Lantmäterier

Lantmäterier are government bodies responsible for land surveying, cadastral registration and mapping, and the provision of authoritative geographic information. In a Nordic and Swedish-speaking context, the term describes agencies that perform land administration tasks at national or regional levels. The central aim is to establish and maintain a clear record of land ownership, boundaries and rights, and to supply reliable geospatial data for public administration, planning and the private sector.

Core responsibilities include defining parcel boundaries, registering ownership, mortgages and easements, and maintaining the cadastral register that underpins property transactions and taxation. Lantmäterier also produce and maintain official maps and geospatial data, and manage the national geodetic reference framework and coordinate systems to enable accurate positioning and mapping. They support planning, infrastructure development, environmental management, and disaster planning through standardized data.

Data products and services typically encompass cadastral maps (for example, parcel-based representations), property information, and various geospatial datasets. Access is usually provided through digital portals or APIs for municipalities, courts, developers, businesses and citizens, with appropriate privacy and licensing restrictions. In addition, lantmäterier oversee updates resulting from surveys, boundary changes, and legal decisions to ensure the legal certainty of land rights.

Organization and governance vary by country but commonly involve statutory authorities operating under a national ministry, sometimes with regional offices. They collaborate with municipalities, surveying professionals, and other agencies to regulate land administration and boundary determinations. Internationally, lantmäterier are comparable to cadastre or land registry authorities such as Kadaster in the Netherlands or Vermessungs- und Katasterbehörden in German-speaking countries.