How to merge two or more properties in Colombia: notary, ORIP and cadastre

Englobar (consolidating) means joining two or more adjoining properties owned by the same person into a single real estate registration folio (folio de matrícula inmobiliaria). First the deed is signed and recorded at the Oficina de Registro de Instrumentos Públicos (ORIP); then the second-class mutation is filed with the cadastral manager (gestor catastral). Many people do it the other way around and end up waiting for a resolution that will never come.

If you have two adjoining lots, or the house and the adjacent plot, and you want to sell them or build on a single piece of land, this is the order that works. Keep in mind: here we are talking about formal properties with a deed and a registration folio, not possessions.

Englobe, desenglobe and subdivision license: they are not the same

The englobe adds. The desenglobe and the subdivision license divide. They are opposite procedures, and confusing them is the most costly mistake on this topic. If what you need is to split a lot, see our guide on how to desenglobar a rural lot and the one on subdivision license.

According to Minvivienda, the subdivision license is the prior authorization to divide properties, and none of its modalities authorizes construction works. Consolidating lots works similarly: joining lots does not give you permission to build. If you later want to build, you still need to apply for the corresponding construction license.

What to check in the two certificados de tradición before going to the notary

Request the certificado de tradición y libertad (CTL) for each property through the online channel of the Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro, certificados.supernotariado.gov.co. If you don't know how to read it, this guide on verifying the certificado de tradición will save you some scares.

• That both folios are active and registered under the same owner.
• That the properties are adjoining. The IGAC instruction requires them to be adjoining, under the same owner, and in the same manzana or vereda.
• Mortgages, liens and encumbrances. The englobe does not erase them: they are carried over to the new folio.
• Precautionary measures. The IGAC requires them to be resolved before executing the mutation.

If the folio shows an encumbrance for family housing (afectación a vivienda familiar), lifting it is a separate procedure; read about it in cancellation of family housing encumbrance.

A friendly tip: be wary of agents who charge for "unifying registrations" without a recorded deed or CTL. Compare the folios before signing and again after registration.

Public deed and registration at the ORIP

The englobe deed is signed at the notary's office with the titles, identity cards and CTLs. The deed fees do not come from the registration fee resolution: request the fee breakdown in writing from the notary before signing.

The deed is then recorded at the ORIP of the circle where the property is located. According to Law 1579 of 2012:

• Article 51: a new registration folio is opened for the resulting property, with a note of origin, and the current encumbrances, limitations and affectations are carried over.
• Article 55: the previous folios are closed, or "Folio Cerrado" is noted, only if no current annotations remain.

Registration fees in force since February 2, 2026

According to Resolución SNR RES-2026-001726-6, the englobe is an act without quantity (acto sin cuantía). The fee is $29.500 for the act, plus $15.300 for each additional folio de matrícula in which the document must be recorded, plus 2% for documentary systematization and conservation on the liquidated right, separated by registration circle. The ORIP calculates the total based on your deed, so I won't give you a single sum: that would be making it up.

The physical CTL of up to 150 annotations costs $24.300, the electronic one $23.000, and the one for a larger property (more than 150 annotations) $53.100. These are certificate fees, not englobe fees. Confirm them on the SNR website.

Second-class mutation in cadastre, after registration

Once the title is registered in the folio, you file the second-class mutation with the cadastral manager. The registrar notifies cadastre, but that notice does not replace your request: you must file it yourself. According to IGAC Resolution 746 of 2024, this mutation applies to formal properties and does not proceed in informality.

Each cadastral manager publishes its requirements. Two examples:

• Bogotá: the UAECD form covers the englobe in non-horizontal property regime, with properties already registered and a copy of the registered title showing the englobe. If any property exceeds 500 m², a plan in DWG format with the "lindero topográfico" layer, coordinates in Magna-Sirgas with Bogotá's local origin, and photographic records are required. The channels are Catastro en línea, the Ventanilla Única de la Construcción and SuperCADE.
• Medellín: according to the Alcaldía, filing is in person, free of charge, with a response within 30 business days, counted from the following day. It is handled at the Centro Administrativo La Alpujarra, Calle 44 # 52-165. That "free of charge" does not cover the notary or the ORIP.

Where the cadastral manager is the IGAC, the englobe is requested through its VIVI platform; if your municipality has another authorized manager, check its list. After registration, you can verify the result with the online cadastral certificate, which does not replace the filing.

What changes in the appraisal and what is not ready yet

For a formal property, the cadastral registration date is the date the act is registered in the folio, and the mutation affects appraisals from that effective date. How much the appraisal or the predial tax changes depends on your case: there is no universal figure.

What the englobe does not do: it does not cancel mortgages, does not authorize construction, and does not let you sell loose lots. Also, don't advertise the property the same day as the deed; wait for the registration turn and for the new matrícula to appear on the CTL.

For a later sale, calculate the notary and registration costs of a sale-purchase; these are not the englobe costs.

Frequently asked questions

❓ Is englobing the same as desenglobing or getting a subdivision license?

No. Englobing joins adjoining properties into a single folio, while desenglobe and the subdivision license divide. Also, the subdivision license does not authorize construction. (verify with the official source)

❓ What is the order of the englobe procedure?

First the public deed, then its registration at the ORIP, and only then the cadastral mutation, with the title already recorded in the folio. The registrar's notice to cadastre does not replace your request as owner. (verify with the official source)

❓ How much is paid at the Registry Office for an englobe?

Since February 2, 2026, the englobe is an act without quantity: $29.500 for the act, $15.300 for each additional folio and 2% for systematization on the liquidated right. The notary issues a separate breakdown. (verify with the official source)

❓ Can properties with different owners or that do not touch be joined?

According to the IGAC instruction, the properties must be adjoining, under the same owner, and in the same manzana or vereda. Also, the second-class mutation does not proceed in informality, according to Resolution 746 of 2024. (verify with the official source)

❓ Does the englobe remove the mortgage and close the old folios?

No. Article 51 of Law 1579 carries the current encumbrances and affectations over to the new folio, and Article 55 closes the previous folio only if no current annotations remain. (verify with the official source)

❓ Does the Medellín cadastre charge to receive the englobe?

The Alcaldía publishes that filing as free of charge, in person, with a response within 30 business days. That amount does not include the notary deed or the registration fees at the ORIP. (verify with the official source)

❓ Where do I list the property once the new matrícula exists?

In the housing section of Colombia Move, with price, location, area and photos of the boundary. The listing does not replace the deed, the registration, or the paz y salvo of a mortgage, if there is one. (verify with the official source).