Ghana Site-Plan Search Evidence From Abroad: A Diaspora Checklist

A clear-looking site-plan image is not automatically a complete search application or proof that the parcel belongs to the person offering it. For an owner managing Ghana property from abroad, keep the service name, plan version, submission record, returned report and unresolved questions connected.

Short answer: Lands Commission pages describe different services and plan inputs. Its consolidated-search page says the scanned plan must be edged pink/red, drawn to a standard scale and show a visible grid. Its official/administrative-search page adds an application letter and two plans, with visible grid values and an appropriate scale. These requirements do not by themselves prove title, ownership, boundaries, approval, permits or buildability. Official Lands Commission requirement

Questions to ask first

• Which Lands Commission service is actually being requested?
• Is the site edged as required and is the grid visible at the supplied resolution?
• Are the scale, grid values or parcel coordinates legible?
• Does the plan describe the same parcel shown in photographs and project records?
• What does the resulting report say, and what remains outside its scope?

1. Name the service before sending the plan

The Lands Commission service map distinguishes consolidated search, official/administrative search, permit search, plan approval, title registration and other services. Do not treat “we have done a search” as a complete description. Record the service name, office or online channel, request date and reference.

2. Check the plan as an application input

For consolidated search, the Lands Commission says the scanned site plan must be edged pink/red, drawn to a standard scale and have a visible grid. For official/administrative search, its page asks for an application letter and two site plans, with the site edged pink, visible grid values and a 1:2500 or another appropriate standard scale.

Check that the scan is complete, readable and not cropped around the edge. Ask the licensed survey professional responsible for the plan to resolve technical questions rather than guessing from a phone screenshot.

3. Keep coordinates and grid evidence visible

The Lands Commission client service charter lists soft-copy site-plan requirements that include clearly indicated grid lines, grid values or parcel coordinates. Preserve the original PDF, the supplied filename, the date received and any version history. Do not treat a low-resolution image as equivalent to the source file.

A visible grid helps an authority process the document. It is not a certificate that the land is owned by the seller or that the drawn boundary is correct.

4. Match the plan to the real-world record

Compare the plan description with the property location, digital address, locality, plot references, photographs and other supplied project records. Record every mismatch. A plan that looks professional can still be the wrong parcel, an outdated version or an input for a different service.

The Lands Commission charter distinguishes search types and describes service steps such as submission, assessment, review and report generation. A request receipt or progress message is not the same as a completed report.

5. Separate what a search can show from what it cannot

Keep the application, payment or service reference, returned report, date, named authority and unresolved questions together. Do not describe a site plan, application, search reference or report as a title certificate, survey, permit, planning approval or construction permission.

S.E.S does not provide legal, land-registration, surveying, tax, financial, planning, engineering or title-certification services. S.E.S does not certify title, boundaries, permits, leases, tax liability, payments, site plans, search results or buildability. The Lands Commission, licensed survey professionals, Ghana-qualified lawyers, planning authorities and other qualified professionals must answer official-status and specialist questions.