In Issue No. 112 of the State Gazette, dated 19 December 2025, Council of Ministers Decree No. 334 of 17 December 2025 was promulgated, introducing amendments to certain conditions for obtaining uncertified copies of registered deeds for ownership of immovable property recorded in the Property Register maintained by the Registry Agency (notary deeds, contracts for voluntary partition, court decisions, and others). The amendments will enter into force on 15 January 2026 and shall apply to everyone.
As under the previous rules, as well as following the amendments, any person may request from the Registry Agency an extract of entries, notes, and deletions, and may obtain a certificate confirming the presence or absence of a registration concerning a specific person and/or immovable property (encumbrance certificate). The extract contains information on whether there are entries, notes, and/or deletions concerning the person and the property, the type of each registration, and a brief description of the property and the deed on which basis the registration was made. The extract does not provide access to the content of the notary deed (or other type of ownership deed); for this purpose, it is necessary to obtain a certified or uncertified copy of the deed.
Who is entitled to obtain a certified copy of an ownership deed?
A certified copy of a registered deed, as before, may only be issued to the parties of the deed and/or their lawful or authorized representatives, as well as to other authorities and persons explicitly authorized by law or by the registration regulations. When obtaining a copy through an authorized representative, a power of attorney with a notarized signature is generally required.
Who is entitled to obtain an uncertified copy of an ownership deed?
The main amendments to the registration regulations consist of certain restrictions on the issuance of uncertified copies of registered ownership deeds. Uncertified copies are issued freely to the same persons who are entitled to receive certified copies, namely the parties of the deed and/or their lawful or authorized representatives, notaries, lawyers, private enforcement agents, as well as judicial, prosecutorial, and investigative authorities, with the requirement that, when requesting the copy, proof of the status of the person obtaining it must be provided.
However, when the applicant is a person not included in the categories listed above, additional requirements apply for obtaining an uncertified copy of a notary deed or other deeds for ownership of immovable property.
How is an uncertified copy issued to a person not included among those entitled to free access?
The recent amendments provide that, apart from the persons mentioned above, uncertified copies of registered deeds may also be issued to other persons with legal interest, with the existence of such interest being evaluated individually by the registration judge based on the circumstances indicated by the applicant and the documents submitted. Such circumstances and documents may vary depending on the status of the applicant, with the Regulations providing an indicative list of the most common scenarios, as follows:
– a person engaged in negotiations for the purchase of immovable property may request an uncertified copy based on a preliminary agreement with the seller, ongoing correspondence, or other documents substantiating their interest in the property;
– a person providing intermediary (brokerage) services in connection with the acquisition of immovable property may request an uncertified copy based on a contract with the party commissioning the services;
– a tenant of immovable property, as well as a person intending to enter into a lease agreement for immovable property for a term exceeding one year, may request an uncertified copy based on a contract, correspondence, or other documents substantiating their interest in the property;
– legal counsel of a legal entity whose business consists in transactions involving immovable property may request an uncertified copy based on a power of attorney evidencing the applicant’s capacity and the rights granted to them;
– other persons.
Each of the above-listed persons may obtain an uncertified copy of a registered ownership deed for immovable property only if they prove their legal interest regarding the specific property. Each application for the issuance of an uncertified copy will be examined individually, as the existence or absence of legal interest will be determined by the registration judge.
What is the new automated access service provided by the Registry Agency?
The new amendments to the registration regulations also introduce a new specialized service for persons holding rights over immovable property, granting automated access to information on searches carried out and on certified and uncertified copies issued of their registered deeds.
The service will enable owners or users of immovable property to receive information if a third party conducts a search or obtains a copy of an ownership deed concerning their property.
This presentation highlights only a few of the practical changes introduced by the latest amendment to the registration regulations. If you need to obtain certified or uncertified copies of notary deeds and other ownership deeds from the Registry Agency, or if you wish to make use of the newly introduced automated access service, you may contact Dilyan Kolev, Attorney-at-law, for assistance in ensuring a faster and seamless execution of the necessary searches and/or obtaining the documents for the immovable property of interest.