To record the sale of a property, the Registro Público (public registry) asks for two papers from the alcaldía (city hall): the cédula catastral (cadastral certificate), also called ficha catastral, and the solvencia municipal (municipal tax clearance) for the Impuesto sobre Inmuebles Urbanos (urban property tax). We reviewed the pages and gazettes of five Caracas alcaldías in October 2026; where they do not publish a piece of information, we say so.
What each document is
The cédula catastral certifies that the property is registered in the municipality's cadastre. It is issued by the municipal cadastre office (articles 38 and 56 of the Ley de Geografía, Cartografía y Catastro Nacional, the National Geography, Cartography and Cadastre Law, Gaceta Oficial 37.002 of 2000). Under article 39 of that law, it contains:
If the person who possesses or occupies the property is not its owner (for example, someone who built on another person's land), a certificado de empadronamiento catastral (cadastral enrollment certificate) is issued instead (articles 40 and 56).
The solvencia municipal is issued by the alcaldía's tax administration when the owner is up to date with the Impuesto sobre Inmuebles Urbanos (the "derecho de frente"). Chacao and Baruta also require being up to date with other taxes and services, such as aseo urbano (waste collection).
The solvencia is requested with the current cédula catastral: Chacao requires a "Cédula Catastral Actualizada" (updated cédula catastral) and Baruta the "cédula catastral del año en curso" (cédula catastral for the current year).
Why the Registro asks for them in a sale
Who gets them? Both are issued in the current owner's name, so before the sale they are handled by the seller or an authorized person. Chacao, Baruta and El Hatillo accept a simple authorization with a copy of the authorized person's cédula (national ID card) for the solvencia; El Hatillo also does for the ficha. After signing, the buyer puts the cédula catastral in their own name (cambio de firma, or change of holder). In Baruta the buyer has 90 calendar days from the purchase (articles 9 and 11 of the ordinance); the cadastre page says 60, but the ordinance reserves that period for changes without a purchase. In Libertador, the cadastre ordinance requires notifying any legal change within 15 calendar days (article 12).
Where to get them in the Caracas municipalities
| Municipality | Cédula or ficha catastral | Solvencia | Online? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chacao | Dirección de Catastro Municipal, Edificio Atrium (official page) | Taquillas de Atención al Contribuyente, Torre Atrium, ground floor, El Rosal (requirements) | Partly: the form and the fee for the solvencia are generated in the Oficina Virtual; the documents are handed in at the counter |
| Baruta | Dirección de Planificación Urbana y Catastro: Colinas de Bello Monte, Parque Humboldt and Pueblo de Baruta (cadastre) | SEMAT, Torre Humboldt, Av. Río Caura (SEMAT) | Partly: Semat en Línea lets you check your balance, pay and generate the application form; online delivery of the solvencia: not published |
| El Hatillo | Dirección Sectorial de Gestión Urbana, C.S. Plaza La Boyera, level NB (procedures) | SUHAT, C.S. Plaza La Boyera, level NA (directory) | Not published |
| Sucre | Dirección de Catastro; intake office not published (cadastre) | SEDAT; requirements not published on the alcaldía's website | Only payment of the cadastre fee (Banesco, Multipagos); solvencia: not published |
| Libertador | Dirección de Catastro, Av. Lecuna, esquina Miranda a Reducto, Edificio Banvenez (SIGAT) | SUMAR, Edificio Glorieta, Santa Teresa (SIGAT) | Cédula: requested or renewed in SIGAT. Solvencia: the ordinance says it is issued electronically (art. 50) |
Chacao
The Oficina Virtual's list of required documents asks for: the form generated on the portal (mandatory, with a specific option for a sale), an updated cédula catastral, payment of the previous month's aseo urbano, the owner's RIF (tax ID number) or cédula, payment of the tax, proof of payment of the fee and a Miranda timbre fiscal (revenue stamp). An earlier page (May 2022) gives another route: a request by email and an appointment. We follow the Oficina Virtual list, which is more recent (a 2024 file); confirm before you go. For the cédula after a change of name, you submit form C-01, the sale deed, cédula, RIF and a Miranda stamp worth 5 unidades tributarias (tax units), per the 2022 page.
Baruta
For the solvencia, article 31 of the tax ordinance (Gaceta Municipal Extraordinaria 421-12/2023) requires being up to date with all municipal taxes and services, the form, the current year's cédula catastral and proof of payment of the fee. The cambio de firma at the cadastre office requires a sworn statement, cédula, account statement, fee and Miranda stamp.
El Hatillo
The ficha catastral requires a Miranda digital stamp, the planilla única de catastro (single cadastre form), cédula, the previous ficha or the registered document, the registered document for a change of owner, and the solvencia or proof of payment of municipal taxes. For the solvencia, the urban property tax ordinance (Gaceta Municipal 520/2025, in force since 1 January 2026) requires being up to date with municipal taxes and services and filing the form with the current year's ficha catastral, proof of the fee and, if the owner is not the applicant, a simple authorization with a copy of the authorized person's cédula (article 45). Under a payment plan only a partial solvencia is issued (article 49).
How much they cost and how long they last
Almost all fees are multiples of the official exchange rate of the highest-value currency published by the BCV (Central Bank of Venezuela). Miranda timbres fiscales are paid separately.
| Municipality | Solvencia fee | Cédula fee | Solvencia validity | Cédula validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chacao | 5 times (Ordenanza 018-2023, art. 17) | Not published in the fee ordinance | Not published | Not published |
| Baruta | 15 times, "Solvencias" item (G.M. 053-02/2024, art. 7) | 15 times for a ficha update (same article) | Up to 3 months, or 12 if you paid the full year in January (art. 30) | For the solvencia, the current year's cédula is required (art. 31) |
| El Hatillo | 10 UCD (Ordenanza sobre Tasas, G.M. 040/2025, article 24) | Not published | Valid while no new debts arise; until the end of the fiscal year if the full year was paid in January (article 43) | Not published |
| Sucre | Not published | 0.04 petros according to the cadastre page, plus a stamp of 5 U.T. (individuals) or 10 (legal entities); confirm the current amount | Not published | Not published |
| Libertador | 2 Unidades de Cuenta Dinámica (dynamic units of account) (tax ordinance, art. 53) | Up to 10 times (cadastre ordinance, art. 60) | Not published | 1 year from issue (2024 cadastre ordinance, art. 45) |
In Libertador, the 2023 tax ordinance (article 6) gave the cédula up to 2 years; the 2024 cadastre ordinance sets 1 year, and we use the more recent one. Baruta's cadastre page still shows fees of "3,000,000 bs", a figure superseded by the 2024 gazette.
Only Baruta publishes a delivery time: the cédula is issued within the 15 business days following the request (article 7). Start with the cédula, because the solvencia depends on it, and ask at the Registro which issue date it accepts.
How it works in other municipalities
The cadastre law says the cadastre "se formará por municipios" (will be formed by municipalities) (article 27) and that each municipality will have its own cadastre office (article 55). Since article 97 of the Ley de Registros y Notarías applies nationwide, you will need the same two documents in any city; requirements, fees and validity are set by each municipality's ordinance.
If the property comes from a sucesión (estate), has a mortgage, or the cédula does not match the title deed, a lawyer should review the case before you go to the Registro.
Correction, 27 October 2026: an earlier version said El Hatillo does not publish the requirements, fee or validity of the solvencia. Its urban property tax ordinance and its fees ordinance do set them; we have added them.