What is adverse possession and how long does someone need to occupy land to claim it?

Adverse possession is a legal way to gain ownership of land by openly, continuously, and exclusively occupying it without the owner’s permission for a set period — usually 10 or 20 years in Canada, depending on the province and whether the land is registered or unregistered.

Adverse possession in Ireland is a legal process where a person who occupies someone else’s land without permission may acquire legal ownership after 12 years of continuous, open, and exclusive possession.

Yes, you can claim ownership by adverse possession in India if you openly, continuously, and exclusively possess someone else's land for 12 years (for private land) or 30 years (for government land) without permission or objection.

Acquisitive prescription (adverse possession) in South Korea is a legal method to acquire ownership of real property by openly, peacefully, and continuously possessing it for a statutory period—20 years for ordinary cases or 10 years if done in good faith and with just title.

Yes, you may be able to claim adverse possession of registered land in England and Wales after 10 years — or 12 years for unregistered land — if your occupation was factual, exclusive, open, and without the owner’s consent.

Yes, you can claim adverse possession in California, but only if you openly, continuously, and exclusively occupy someone else’s land for at least 5 years while paying property taxes and meeting other strict legal requirements.

To claim adverse possession in New York, you must openly, notoriously, exclusively, continuously, and hostilely possess the land for 10 years without the owner's permission.

In Japan, adverse possession of real property requires continuous, peaceful, open, and exclusive possession for 20 years (or 10 years with just title and good faith), plus registration after acquiring ownership.