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24 October 2026 · Updated at 07:47 GMT FR EN ES Member area Log in
Certification

Title of ownership

Official recognition of ownership of a work by OIMAP, enforceable against third parties in Member States once published in the Registry.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Pages in this section

Dr. James Stuart; Mary Campbell Stuart, Gilbert Stuart (c. 1815)RequestConditions, documents and course of an application for a title of ownership.› The Antechamber of the Palace of Justice, Paris, Charles Meryon (1855)TransferHow a title of ownership passes from one owner to another: sale, gift, inheritance, contribution to a company.› Letter Box, Ogata Kōrin (1700s)EnforceabilityWhat the title of ownership allows you to assert, against whom, and within what limits.›

Having ownership of a work recognised

Carved Lacquer Scroll Box (1736–95)
Carved Lacquer Scroll Box (1736–95)

The OIMAP title of ownership is the act by which the Registry officially recognises an owner. Once published, it is enforceable against third parties: it lets you assert your rights against a buyer, an heir or an administration.

It does not replace each State's rules on ownership, which remain applicable, but it provides centralised proof, verifiable everywhere, of ownership at a given date.

Issued in 15 days for an indicative €320 excl. VAT, it presupposes sufficiently established provenance: most often a certificate of provenance or equivalent documents.

  • Owner
  • Enforceability
  • Publication
  • Transfer

The title in figures

15 daysturnaround
€320indicative price excl. VAT
30 daysof opposition before taking effect
67States where the title is recognised

Source: OIMAP Registry.

Three pages to understand

Nowshera, Kashmir (number 1000), Samuel Bourne (1864)ObtainRequest

Conditions, documents and course of the title application.

›Sketches in Belgium and Germany, Volume I: Hall of Justice of the Magistrates du Franc, Bruges, Louis Haghe (1840)TransferTransfer

How a title passes from one owner to another.

›Seal with Two Qilin Playing (1849)RightsEnforceability

What the title allows you to assert, and against whom.

›

What the title recognises

The title attests that, at the date of its publication, the named owner is recognised as such by the OIMAP Registry, on the basis of the documents in the file and the absence of any well-founded opposition.

It mentions the work (OIMAP number), the holder, the date of publication, any encumbrances (pledge, usufruct, deposit) and the reference of the provenance on which it is based.

Maharaja of Kotah Listening to Music and Watching Dancers (c. 1820)
Maharaja of Kotah Listening to Music and Watching Dancers (c. 1820)
The Judgment of Solomon and Esther before Ahasuerus (pair), Dirk Vellert (c. 1530)
The Judgment of Solomon and Esther before Ahasuerus (pair), Dirk Vellert (c. 1530)
Fish or Seal Club (X’ús’) (late 1800s–early 1900s)
Fish or Seal Club (X’ús’) (late 1800s–early 1900s)

From application to publication

  1. Request

    Filing of a file with proof of ownership and provenance.

  2. Processing

    Checking of documents, BIOP query, committee opinion.

  3. Publication

    Entry of the title in the Registry.

  4. Opposition period

    A 30-day period during which a third party may contest.

  5. Effect

    The title becomes enforceable against third parties when the period expires.

A title does not create ownership

Encumbrances that may appear on the title

Information entered with the title
EncumbranceEffect
PledgeWork given as security for a debt
UsufructA third party has the right to use the work
SubmissionThe work is entrusted to a museum or institution
Joint ownershipSeveral owners hold the work

Title of ownership or certificate of provenance

Carnet (1863–1865)

Title of ownership

Establishes the right
  • Recognises the current owner
  • Enforceable against third parties
  • Published in the Registry

Legal act.

The Apotheosis of Romulus: Design for a Ceiling, Domenico Maria Canuti (c. 1675–76)

Provenance certificate

Tells the story
  • Documents the successive owners
  • Assesses the reliability of the chain
  • No effect on rights

Information document.

Titles issued by applicant (2024)

Collectors46%
Heirs24%
Museums and institutions18%
Companies12%

Source: OIMAP Registry (indicative).

The stages of a title

  1. Submission

    Complete file.

  2. Admissibility

    Check of documents.

  3. Opinion

    Committee opinion.

  4. Publication

    Title entered in the Registry.

  5. Enforceability

    End of the opposition period.

Document Box (Ryōshibako) with Chrysanthemum and Plum (lid) (late 1800s-early 1900s)
Document Box (Ryōshibako) with Chrysanthemum and Plum (lid) (late 1800s-early 1900s)
Teapot with Landscape and Imperial Poem, Chen Hanwen (1762–95)
Teapot with Landscape and Imperial Poem, Chen Hanwen (1762–95)
Seal of Doge Michele Steno (reverse) (1400–1409)
Seal of Doge Michele Steno (reverse) (1400–1409)

Case study: an inheritance

A title for three heirs

Situation

Three heirs inherit a sculpture and wish to have their joint ownership recognised.

Actions
  1. Filing of the probate certificate and a certificate of provenance.
  2. Entry of the title with mention of the joint ownership.
  3. 30-day opposition period.
Outcome

The title is enforceable; the sculpture can then be lent or sold with the agreement of the three holders.

Vocabulary of the title

Enforceability
Ability to assert a right against third parties.
Holder
Person whose right is recognised by the title.
Joint ownership
Ownership shared between several people.
Pledge
Security given to a creditor over an asset.

Frequently asked questions

Is a title necessary to sell?

No, but it eases the sale and the sale approval.

Is the title valid against a thief?

No: a stolen asset remains claimable. A BIOP alert prevails.

Can I get a title for a work bought ten years ago?

Yes, with the purchase documents and sufficient provenance.

Is the title public?

Its mention is public (existence, date); the holder's identity is protected.

Useful documents

Contacts

Châteauvieux-sur-Suran, Antoine-Claude Ponthus-Cinier (1848)
Châteauvieux-sur-Suran, Antoine-Claude Ponthus-Cinier (1848)
Certification DepartmentParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 00 00certification@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Apply for a title

Chemin de fer de Toulouse à Bayonne. Pont de l'Aran (en trois arches de 17m d'ouverture chacune). Situation des travaux au 21 juillet 1861, Édouard Baldus (1861)

Start with the title application.

See the application
Image credits (22)
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