Georeferencing (Georreferenciamento)

Georeferencing is the process by which the boundary vertices of a rural property are determined using absolute coordinates referenced to the Brazilian Geodetic System (SGB), through satellite geodesy techniques (precision GNSS/GPS). The result is a descriptive report certified by INCRA (the National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform) that unambiguously identifies the property’s location in space, eliminating overlaps and boundary disputes.

• Deadlines and extensions: Law 10,267/2001 and Decree 4,449/2002 established a phased-in requirement based on property size. Decree 12,689/2025 unified and extended the deadline for INCRA/SIGEF certification to all rural properties, regardless of size, until November 21, 2029.
• Certification through INCRA: the georeferencing survey is submitted to INCRA’s SIGEF system (Land Management System) for coordinate validation and certificate issuance. Notary offices may take differing views on how strictly the requirement applies right now — check the local position before each transaction.
• Licensed professional: the survey must be carried out by a licensed surveying or cartographic engineer with a technical liability record (ART) filed with CREA (the regional engineering council).
• Urban properties: georeferencing to the SGB is not required for urban properties under this legal regime.
• Coordinates with no legal value: coordinates obtained from phone apps or consumer GPS navigation devices have no legal standing. Only surveys certified by INCRA through SIGEF have effect for registry purposes.
• Impact on rural financing: banks often require the SIGEF certificate as a condition for loan approval, regardless of the legal deadline in force.

In Florianópolis and the surrounding Greater Florianópolis municipalities, this requirement mainly affects rural tracts in areas of urban expansion (Ratones, Vargem Grande, Vargem Pequena, Santo Antônio de Lisboa, and the rural zones of Palhoça and São José).