NovProperty buyer document pack in Cambodia
Buyer documents are not one folder assembled at the end. They are the evidence trail: who buys, which unit is chosen, who receives money, what was signed, who accepts the unit and how the title route is supposed to work. This is a practical checklist, not a universal legal requirement for every project.
Create one master index for the transaction file
Give the transaction a permanent identifier and attach the buyer, project, unit code, SPA seller and offer date. For every file, record a clear name, category, issuer, document date, receipt date, language, version, status, original location and next action.
Avoid keeping the same file under several inconsistent names. The index should expose the relationships: which plan belongs to which SPA version, which receipt supports which instalment and which ownership document completes the route promised in the contract.
Distinguish receipt of a document from completion of the check
Use separate states: requested, received, under review, confirmed, signed by all parties, effective, filed, registered, expired and superseded. A received SPA draft is not a signed contract, and a filed registration application is not a registered ownership right.
Record who checked each item and for what purpose. A lawyer may review legal effect, a bank may assess payment usability, and the buyer may verify the name, unit and commercial terms. Add a re-check date where the document expires or the underlying fact can change.
Documents by stage
| Stage | Keep ready | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Reservation | Passport, contacts, booking form, payee details | Record unit, price and refund terms |
| SPA | Passport data, KYC, draft SPA, appendices | Check buyer identity and contract terms |
| Payments | Bank details, invoices, receipts, transfer confirmations | Prove payment schedule performance |
| Handover | Inspection notice, POA, defect list, acceptance record | Avoid clean acceptance without inspection |
| Title | Title route, quota/floor confirmation, tax/registration records | Connect the contract to registration |
Before reservation payment
Before a booking fee, have the buyer's passport details, legal seller name, unit number or allocation rule, total price, reservation period, refundability, SPA delivery date and payment recipient. If the payee differs from the seller, request written confirmation that the payment satisfies the buyer's obligation.
Do not treat a booking receipt as a complete SPA. Reservation records the starting position, but important promises should move into the SPA or a signed addendum.
SPA signing pack
For SPA signing, check that the buyer name matches the passport, including transliteration. The contract should cover unit, floor, area basis, price, payment schedule, completion/handover terms, title route, defect process, assignment, termination and GRR/buyback terms if applicable.
- Final SPA version with all appendices.
- Floor plan and specification schedule.
- Payment schedule and bank details.
- Signed discount/incentive schedule, if any.
- Authority documents for seller signatory.
Maintain a version and document-priority log
Every SPA, plan, specification, schedule and annex should have a date or version number. When a new draft arrives, preserve the earlier one as superseded, produce a change list and confirm that both parties sign the same document set.
Record the order of priority where the SPA, annexes, addenda and signed commercial offer conflict. A statement in an email or presentation does not become part of the executed bargain merely because the file sits in the same folder; the final set must connect the obligation to a signed document.
Joint and corporate buyers need a separate pack
For a joint purchase, identify every buyer, the intended ownership shares or other ownership description, notice addresses and who may issue payment and registration instructions. Names should remain consistent across passports, the reservation agreement, SPA, receipts and ownership records.
A corporate buyer will commonly need registration documents, constitutional documents, a current extract, transaction approval, signatory authority, ownership structure and beneficial-owner information. Counsel and the party conducting customer checks should confirm the exact set; a company-registration certificate alone may not establish who may act and who ultimately controls the buyer.
Prepare a separate source-of-funds file
A bank, lawyer, agent, seller or other reviewing party may ask for evidence of the buyer's identity, transaction purpose and the origin of the specific purchase funds. Link the purchase amount to a coherent trail such as savings and income, sale of an asset, dividends, inheritance, borrowing or another lawful source, supported by documents explaining how the money reached the sending account.
Cambodian customer-due-diligence rules address identification of the customer, representative and, where applicable, beneficial owner; enhanced review may require additional source-of-funds evidence. There is no identical pack for every bank or transaction, so obtain the actual list from the sending bank and reviewing parties before a material transfer.
If the purchase is remote
A remote purchase needs separate document discipline. Confirm whether scanned signatures are enough initially, whether originals, notarisation or legalisation are needed, how many originals are signed and when the buyer receives the countersigned copy.
Confirm the required form of every document
For each recipient, record whether an ordinary copy or scan is enough or whether an original, certified copy, notarisation, consular legalisation or certified translation is required. Do not order expensive formalities in advance; the form depends on the document, issuing country, recipient and action for which it will be used.
Cambodia's Law on Electronic Commerce of 2 November 2019 excludes powers of attorney and documents or transactions concerning the sale and transfer of rights in immovable property from its general scope. This does not make every electronic exchange useless, but it means a scan or electronic signature should not be assumed sufficient for the SPA, power of attorney or registration. Cambodian counsel and the final document recipient should confirm the required form in writing.
If a representative signs, inspects the unit or receives documents, their authority should be described in writing. A general promise that a team will handle it is not the same as an authority document.
Payment evidence
For each payment, keep the invoice/payment request, bank details, transfer confirmation, receipt and updated developer account statement if available. The schedule should show amount, currency, due date and legal basis. Record bank charges and the net amount required by the seller separately.
Reconcile every payment as a separate evidence chain
For each instalment, link the contractual basis, invoice or request, legal payee, verified account, amount and currency to be credited, bank confirmation, seller receipt and updated SPA balance. The payment reference should identify the buyer, project and unit.
Where the amount sent and amount credited differ because of charges, the discrepancy should appear in the seller's account statement and be resolved before the next instalment. For an account change, retain the new written instruction and independent verification through a previously confirmed channel; mark the former account as inactive without deleting it from the history.
Handover and defects
At handover, keep the inspection notice, representative or inspector authority, written defect list with photos, rectification deadline and second-inspection procedure. Do not sign clean acceptance if material defects remain without written reservation.
Title and archive
Before title registration, archive the title route, foreign-quota/floor confirmation, unit/building references, cadastral/title references, tax/registration payment evidence and final handover documents. In an off-plan deal, the SPA first gives a contractual claim; registered ownership usually comes later.
Store sensitive records on a least-access basis
Provide passports, addresses, bank statements, signatures and source-of-funds evidence only to a named recipient and only to the extent required for the task. Before sharing, confirm the purpose, transfer method, access group and intended retention period; a working copy can be marked with its recipient and purpose where that does not prevent official use.
Cambodia's Law on Electronic Commerce requires reasonable security safeguards for personal information held electronically against loss, access, modification, leakage and disclosure. Keep the primary dossier and a separate backup in protected locations, record access granted and revoke temporary links after review. A messenger thread or public-link folder should not become the permanent transaction archive.
What sources did not confirm
We could not find an official Cambodia-wide checklist that is identical for all foreign condo buyers. It is therefore a typical buyer document pack, confirmed with the lawyer, bank and developer.
Preparing for a transaction? Send us your purchase stage and the files already received. We will help identify what is missing before the next payment.
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Is this a legally mandatory list?
No. It is a practical buyer-side checklist. The exact pack depends on the project, bank, lawyer, signing method and transaction stage.
How is this different from a project document matrix?
A project matrix covers developer and project documents. This page covers what the buyer prepares, signs, receives and archives.
What matters most in a remote purchase?
Document the representative's authority in writing: what they may sign, inspect, accept, pay and receive for the buyer.
Sources
NovAsia buyer document-pack research · reservation agreement research · handover and defects research · registry and title research · existing NovAsia SPA and remote-purchase corpus. Checked July 2026. This information is for general orientation and is not legal advice.