How to Apply for an Ancestor Land Search and Required Documents

Procedure

Procedure

1. 01

   1. Check eligibility and the date of death — Those who can apply without the review are the landowner and the heirs of a deceased landowner. Under Articles 1000 and 1003 of the Civil Act, heirs rank as lineal descendants, lineal ascendants, siblings, and collateral blood relatives within the fourth degree, and the spouse ranks equally with lineal descendants or lineal ascendants. According to local government guidance, the land of a parent, spouse or child who died on or after January 1, 2008 can be searched online, and for deaths before that date you apply in person at the city, county or district office.

2. 02

   2. Prepare documents proving the inheritance relationship — Prepare documents that show the death and that the applicant is an heir. For a deceased person with a family relationship register, use the basic certificate and family relation certificate; for a death before that system, use a certified copy of the removed family register. If a higher-ranking heir has already died, documents connecting through that person's death are also needed to confirm the relationship.

3. 03

   3. Complete the application to use cadastral computer data — On Form No. 72-2 of the Enforcement Rule of the Act on the Establishment and Management of Spatial Data, enter the data to be used, the purpose, the legal basis and the scope of the data. When an heir applies for the deceased's land, the review result of the central administrative agency is not attached, under Article 62(3) of the Enforcement Decree. If you do not know where the ancestor's land is, set the scope to nationwide.

4. 04

   4. Submit to the city, county or district office and receive the result — Because nationwide data can also be requested from the cadastral authority, submit the application to the cadastral division of a nearby city hall or district office. The processing period on the form is 7 days, and a request may be refused if it cannot be processed by the computer system or would interfere with cadastral work. The result is provided as cadastral records such as the location and area of each parcel.

5. 05

   5. Follow-up checks on the parcels found — For each parcel found, obtain the land register and the certified copy of the real estate register to see whether the deceased is still recorded as the owner. Also check the land use plan confirmation for the zoning district and any urban or county planning facility restrictions. Based on these results, the heirs decide on the next steps.

Filing route

Filing route

Deadlines & processing notes

Deadlines & processing notes

Fees & official charges

Fees & official charges

Included in the basic fee — Initial document review, required-document guidance, basic form preparation, one filing support and one ordinary supplement.

Conditional success fee — For this service, any conditional success fee may be separately agreed within the lawful service scope and stated in a written engagement agreement. No outcome is guaranteed.

Displayed amounts are starting estimates, not statutory or standard rates. The final fee is confirmed after consultation and document review in the engagement agreement. Government fees and actual expenses may change.

Basic documents

Basic documents

The search result alone does not settle ownership. Check the current owner of each parcel with the certified copy of the real estate register before deciding on the next step. If a higher-ranking heir is alive and you apply in the name of a lower-ranking relative, the heir review exemption does not apply. Check the order of inheritance before applying.