A building permit is essential in Senegal before undertaking any construction work . Article 68 of Law 2008-43 stipulates that: "No one may undertake, without administrative authorization, any construction of any kind or make modifications to existing buildings within the territory of municipalities, as well as in urban areas designated by order of the Minister in charge of Urban Planning." But who can apply for it? What is the procedure? Who issues it? We will try to shed some light on this in this article.
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BUILDING PERMIT IN SENEGAL: WHO CAN APPLY AND HOW?
In Senegal, a building permit must be requested by the property owner (whether an individual or a legal entity) or through their representative . The application is submitted to the competent authority in the area where the property is located (urban planning department). The owner must ensure that the usage rights granted to them are valid and that the planned construction meets all safety requirements . ✅
Documents required for a building permit in Senegal:
- A handwritten request addressed to the mayor of the territorially competent municipality .
- A copy of the property title (land title, occupancy permit, certificate, lease or surface right)
- A site plan showing the boundaries of the project area (i.e., the location designated for the construction). This plan must be certified as accurate by the Land Registry .
- 5 sets of architectural construction plans (site plan, massing, floor plan, section, elevation) at a scale of 1/100th
- An information sheet relating to the construction project
- A detailed project estimate
- A plan of septic tanks or an indication of the sewer drainage system, if one exists.
The application must be submitted in seven copies to the urban planning department in the area where the land is located. A planning tax (generally between 1,000 and 5,000 FCFA) and a 1,000 FCFA tax stamp are also required. The application is usually processed within 28 to 40 days, depending on its complexity.
Note: The urban planning tax is payable to the tax collector upon presentation of a payment slip issued by the urban planning department.
USEFUL: You can go directly to this platform for all paper-based requests: https://teledac.sec.gouv.sn/#/
BUILDING PERMIT IN SENEGAL: WHAT DOES IT ALLOW?
A building permit is mandatory for all landowners before undertaking any construction. It is the only administrative document that grants the landowner the right to build, expand, or renovate. It should also be noted that this permit is required of everyone in Senegal. The same article informs us that "this obligation applies to public services and concessionaires of the State, departments, and municipalities, as well as to private individuals."
A building permit will therefore authorize the construction of a new house or building. For existing buildings, authorization will be required for major modifications such as adding stories or installing a fence higher than 2 meters. All these new constructions must comply with local urban planning regulations.
OBLIGATIONS AND SANCTIONS
As mentioned earlier, building permits are mandatory in Senegal. No one can disregard this requirement . Furthermore, anyone who fails to obtain one is liable to a fine of up to 10,000,000 CFA francs . Project managers and other contractors involved in the construction also risk the same fines, in addition to imprisonment. The court may also order the demolition of illegally constructed buildings.
A sign must be posted on the construction site when the building permit is issued. It must display the building permit number and the date of issue. Failure to do so may result in legal action.
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