# Catastro (cadastral record)

> Catastro identifies and measures the parcel; the registry records who owns it. Why both must match before you buy Dominican land.

Source: https://canakeys.com/glossary/catastro
Publisher: Cana Keys (A&M Caribbean Group SRL), Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Last reviewed: 2026-08-27
Language: en
Licence: quote and cite with attribution and a link.

Catastro is the cadastral record: the official identification, measurement and mapping of a parcel, expressed as a designación catastral. Ownership lives in the title registry; the cadastre describes the physical thing being owned. A clean sale needs both to agree — the same parcel, the same measurements, the same boundaries.

## Why a Punta Cana buyer should care
Most land disputes in the corridor are boundary and identity disputes, not fake-title disputes. When the cadastral designation on the contract does not match the surveyed parcel, or the parcel has never been individualised through deslinde, you are buying an undefined share of something larger. Counsel must reconcile the title, the cadastral designation and the survey on the ground.

## Common mix-up
A cadastral number on a document is treated as proof the land is defined. It is not — parcels can be subdivided informally and sold repeatedly without the register catching up. The deslinde is what individualises the plot.

## FAQ

### Is catastro the same as the title registry?
Answer: No. The registry records rights; the cadastre records the parcel. Both must be checked and they must describe the same land.
Permalink: https://canakeys.com/glossary/catastro#is-catastro-the-same-as-the-title-registry

### Does this matter for a condo?
Answer: Less, because the building sits on an already individualised parcel, but the condominium regime documents should still be verified.
Permalink: https://canakeys.com/glossary/catastro#does-this-matter-for-a-condo

## Related

- [Deslinde](https://canakeys.com/glossary/deslinde)
- [Título and the registry](https://canakeys.com/buying-process/title)
- [Buying land](https://canakeys.com/types/land)