Electronic Registration of Paper Technical Passports in the EDESSB System Required for Real Estate Transactions

The Role of Technical Passports in Property Deals

According to ХВИЛЯ: To complete any real estate transaction, whether it’s selling, gifting, or inheriting a home, the paper technical passport for the property must be uploaded to the electronic EDESSB system. Since August 1, 2021, notaries cannot process such transactions without the corresponding data in this system. While the State Register of Property Rights (DRRP) confirms who legally owns the property, the EDESSB system details the technical specifications of the living space, including size, layout, and structural elements.

Challenges and Compliance Requirements

Issues arise if the technical passport has not been digitized or if there are inconsistencies between documents. For instance, if renovations or reconfigurations have occurred, the physical state of the property may not match the old passport. When gifting property to non-relatives, an up-to-date technical passport is essential for tax purposes. Property owners can verify their technical passport online via a QR code or through the EDESSB portal without the need for logging in. Technical passport numbers begin with the Cyrillic letters "ТІ" followed by digits separated by colons and hyphens.

Only certified engineers have the authority to upload technical passports to the system. If no changes to the property have been made, the existing passport can be submitted without additional measurements. However, if renovations occurred or the document is lost or outdated, a new survey by an engineer will be necessary. Required documents for submission include:

• Passport or ID card
• Tax identification number
• Proof of ownership
• Previous technical passport (if available)

Owners can turn to the Bureau of Technical Inventory (BTI) or certified private engineers. Uploading an existing passport typically costs a few thousand hryvnias and takes 1-2 days, while commissioning a new technical passport with measurements is more expensive.

Beware of fraudulent schemes involving forged technical passports and fake QR codes. Some scams include warning letters falsely claiming that property rights will be annulled by 2026, pressuring owners to order unnecessary new passports. As expert Iryna Polyakova explained,

"Ukraine has two main registries: the State Register of Property Rights (DRRP) and the Unified State Electronic System in Construction (EDESSB)."

She further clarified,

"Simply put, the DRRP identifies who owns the property, while EDESSB specifies what exactly is included in that property."

Checking a technical passport’s status in the system is free of charge. Before paying for engineering services, confirm that the engineer’s certification is "active"; those with "suspended" or "revoked" status are not authorized to process documents. Importantly, property ownership remains valid even if the technical passport has not been registered electronically, and no deadline exists that would jeopardize ownership rights. Polyakova also advised,

"If you haven’t made any alterations and don’t plan to sell, gift, or inherit the property soon, there’s no immediate need to take any action."

The ongoing process of uploading technical passports to EDESSB highlights the critical need for up-to-date documentation in real estate dealings. This measure not only helps protect owners from fraud and legal complications but also ensures transparency and accuracy in property transactions. Given the growing activity in Ukraine’s real estate market, owners are encouraged to monitor their technical passports and update them promptly when necessary.