Business premises licence in Cyprus: the municipal application, field by field

The business premises licence is the permit a municipality in Cyprus gives to keep or use a building, shop, office or other space for a business, trade or profession. Under the Municipalities Law 52(I)/2022, article 56, no premises may be used for business without it, and running one without a licence can lead to a fine of up to €500 and a court order closing it. This page translates, box by box, the Greek application form that Business in Cyprus, the government's Point of Single Contact, publishes for all municipalities.

Official name
Application for a licence to keep or use a building, premises or other space for a business, industry, trade or profession
Αίτηση για χορήγηση άδειας για διατήρηση/χρήση οικοδομής, υποστατικού ή άλλου χώρου για άσκηση επιχείρησης, βιομηχανίας, εμπορίου, επαγγέλματος
Issued by
Your municipality or community council (template published by Business in Cyprus, the Point of Single Contact)
Version
Template of March 2013 (cites the repealed Law 111/1985) · PDF, 2 pages · Greek only
How it is filed
On paper at the municipality (or community council) where the premises are. The council inspects the premises and decides within four months; you pay the fee, which depends on the type of premises, after approval.
Download the official formOfficial page

Out of date on the printed form

The file opens on the official government site. Checked 24 October 2026. CyprusPermit is a private company, not a government body or a law firm: we explain the form; its text is the department's own.

Who fills it in

Whoever runs a business from premises inside a municipality: a shop, office, workshop, clinic, salon, warehouse or similar. A company files in its own name and names the person legally responsible for it. Premises in a village apply to the community council under the Communities Law. Restaurants, cafés, bars and entertainment venues need further permits as well, such as the Deputy Ministry of Tourism licence for a catering establishment and the municipal health certificate for a food business. Some municipalities publish their own version of this form: Larnaca has a 2026 application for business premises, and Nicosia a separate form for entertainment and catering premises over 50 m². Check your municipality's site, or ask us, before you fill in the template.

What goes with it

  • A copy of the building permit and the certificate of approval of the premises, and/or a copy of the title deed, as the form lists
  • Any further documents the municipality has published in advance for your type of business, for example a certificate of appropriateness from the Cyprus Fire Service or from the Electrical and Mechanical Services (EMS)
  • For food premises: the municipal health certificate for a food business
  • For a catering or entertainment establishment: the Deputy Ministry of Tourism operating licence

Field by field

A. Applicant's details (ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ ΑΙΤΗΤΗ)

On the formWhat to writeExample
1. Name of applicant
1. Όνομα Αιτητή		The person or company in whose name the licence is issued, exactly as on the ID card, passport or certificate of incorporation.EXAMPLE TRADING LTD
2. Correspondence address: street, number, postcode, PO box, email
2. Διεύθυνση (για αλληλογραφία): Οδός, Αριθμός, Ταχυδρ. Κώδικας, Ταχυδρ. Θυρίδα, E-mail		Where the municipality sends letters, the inspection date and the licence. An email address you check makes it quicker.1 Example Street, 3000 Limassol, info@example.com
3. Telephone / fax
3. Τηλέφωνο / Τηλεομοιότυπο		A number that answers during office hours. Fax can stay blank.25 000000
4. ID card number / registration number of a legal person
4. Αρ. Ταυτότητας / Εγγραφής Νομ. Προσώπου		A Cyprus ID or Alien Registration Certificate number for a person; the HE number for a company.HE 000000
5. For a legal person: details of the person legally responsible
5. Σε περίπτωση νομικού προσώπου, τα στοιχεία του κατά νόμο υπεύθυνου προσώπου		Name, ID number and address of the director or manager who answers for the company before the municipality. Leave blank if you apply as an individual.MARIA EXAMPLE, director, ID 000000
6. Number of staff
6. Αρ. Απασχολούμενου προσωπικού		How many people work at these premises, including you.3
7. Period of the licence: annual / six-monthly (delete as appropriate)
7. Διάρκεια Αιτούμενης Άδειας: Ετήσια / Εξαμηνιαία (Διαγράψτε ανάλογα)		Strike out the period you do not want. The licence lasts six months or a year and is renewed by applying again.Annual

B. Premises details (ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ ΥΠΟΣΤΑΤΙΚΟΥ)

On the formWhat to writeExample
1. Use category of the premises / business
1. Κατηγορία χρήσης υποστατικού / επιχείρησης		What the business does there, in plain words: office, retail shop, hair salon, workshop, storage.Office (accounting services)
2. Name of the premises / business
2. Επωνυμία υποστατικού / επιχείρησης		The trading name or the name on the sign.EXAMPLE ACCOUNTANTS
3. Full name of the person in charge of the premises
3. Ονοματεπώνυμο υπεύθυνου λειτουργίας υποστατικού / επιχείρησης		The manager on site. Repeat the applicant if you run it yourself.MARIA EXAMPLE
4. Address of the premises
4. Διεύθυνση υποστατικού / επιχείρησης		Street, number, postcode and town of the premises, not your home.10 Example Avenue, 3035 Limassol
5. Land Registry details: quarter, registration number, sheet/plan, block, plot number
5. Κτηματολογικά στοιχεία: Ενορία, Αρ. Εγγραφής, Φύλλο/Σχέδιο, Τμήμα, Αρ. τεμαχίου		Copy them from the title deed or the building permit. If you rent, the landlord has them; the Land Registry can also look them up.Quarter: Agios Nikolaos; Reg. 0/0000; Sheet/Plan 54/0; Block 0; Plot 000
6. Permitted use of the premises (as in the building permit)
6. Αδειούχα χρήση υποστατικού (σύμφωνα με την Άδεια Οικοδομής)		The use the building permit allows: shop, office, warehouse. If it differs from what you plan, the use has to be changed through planning first.Shop
Applicant's signature, date, seal (for a legal person)
Υπογραφή Αιτητή, Ημερομηνία, Σφραγίδα (σε περίπτωση νομικού προσώπου)		Sign and date. A company adds its stamp.—

Common mistakes

  • Opening before the licence is issued: article 56 of the Municipalities Law allows a fine of up to €500 and a court order suspending the business.
  • Renting premises whose building permit allows another use, for example a flat used as an office, and finding out at the inspection.
  • Leaving the Land Registry details blank: the municipality needs them to find the property in its records.
  • Filing without the building permit, the certificate of approval or the title deed: the form says an incomplete application is not accepted.
  • Assuming one licence covers everything: food, catering, entertainment and some professions need their own permits too.

Questions

Who issues a business licence in Cyprus?

The municipality, or the community council in a village, where your premises are. For municipalities this is under article 56 of the Municipalities Law 52(I)/2022.

How long does a business premises licence take?

Business in Cyprus says the council decides within four months of a complete application, after inspecting the premises.

How much does the licence cost?

It depends on the type of premises and is set in the municipality's fee schedule; you pay after approval. Ask your municipality for the amount for your use.

Is the form available in English?

No, the template is in Greek. This page gives the English for every box.

How long is the licence valid?

Six months or a year, as you choose on the form. You renew it by applying again.

Sources

Figures checked 24 October 2026. Rules change: we confirm them for your case before you act.

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