Buying property in Cyprus: steps, taxes and title deeds

Foreigners can buy property in Cyprus. EU and EEA citizens buy on the same terms as Cypriots; buyers from outside the EU need the consent of the Council of Ministers under Cap. 109, applied for with the District Officer on Form Comm. 145. The safe order is: appoint your own lawyer, not the seller's; let them check the title deed, mortgages on the land and the building permits; sign; and lodge the contract at the Land Registry within six months (fee €50). A new home from a developer carries VAT at 19%, or 5% on the first 130 m² and €350,000 of a main home costing up to €475,000 with up to 190 m². A resale carries no VAT but a transfer fee of 3%, 5% and 8% across the €85,000 and €170,000 bands, halved: €8,600 on a €300,000 home. Stamp duty is abolished from 2026; a mortgage adds 1% of the loan. See our property purchase service.

1. Budget with the taxes. Agree what you want to buy and set a budget that includes VAT or the transfer fee, mortgage registration and legal fees. The home purchase costs calculator gives the government part.
2. Appoint your own lawyer, not the seller's or the developer's, before you sign anything or pay a reservation deposit.
3. Checks. The lawyer searches the title deed at the Land Registry, the mortgages and other encumbrances on the land, the building and planning permits, and the developer or seller.
4. Contract of sale. The lawyer reviews or drafts it: price, payment schedule tied to construction stages, completion date, what happens if the seller's mortgage is not released.
5. Lodge the contract at the Land Registry within six months of signing (fee €50). Under the Sale of Land (Specific Performance) Law this protects you against later sales or mortgages of the property.
6. Non-EU buyers apply for the Council of Ministers' consent on Form Comm. 145; see below.
7. Pay as agreed, keeping proof of every payment.
8. Transfer the title into your name at the Land Registry, paying the transfer fee on a resale. On a new project this can be years later, when the title deed is issued.

• VAT on a new home: 19%, or 5% on the first 130 m² and €350,000 of a main home that costs up to €475,000 and has up to 190 m² of buildable area; the rest at 19%.
• Transfer fee on a resale: 3% up to €85,000, 5% to €170,000 and 8% above, halved; not charged when VAT was paid.
• Stamp duty: abolished from 1 January 2026.
• Mortgage registration: 1% of the loan.

Work out your case with the home purchase costs calculator.

These examples use the 2026 rules and match the home purchase costs calculator.

Resale at €300,000. The fee is worked out band by band and then halved:

• 3% on the first €85,000 = €2,550
• 5% on the next €85,000 (up to €170,000) = €4,250
• 8% on the remaining €130,000 = €10,400
• Full scale €17,200; after the 50% reduction you pay €8,600.

On the same basis a resale at €150,000 pays €2,900 and one at €500,000 pays €16,600.

New home at €300,000, 120 m², your main home. The price is within €475,000 and the area within 190 m², and the whole home is under 130 m² and €350,000, so all of it takes the reduced rate: 5% × €300,000 = €15,000 VAT, and no transfer fee. At the standard 19% the VAT would be €57,000.

Mortgage. A loan of €200,000 adds 1% for registering the mortgage: €2,000. Lodging the contract costs €50 in every case.

• That the seller is the registered owner, or the developer has the right to sell.
• Mortgages, charges, court orders or other encumbrances on the property or the land.
• Planning and building permits, and whether the building matches them.
• For a new project, whether a title deed can be issued and when.
• For a non-EU buyer, the Council of Ministers' consent under Cap. 109.
• Which VAT rate applies on a new home, and the documents for the reduced rate.

• Using the seller's or developer's lawyer.
• Paying a large deposit before the title and encumbrance checks.
• Not lodging the contract at the Land Registry within six months.
• Assuming the 5% rate applies without checking the area and price limits and applying for the certificate before taking possession.
• Forgetting the transfer fee on a resale when setting the budget.
• Signing a contract without a clause on releasing the developer's mortgage.

A title deed proves ownership. On new projects the deed may be issued years after you buy; the lodged contract protects you meanwhile. Your lawyer checks whether the developer's land carries a mortgage and how it will be released.

Ask the lawyer for three things in writing before you pay: a Land Registry search of the plot, the list of encumbrances, and the planning and building permit numbers. If a mortgage is on the land, the contract should say how and when the bank releases your unit. See title deeds and the Land Registry for how deeds are issued and transferred.

Non-EU buyers need the consent of the Council of Ministers under Cap. 109. The application, Form Comm. 145, goes to the District Officer of the district where the property is, with a bank statement and the property's details; your lawyer files it.