Off-plan buyer protection compared

Ask for the company’s NIB (business identification number) and deed, and check the company and its business lines on OSS. A NIB registers a business; it is not a building permit and says nothing about the land.
OSS (Online Single Submission) (read 13 November 2026)

The building approval is the PBG, which replaced the IMB in 2021; the SLF later states that the finished building is fit for use. Both run through SIMBG, so ask for the PBG number and have it confirmed there or at the local licensing office.
Government Regulation No. 16 of 2021, Article 1 (read 3 November 2026) · SIMBG (Ministry of Public Works) (read 13 November 2026)

Homes still being built may be sold through a preliminary agreement (PPJB) only once there is certainty on land ownership, the building permit and infrastructure, and at least 20% of the housing is built (2011 wording, later amended in part: have a lawyer confirm the current text).
Law No. 1 of 2011 on Housing, Article 42 (read 3 November 2026)

Only a foreigner who holds an immigration document under Indonesian law can own a home: check which document the notary will ask for.
Government Regulation No. 18 of 2021, Article 69(1) (read 3 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

A developer may not start a project or sell units off-plan before taking possession of the land and getting the required approvals.
Dubai Law No. 13 of 2008 (Interim Property Register), Articles 3 and 4 (read 3 November 2026)

Search the project in the Dubai Land Department’s Project Status Enquiry (website or Dubai REST app): it shows whether the project is registered and the completion percentage held by the regulator.
Dubai Land Department: Project Status Enquiry (read 13 November 2026)

Off-plan units may not be advertised or promoted at exhibitions without written authorisation from the Land Department.
Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 (escrow), Articles 5, 6, 7, 9, 14 and 15 (read 3 November 2026)

Each off-plan project must have its own escrow account, used only to build that project and out of reach of the developer’s creditors. Pay only into the escrow account named in your contract and registered for the project.
Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 (escrow), Articles 5, 6, 7, 9, 14 and 15 (read 3 November 2026)

When the completion certificate is issued, 5% of the escrow is kept back until one year after the units are registered to buyers; if the project is not completed, the escrow agent must act to complete it or refund buyers.
Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 (escrow), Articles 5, 6, 7, 9, 14 and 15 (read 3 November 2026)

Every off-plan sale must be entered in the Interim Property Register (Oqood), or it is void. Ask for the Oqood certificate after you sign and check it in DLD services.
Dubai Law No. 13 of 2008 (Interim Property Register), Articles 3 and 4 (read 3 November 2026) · Dubai Land Department e-services (read 13 November 2026)

Search the project in the Dubai Land Department’s Project Status Enquiry (website or Dubai REST app): it shows whether the project is registered and the completion percentage held by the regulator.
Dubai Land Department: Project Status Enquiry (read 13 November 2026)

Search the developer company by name or 13-digit registration number in the DBD company register: it shows directors, registered capital and filed accounts, not whether the company owns the land.
Department of Business Development (DBD) (read 13 November 2026)

Larger condominium and hotel projects need an approved environmental impact assessment before construction can be permitted. Search ONEP’s EIA register and compare the approved units and floors with the brochure.
ONEP Smart EIA Plus (read 13 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

A condo unit is registered at the land office only at transfer, so nothing official shows your purchase before completion: keep the signed contract and every receipt.
Department of Lands (read 13 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

Ask for the developer’s legal name and tax number (NIF) and request a company report (nota informativa mercantil) from the Registro Mercantil on the registrars’ portal.
Registradores de España (Propiedad and Mercantil) (read 13 November 2026)

Ask for the building licence (licencia de obra) number and date and check it with the town hall planning department; once the building is finished, ask for the first occupation licence or its equivalent.
Kolaboro register guide: Spain (opened 13 November 2026)

From the moment the developer has the building licence, payments for homes under construction must be guaranteed by insurance or a bank guarantee and paid into a special account. Ask for an individual guarantee certificate in your name for each payment.
Law 38/1999 (LOE), first additional provision (read 3 November 2026)

If the contract calls the deposit arras or señal (penitential), either side can withdraw: the buyer by losing the deposit, the seller by returning it doubled. Check which kind of deposit your contract describes.
Spanish Civil Code, Article 1454 (read 3 November 2026)

If construction has not started or the home is not delivered on time, the buyer may cancel and get the payments back with legal interest, or grant an extension written into the contract.
Law 38/1999 (LOE), first additional provision, Four (read 3 November 2026)

The permanent commercial registry certificate (certidão permanente de registo comercial) gives online access to a company’s registrations and documents: ask the developer for its access code.
gov.pt: Consultar a certidão permanente de registo comercial (read 13 November 2026)

Ask for the number of the building licence or prior communication and check the file with the Câmara Municipal; once the building is finished, ask for the licence of use.
Kolaboro register guide: Portugal (opened 13 November 2026)

If the units are sold as part of a tourist development, check its registration and classification in Turismo de Portugal’s National Tourism Register (RNT).
Turismo de Portugal: RNT (read 13 November 2026)

In a promissory contract (contrato-promessa) with a deposit (sinal), if the buyer fails the seller keeps the deposit; if the seller fails, the buyer can demand double what was paid, or ask a court to enforce the sale.
Portuguese Civil Code, Article 442(2) and (3) (read 3 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

Look up the developer company in the Registrar of Companies’ online search of business entities.
Registrar of Companies (companies.gov.cy) (read 13 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

For property without its own title deed, such as a unit under construction, sign a sale contract and deposit it at the Department of Lands and Surveys: Law 81(I)/2011 then protects the buyer if the seller fails to meet the contract.
Department of Lands and Surveys: contract of sale (Law 81(I)/2011, Law 132(I)/2023) (read 13 November 2026)

Since 12 December 2023 (Law 132(I)/2023), where a mortgage is already registered, the buyer can pay the contract amount into the seller’s account and have the property transferred, regardless of encumbrances that rank after the contract.
Department of Lands and Surveys: contract of sale (Law 81(I)/2011, Law 132(I)/2023) (read 13 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

Check that the developer company exists and is active in Florida’s business register (Sunbiz), and search the county official records for deeds and mortgages on the parcel.
Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) · Kolaboro register guide: United States (opened 13 November 2026)

Building permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy are searched by address or parcel at the city or county building department; Miami-Dade County runs an e-Permitting search.
Miami-Dade County e-Permitting (read 13 November 2026) · Kolaboro register guide: United States (opened 13 November 2026)

New condominiums are filed with Florida’s Division of Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes (DBPR): download the county file from its public records and search for the project name.
Florida DBPR condominium public records (read 13 November 2026)

Deposits up to 10% of the price go into an escrow account; payments above 10% go into a special escrow account, and if the contract allows it the developer may use that part for construction once construction has begun.
Florida Statutes 718.202 (2026) (read 13 November 2026)

A contract to buy a new condo unit from the developer is voidable by the buyer within 15 days after signing and receiving the documents the developer must deliver; a waiver of this right has no effect.
Florida Statutes 718.503 (2026) (read 13 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

Ask for the municipal construction licence and, where required, the environmental impact authorisation (federal SEMARNAT or state), and confirm the numbers with the issuing office.
Kolaboro register guide: Mexico (opened 13 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

Since 18 September 2022, sellers of homes must follow NOM-247-SE-2021 and register their contract with PROFECO; contracts that do not meet the standard are not valid.
Secretaría de Economía: NOM-247-SE-2021 (published DOF 22 Mar 2022) (read 13 November 2026)

Search PROFECO’s contract register by the seller’s business name and compare the registered model with the contract you are asked to sign: a registration number can belong to another business.
PROFECO contract register (RPCA) (read 13 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

Look up the company that signs the sale in the state’s Annuaire des Entreprises, by name or SIREN number: it shows whether the company is active, its registered address and its managers.
Annuaire des Entreprises (French state company directory) (read 14 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

In a sale off-plan (VEFA) you pay as the works progress, at most 35% of the price when the foundations are finished, 70% when the building is weathertight and 95% at completion. The last 5% is paid at handover, and you may hold it back if you record defects then.
Service-Public.fr: Vente en l’état futur d’achèvement (Vefa), checked by Service Public on 18 Sep 2026 (read 14 November 2026)

The seller must give you a guarantee: either a completion guarantee that pays to finish the works if the developer cannot, or a refund guarantee for the sums you paid if the sale is cancelled because the building is not finished. It comes from a bank, a financial institution or an insurer.
Service-Public.fr: Vente en l’état futur d’achèvement (Vefa), checked by Service Public on 18 Sep 2026 (read 14 November 2026)

The draft final deed must be sent to you at least one month before the signing appointment. If the sale is signed directly before the notary without a prior reservation contract, you have 10 days to change your mind, and the deed cannot be signed before they end.
Service-Public.fr: Vente en l’état futur d’achèvement (Vefa), checked by Service Public on 18 Sep 2026 (read 14 November 2026) · Service-Public.fr: Acte de vente d’un logement en Vefa, checked by Service Public on 18 Sep 2026 (read 14 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

Search the project or developer on KPKT’s TEDUH portal: it shows the developer’s licence and the project’s Advertising Permit and Developer’s Licence (APDL) and their status. Ask for both numbers and match them with what the sales gallery shows.
KPKT TEDUH (Ministry of Local Government Development) (read 14 November 2026) · Kolaboro register guide: Malaysia (opened 14 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

TEDUH also reports the project’s progress as declared, whether an extension of time was granted and whether the project is listed as delayed (sick) or abandoned. Check it before each progress payment.
KPKT TEDUH (Ministry of Local Government Development) (read 14 November 2026)

If the developer or its parent company is listed on Borsa Istanbul, its projects, sales and material events are disclosed on KAP. Most developers are not listed, so a missing entry proves nothing.
KAP (Public Disclosure Platform) (read 14 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

Citizenship through property needs real estate worth at least USD 400,000, the purpose stated in the application and in the title deed, and a declaration that you will not sell it for three years.
Investment Office of the Presidency of Türkiye: Acquiring Property and Citizenship (read 14 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

Search the developer company on the ASIC registers: they show whether it is registered or deregistered, its ACN and its registered details. A project brand is often not the company that signs the contract.
ASIC registers (read 14 November 2026)

Development applications, approvals and their conditions are published by each state on its planning portal (the link is New South Wales). Ask for the approval number and read the conditions.
NSW Department of Planning (state planning portal) (read 14 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

If the developer holds a New (or Near-New) Dwelling Exemption Certificate and gives you a copy, you generally do not need your own approval to buy a new dwelling off the plan in that development, up to AUD 3 million in total. Above that you must apply yourself and pay the fee.
Australian Government, Foreign Investment: Guidance Note 6, Residential Land, version 5 (1 July 2026) (read 14 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

Selling building lots or buildings as a business needs a real estate brokerage licence from the Minister (MLIT) or the prefecture (Article 3). Ask for the licence number and look it up in MLIT’s search of licensed brokers.
Real Estate Brokerage Act (Act No. 176 of 1952), English translation, Japanese Law Translation (Ministry of Justice) (read 14 November 2026) · MLIT search of licensed real estate brokers (read 14 November 2026)

Before construction is finished, a licensed seller may not sign a sale for the building until the required approval has been granted, such as the building confirmation under Article 6 of the Building Standards Act (Article 36). Ask for its number and date.
Real Estate Brokerage Act (Act No. 176 of 1952), English translation, Japanese Law Translation (Ministry of Justice) (read 14 November 2026)

A licensed seller may not take earnest money of more than 20% of the price (Article 39).
Real Estate Brokerage Act (Act No. 176 of 1952), English translation, Japanese Law Translation (Ministry of Justice) (read 14 November 2026)

For a building not yet finished, a licensed seller may not take payments before handover unless they are secured, for example by a bank guarantee or an insurance contract (Article 41). Small amounts, up to 5% of the price and a ceiling set by Cabinet Order, are exempt.
Real Estate Brokerage Act (Act No. 176 of 1952), English translation, Japanese Law Translation (Ministry of Justice) (read 14 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

Look up the developer company on Companies House: its officers, filed accounts, charges (secured lenders) and whether it is active. Many schemes are built by a company set up for that one site.
Companies House (read 14 November 2026)

Planning applications, decisions and conditions are on the local council’s planning register; GOV.UK finds the right council from the postcode. Ask for the application number.
GOV.UK: search a council’s register of planning decisions (read 14 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

An overseas company or other overseas entity that wants to buy, sell or transfer property or land in the UK must first register with Companies House and declare its registrable beneficial owners (Register of Overseas Entities, in force since 1 August 2022).
GOV.UK (Companies House): Register an overseas entity, last updated 1 Feb 2026 (read 14 November 2026)

In England and Northern Ireland, buyers who are not UK resident pay a 2% Stamp Duty Land Tax surcharge on residential property (since 1 April 2021). An individual who meets the residence test within 12 months after the purchase may claim it back.
GOV.UK (HMRC): Rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax for non-UK residents, last updated 1 Apr 2025 (read 14 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

A developer must give you one of two protections for your payments: an open or a closed housing escrow account (mieszkaniowy rachunek powierniczy) for the project, and must pay contributions to the Developer Guarantee Fund (Article 6). It must sign the escrow account agreement before it starts selling (Article 7).
Act of 20 May 2021 on the protection of the rights of buyers of a dwelling or a single-family house and the Developer Guarantee Fund, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 880 (12 June 2026), Articles 6, 7 and 32 (read 14 November 2026)

A reservation agreement may come before the developer agreement. The reservation fee may not exceed 1% of the price stated in the information prospectus, and it counts towards the price (Article 32).
Act of 20 May 2021 on the protection of the rights of buyers of a dwelling or a single-family house and the Developer Guarantee Fund, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 880 (12 June 2026), Articles 6, 7 and 32 (read 14 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

Look up the developer company in the corporate register: Corporations Canada for federal corporations, or the register of the province where it was incorporated. Check that it is active and that its name matches the contract.
Corporations Canada: search for a federal corporation (read 14 November 2026)

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

No official note in our guide for this step yet.

No official note in our guide for this step yet.