Guide

How to get a Certified True Copy of your land title from abroad

By the SEENDI team · Updated October 1, 2026 · 6 min read

If you own land or a condo in the Philippines and live overseas, a Certified True Copy (CTC) of your title is the simplest way to confirm that the property is still in your name and that nothing has been registered against it. Here’s how to get one without flying home.

What a Certified True Copy is

Every land title in the Philippines has two versions: the original, kept on file at the Registry of Deeds (RD) for the place where the property is, and the owner’s duplicate, which you (or your family) keep at home.

A Certified True Copy is a copy of the original on file at the Registry of Deeds, certified by that office. Because it comes from the RD’s own records, it shows the title as it stands today, including anything recorded after your owner’s duplicate was printed. That makes it more useful than a photocopy of the title you have at home.

Titles come in a few types. The most common are the TCT (Transfer Certificate of Title) for land and houses, and the CCT (Condominium Certificate of Title) for condo units. Older or first-registered land may have an OCT (Original Certificate of Title). You can get a CTC of any of them.

When you should get one

• Before you buy. Ask the seller for the title number and get your own CTC from the RD. Don’t rely only on a photo or photocopy the seller sends.
• Before you sell, mortgage or lease. Buyers, banks and lessees will usually ask for a recent CTC.
• To check on property you inherited or left behind. If you’ve been away for years, a CTC tells you whether the title is still in your name, or your parents’ names, and whether anything has been annotated on it.
• If you suspect a problem. For example, a relative or caretaker acting as if they own the property, or someone else paying the real property tax.

What you need before you start

1. The title number, such as “TCT No. 123-2020001234”. It’s printed at the top of the owner’s duplicate. If you don’t have the title, check an old tax declaration, deed of sale or real property tax receipt: the title number is often written on them.
2. Which Registry of Deeds holds it. This is the RD for the city or province where the property is located. Some large cities have more than one.
3. The registered owner’s name, spelled exactly as on the title.
4. If someone requests it for you: a signed authorization letter and a copy of the owner’s valid ID. Practice varies between offices: some release a CTC to anyone with the title number, others ask for proof that the owner authorized the request. Bringing both avoids a wasted trip.

Three ways to get it from abroad

1. Ask a family member to go to the Registry of Deeds

They fill out a request form at the RD, pay the fees at the cashier, and come back for the copy when it’s ready, often the same day or within a few days, depending on the office and whether the title has been computerized. Give them the title number, an authorization letter and a copy of your ID.

2. Request it online through the Land Registration Authority

The Land Registration Authority (LRA), which runs the Registries of Deeds, has an online service for requesting Certified True Copies of computerized titles, with delivery within the Philippines. It’s worth trying first, but it only covers titles that are in the LRA’s computerized system, and delivery has to go to a Philippine address. Check the LRA’s official website for what’s currently available.

3. Send a representative

If no one at home can go, or the online request doesn’t cover your title, a service like SEENDI can send a vetted representative to the Registry of Deeds for you. We prepare the authorization letter with your representative’s name for you to sign online, request the copy, and send you a clear scan with the official receipt.

What to check when you get it

• Registered owner. Is the name yours (or your parents’) and spelled correctly?
• Property description. Do the lot and block numbers, location and area match what you expect, and your tax declaration?
• Annotations at the back (the “Memorandum of Encumbrances”). This is the most important part. Look for entries such as a mortgage, an adverse claim, a notice of lis pendens (a pending court case), or a levy. A clean title has no active encumbrances. If you see entries you don’t understand, ask a lawyer before you buy, sell or lend against the property.
• Whether the title is still active. If the title was cancelled and replaced by a new one, the RD will tell you, and the CTC will show it.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Requirements and fees vary between offices and can change, so check with the office concerned. More about our land records & tax service · All guides