Land Law and Registration
Core concepts
Land law in Angola rests on the constitutional principle that land belongs to the state, with private use granted through surface rights (direito de superfície), usufruct, and concessions. Candidates must know the distinction between urban and rural land, the regime of the land registry (registo predial), and the role of the notary and the registry in transferring immovable property. Registration is constitutive for certain acts and merely declarative for others. The cadastre and the land title are central to proving ownership or use rights.
Traps
A frequent trap is confusing ownership with surface right: land in Angola is state-owned, so private parties hold use rights, not full ownership of the soil. Questions also test whether registration is constitutive (for mortgages and certain transfers) or declarative. Watch for the rules on adverse possession and on the requirement of a written deed for immovable transactions.
Rule of thumb
For any land question, ask: what right is held, by what title, and is it registered? The answer usually turns on the type of right and the effect of registration.
Worked example
A buyer pays for a plot but does not register the deed. Against a later good-faith buyer who registers first, the unregistered buyer generally loses, because registration is constitutive for opposability in immovable transactions.