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

Transfer

How a title of ownership passes from one owner to another: sale, gift, inheritance, contribution to a company.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Passing the baton without a break

Seal Color Box (1662–1722)
Seal Color Box (1662–1722)

When a work changes hands, its title must follow. The transfer enters the new owner in the Registry, closes the former title and keeps the work's history intact.

The transfer is declared jointly by the former and the new owner, or by one of them with the other's documents. It is processed in ten days.

It applies to all modes of transmission: sale, gift, inheritance, contribution to a company, payment in kind.

  • Sale
  • Donation
  • Succession
  • Registry

The transfer in figures

10 daysof processing
€180indicative price excl. VAT
5modes of transmission
0break in the history

Depending on the mode of transmission

The five modes
ModeDocumentsApplicant
SaleContract, proof of paymentSeller and buyer
DonationNotarial deedDonor and donee
SuccessionProbate certificate, partitionHeirs
Contribution to a companyContribution deed, articlesContributor and company
Payment in kindDeed of payment in kindDebtor and creditor

Declaring a transfer

  1. Declaration

    One of the parties opens a transfer file.

  2. Documents

    Deed of transmission and proofs of identity.

  3. Check

    Checking of the BIOP and of the absence of opposition.

  4. Registration

    The new owner is entered, the former title is closed.

  5. Handover

    New title and work passport updated.

Sketches in Belgium and Germany, Volume I: Hall of Justice of the Magistrates du Franc, Bruges, Louis Haghe (1840)
Sketches in Belgium and Germany, Volume I: Hall of Justice of the Magistrates du Franc, Bruges, Louis Haghe (1840)
A Palace with an Arched Bridge (A Roman Villa), Hubert Robert (1760)
A Palace with an Arched Bridge (A Roman Villa), Hubert Robert (1760)
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)

Anticipating transmission duties

Amicable or contested transfer

The Triumph of Mordecai, Lucas van Leyden (1515)

Amicable

Agreement of the parties
  • Processing in 10 days
  • Title entered without extended opposition period
  • Passport updated

The vast majority.

The Calumny of Apelles, Giorgio Ghisi (1560)

Contested

Disagreement or opposition
  • Suspension of the entry
  • Mediation then arbitration
  • Entry at the end

Rare.

Modes of transmission declared in 2024

Sale52%
Succession27%
Donation15%
Others6%

Source: OIMAP Registry (indicative).

Timeline of a transfer

  1. Declaration

    File opened.

  2. Check

    BIOP and documents.

  3. Registration

    New owner entered.

  4. Enforceability

    End of the opposition period.

Case study: an international sale

A painting between Paris and Singapore

Situation

A Parisian collector sells a painting to a collector in Singapore.

Actions
  1. Both parties declare the transfer online.
  2. OIMAP checks the absence of alerts and the export licence.
  3. The title is entered in the buyer's name.
Outcome

A secure transfer, with the passport updated before shipping.

Special cases

For a work encumbered by a charge (pledge, usufruct), the transfer mentions the charge on the new title. For a work in joint ownership, each joint owner must consent to the transfer or a court decision must allow it.

For a work deposited in a museum, the deposit is maintained: the new owner must be informed and may terminate it under the terms of the contract.

Eighteen Views of Rome: The Piazza Farnese (recto); Cartouche (verso), Lievin Cruyl (1664)
Eighteen Views of Rome: The Piazza Farnese (recto); Cartouche (verso), Lievin Cruyl (1664)
Dr. James Stuart; Mary Campbell Stuart, Gilbert Stuart (c. 1815)
Dr. James Stuart; Mary Campbell Stuart, Gilbert Stuart (c. 1815)
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)
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)

Before declaring the transfer

On continuity

Mercury (Budha), from a Mandi Astrology Series, Sanju (c. 1810)
« A registry is useful only if it never leaves a work without an owner. »
Secretary-General's Office, OIMAP

Vocabulary of the transfer

Donee
Person who receives a gift.
Payment in kind
Handing over an asset in payment of a debt.
Contribution
Placing an asset at a company's disposal.
Closing of the title
End of a title on the occasion of a transfer.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to declare a transfer to OIMAP?

It is necessary for the new owner to be recognised in the Registry.

Who pays for the transfer?

The parties agree between themselves; the fee is invoiced to the declarant.

Is the transfer public?

The mention of the change is public; the identity of the parties remains confidential.

Can I transfer a title in the event of a dispute?

No, as long as the work is the subject of an appeal or a BIOP alert.

Useful documents

Contacts

Karnak, Les Pylônes d'Horus, Henri Béchard (1860s)
Karnak, Les Pylônes d'Horus, Henri Béchard (1860s)
Certification DepartmentParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 00 00certification@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Open a transfer file

Temple of Ramesses II, Abu Simbel, Antonio Beato (c. 1860s)

Open a transfer file at the Desk.

Submit a case
Image credits (16)
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