To import a CSV in QGIS, use “Add Delimited Text Layer”, select the file, and define X/Y coordinates.
Importing a CSV file into QGIS is a very common task when working with geographic data. Coordinates can come from a spreadsheet, a GPS device, a field survey, or even an export from a database.
In most cases, it only takes a few clicks to import a CSV into QGIS and create a point layer from the coordinates. However, certain errors are common: incorrect delimiter, character encoding issues, misinterpreted coordinates, or reversed latitude/longitude order.
In this article, we’ll look at how to correctly import a CSV file into QGIS and how to avoid the most common problems.
This method works in recent versions of QGIS 3 and QGIS 4.
1.Prepare the CSV file
Before importing into QGIS, it is important to check the file structure.
Example of a CSV table:
| id | name | latitude | longitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Site A | -20.3484 | 57.5522 |
| 2 | Site B | -20.2201 | 57.4635 |
Important points:
- The first row must contain the field names
- The coordinates must be in two separate columns
- The values must be numeric
2. Check the file separator
CSV files typically use:
- a comma (,) in English-speaking countries
- a semicolon (;) in many European countries
If the separator is incorrect, QGIS may read the entire line as a single field.
In this case, open the file in a text editor to check the separator being used.
Coordinates must use a period (.) as the decimal separator.
If your spreadsheet uses a comma, the coordinates may be interpreted as text.
3. Check the character encoding
To avoid issues with accents or special characters, it is recommended that you save the CSV file in UTF-8.
In most spreadsheet programs (LibreOffice, Excel), you can select UTF-8 when exporting the file.
4. Import the CSV into QGIS
In QGIS:
- Layer Menu
- Add Layer
- Add Delimited Text Layer
Next, select your CSV file.
In the import window:
- Select the correct delimiter
- Geometry type: point
- Select the longitude (X) and latitude (Y) fields
- Select the coordinate system (usually WGS84 – EPSG:4326)
Then click Add.
QGIS then creates a point layer based on the coordinates.
5. Check the results
Once the layer is loaded:
- check that the points appear in the correct locations
- check the attribute table
- make sure the coordinates are interpreted correctly.
If the points appear in an unexpected location (for example, off the coast of Africa), this is often due to a projection or coordinate system issue.
FAQ
The CSV file imports, but no points appear
Make sure the latitude and longitude columns contain numbers, not text.
All fields appear in a single column
The file separator is likely not being detected correctly.
Points appear in the wrong location
Check:
- the coordinate order (latitude / longitude)
- the selected coordinate system.
Points appear on the equator or off the coast of Africa
This often means that:
- latitude and longitude are reversed
- or that the coordinates are interpreted as text.
Conclusion
Importing a CSV file into QGIS is a simple process, but it requires checking a few essential elements: delimiter, encoding, and coordinates.
Once these elements have been verified, it becomes very easy to transform a data table into a usable geographic layer in QGIS.
In a future article, we will see how to append a CSV file to an existing layer in QGIS.
