Paying off your home loan does not by itself remove the mortgage from the Registro General de la Propiedad (RGP). The mortgage stays on the property record until the bank’s cancellation document is presented and inscribed.
Quick summary: After the final payment, ask the bank in writing for the mortgage cancellation document, pay the registry fees (from Q160, Acuerdo Gubernativo 325-2005) and present the document at the RGP. The registrar has eight days from receipt to make the cancellation (Civil Code Art. 1127). Then request a property certificate (Q50 for up to ten sheets) to confirm the lien is gone.
Corrected 8 October 2026: an earlier version of this page gave a realistic total of Q1,700-Q4,000, notary fees of Q1,500-Q3,500, bank turnaround times and phone numbers, a Q5 submission fee, a 60-90 day timeline and bank merger examples. None of those had a source we hold, so they were removed. It also said an uncancelled mortgage means you cannot sell; the law we hold only says the mortgage stays inscribed and visible, so the page now says that.
What mortgage cancellation is
Under Article 1167 of the Civil Code, registry inscriptions are cancelled on the strength of the document showing that the inscribed rights or obligations were legally extinguished. Cancellation can be total or partial (Art. 1168). Until the cancellation is inscribed, anyone who checks the property certificate, such as a buyer’s notary or a new lender, will see the mortgage.
Requirements
- The mortgage cancellation document, which you request from the bank.
- Registry fees paid in full before presentation. Article 6 of the arancel says fees are paid in full before documents are presented, with a boleta de ingreso attached; it gives no separate amount for that boleta.
- Proof that the loan is fully paid, to support your request to the bank.
Payment methods listed on the RGP’s website (read 8 October 2026): online payment, credit card, cash at Banrural and Banco Industrial branches, and the resguardo de honorarios used to re-enter suspended documents.
Step by step
- Make the final payment and ask the bank for written confirmation that the loan is paid in full.
- Request the cancellation document from the bank in writing, addressed to its legal department, and keep a copy.
- Pay the registry fees before presenting the document (arancel, Art. 6).
- Present the document at the RGP. Under Civil Code Art. 1127 the inscription can be requested by anyone with an interest in securing the right: the bank, you or your notary.
- The Registro cancels the inscription within eight days of receipt, or fourteen if the document involves several operations (Art. 1127).
- Verify with a new property certificate: Q50 per certificate of up to ten sheets, plus Q5 per additional sheet (arancel, item 2.8).
Registry fees
| Arancel item | What it covers | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 Determined value | Inscription of contracts or acts of determined or determinable value | Minimum Q160 if the value is under Q10,000; from Q10,000, plus Q1.50 per thousand or fraction of the excess |
| 2.2 Indeterminate value | Inscription or annotation of acts of indeterminate value, their modifications and cancellations | Q160 |
| 2.5 Rejection or suspension | Justified rejection or suspension of each document | Q25 |
| 2.8 Certificates | Each certificate of up to ten sheets | Q50, plus Q5 per additional sheet |
The arancel does not name mortgage cancellation, so ask the Registro or your notary which line applies before you pay. The notary’s fee for the cancellation document is not in the arancel; ask for a written quote.
Special cases
Bank merged or closed. Contact the legal department of the institution that absorbed it, with your original loan documents. If the bank no longer exists or will not cooperate, ask a lawyer about the court route.
Mortgage paid years ago but never cancelled. The Civil Code (Art. 1170, inciso 1, as amended by Decreto-Ley 124-85) tells the registrar to cancel, on the written request of an interested party, mortgages with an inscribed term once ten years have passed since that term (or its extension) expired. Before then you need the bank’s document.
The Registro returns the document. Under Civil Code Art. 1128, if a document is not registrable or lacks legal requirements, the registrar records that and returns it stating the date of receipt and the law relied on. Have your notary correct it and present it again; a justified rejection or suspension costs Q25 per document (arancel, item 2.5).
Tips
- Follow up with the bank in writing and keep copies of every request.
- Cancel soon after payoff, so the property does not still show the mortgage when you want to sell or refinance.
- Check the property data on the certificate before the cancellation document is drafted, so it matches the Registro’s record.
- Keep the cancellation document and the new certificate with your property papers.
Related procedures
- RGP Hub — all General Property Registry procedures
- Mortgage Cancellation (registry guide) — the same process with the full legal notes
- Mortgage Registration — how the mortgage was placed
- Property Certificate — verify the folio is lien-free
- Property Certification RGP — certificate guide
- MINEX Apostille — for documents signed abroad
How we verified this page
Civil Code Arts. 1127, 1128, 1167, 1168 and 1170 and the arancel (Acuerdo Gubernativo 325-2005, items 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.8 and Art. 6), as published by the RGP; RGP payment methods read 8 October 2026.