Buying property in Cyprus

The process, step by step

Each stage comes with its own checks. Agree them in writing before any money changes hands.

1. Appoint your own lawyer

   Choose an independent lawyer who acts only for you. They run the searches, review every document and protect your position from reservation to transfer. It is the most important appointment you will make, and REAL Investments can introduce independent firms on request.

2. Complete the legal checks

   Before you commit, your lawyer confirms the registered owner, any mortgages or other encumbrances, the planning and building permits, and whether a separate title deed has been issued. Ask for the findings in writing, together with any conditions still to be met.

3. Reserve the property

   Let your lawyer review the reservation agreement before you pay a deposit. Check the amount, the reservation period, the agreed price, when the deposit is refundable and what happens if the legal checks reveal a problem.

4. Sign the sale contract

   Settle the specification, payment schedule, completion dates and remedies for delay before you sign. Your lawyer should then deposit the signed contract with the Department of Lands and Surveys within the six-month legal deadline and give you proof of deposit.

5. Obtain permission to acquire (non-EU buyers)

   Buyers from outside the EU generally need approval to acquire property. The application goes to the District Administration where the property is located; eligibility, limits and timing depend on your circumstances.

6. Make the payments

   Pay according to the agreed schedule, once your lawyer confirms that the conditions for each payment have been met. For a home under construction, agree in advance how each stage will be evidenced before its instalment falls due.

7. Transfer the title

   Ownership is registered in your name through a transfer at the Department of Lands and Surveys. Receiving the keys and the issue or transfer of a separate title deed can happen at different times, so confirm the timing of both before you sign.

Costs to plan for

Ask for a written budget that shows the property price and whether VAT is included, transfer fees where they apply, legal and survey fees, finance costs and utility connections. New homes are generally subject to 19% VAT. The reduced 5% rate is available only for a qualifying main and permanent residence within statutory limits. Transfer fees are not charged when VAT has been paid on the same purchase, and other transactions may receive a reduction. Stamp duty no longer applies to documents signed from 1 January 2026.

Once you own the home, allow for municipal charges, communal expenses, insurance and maintenance and, if you let it, management and rental costs.

Buying from outside the EU

Non-EU citizens generally need permission to acquire property from the relevant District Administration. Property limits and document requirements apply, and approval is not automatic. Your lawyer should review the purchase structure and coordinate the application. Buying property and obtaining residency are separate processes, each with its own requirements.

Your title and contract protections

Depositing the sale contract can give you statutory protection and establishes your priority from the date of deposit. It does not transfer registered ownership, and it does not by itself remove existing mortgages, title delays or other problems. Ask your lawyer to explain the search certificate, any arrangement for the lender to release the property and the protections available in your transaction.

For a new home without a separate title deed, ask for the planning and building approvals, the expected route to issuing the deed, each party’s responsibilities and the remedies if the deed is delayed.

With REAL Investments beside you

We keep each stage clear and coordinated. We help you compare suitable homes and arrange viewings, introduce independent legal advisers and follow construction and completion milestones with you, from your first enquiry to the day you collect the keys, wherever you are based.