Cadastral surveying and the land register together constitute the Swiss cadastral system.
Cadastral surveying consists of the measurement of the location, form and content of a parcel of land and its representation on the cadastral map. These maps are reproduced at scales between 1:250 and 1:10 000 and form an integral part of the land register. They also contain additional information such as the state of land ownership (ownership, co-ownership, servitudes, etc.).
The cadastral map is an official document and the included property boundaries have legal force.
Entries in the land register also provide the basis for obtaining a mortgage on real estate.
The Swiss land registration system, together with its accurate cadastral survey, is perceived as secure and reliable and it thus secures considerable assets: in 2007 the total value of these mortgages was estimated to be over 700 billion Swiss francs.
Relevant addresses for each commune are given in the GeoMeta database.
