed fee.