If you have decided to purchase real estate on the Mediterranean coast of Northern Cyprus, it is important to personally inspect all the property options of interest.

The process of buying property in Northern Cyprus consists of several steps:

• Choosing a property
• Reserving a property
• Drawing up the Sales Contract
• Registering the Sales contract with the Land Registry of the TRNC
• Transferring the Title Deedto the buyer's name

If you have decided to purchase a property on the Mediterranean coast in Northern Cyprus, it is essential to view all the options that interest you personally. You can apply to our program of “Free Property Inspection Trip” and familiarize yourself with all the offers available on the spot. You can get more information about the organization of the trip on our website in the section of « Free Property Inspection Trip ».

The legal purity of the deal

Given that the drafting of the Contract of Sale is a complex process, legal support is essential. The solicitor conducts a thorough check of the developer's documents, property documents, registered and approved construction project, building permits, and the developer's title to the land, and prepares the Contract (Sales Contract). The contract with the solicitor is concluded on the day the Sales Contract is signed. The cost of legal support is £1,500. More details about the solicitor's services can be found on our website in the "Legal Services" section, or you can ask any questions during the free consultation by participating in our " Free Property Inspection Trip " program.

Agreeing on a payment plan

Once you have decided on the property to purchase, the first step is to agree on the property's price, contract terms, and payment schedule.

1. Standard payment plan for ready properties:

• A deposit (minimum £1,000) is made at the time of signing the Deposit Agreement.
• The remaining cost is paid on the day of signing the main Sales Contract.

In the case of purchasing ready property from the developer, an interest-free installment plan for about 24 months may be offered.

Additionally, if necessary, a loan can also be used.

2. Standard payment plan for under construction properties:

• The first payment is no less than 30% of the property value.
• The remaining 70% is paid upon receiving the keys (payments can be made in equal installments throughout the construction process - monthly/quarterly).

In some projects, after receiving the keys, an interest-free installment plan for part of the property's value may also be offered for a period ranging from 1 year to 6 years.

Furthermore, loans can be attracted for construction projects.

The payment plan is individually agreed upon with the buyer before signing the Sales Contract. Then the property is being reserved, for which the buyer pays a minimum deposit of no less than £1,000. The deposit amount depends on the property's value and is included in the payment for the property according to the Sales Contract. From the moment of reservation, the property is removed from sale and cannot be offered to any other buyer.

Drawing up the contract

The Contract of Sale is drawn up by the solicitor and is the main entitling document confirming that the purchase and sale transaction has taken place. It comprises the information about the new owner and their rights to carry out transactions with the purchased property, including its using (living there), letting out and further alienation (sale, gifting, bequeathing) of the property. Such a document as “Registered Specification Sheet” of a property does not exist in Northern Cyprus and all the relevant information, including floor plans, land title etc., is provided as an annex to the Contract of Sale and is an integral part of it (about 20 pages).

Additionally, the Contract includes information about the seller and buyer, detailed description of the subject of the contract – a property (address, registration data, technical specifications, the number of rooms, covered area, right to use communal areas, etc.). The contract also includes the details of the terms of the transaction – property's price, amount of the deposit paid, payment plan and the key handover terms.

In some cases, the price of the property, at the buyer's request, can be fixed in pounds sterling, US dollars, or euros. All agreements and conditions agreed with the seller/developer must be stated in the Contract or its annexes; otherwise, they have no legal force.

The Contract states that the property is not pledged and is free from any rights and claims by third parties, which will be additionally verified by the solicitor before the transaction is concluded. The Contract includes clauses protecting the buyer's interests and sanctions in case the seller/developer violates the contract. The contract is drawn up in Russian (or English) and Turkish, in triplicate, all copies having equal legal force. The legal services are paid after signing the Contract (fully or partially, depending on the agreements reached).

Registration of the contract in the Land Registry

After signing, the Sales Contract has to be registered with the Land Registry of the TRNC. To register, it is necessary to pay the State Stamp Duty of 0.5% of the property's value specified in the Contract and the first part of the fee for the Title Deed transfer (see below in the "Obtaining the Title" section). The registration of the contract must be completed no later than 21 days after signing. The registration is carried out by the solicitor. The stamp confirming the legality of the transaction is placed on the Sales Contract in the Land Registry. From the moment the Contract is registered, the possibility of re-selling or pledging the property by the seller is excluded.

The registered Sales Contract is a document confirming your ownership right to the acquired property in the TRNC. Based on this Contract, you can obtain a residence permit in Northern Cyprus, use the property yourself, rent it out, or, if necessary, sell it.

Obtaining the Title

The final stage of establishing ownership in Northern Cyprus is obtaining the title. The preparation of all necessary documents is handled by the solicitor or the buyer by himself/herself.

For obtain the Title Deed in Northern Cyprus, a foreign citizen must obtain a special purchase permit issued by the TRNC Council of Ministers. The permission is issued upon request on behalf of the buyer (or their authorized representative). In order to obtain the purchase permit, the buyer needs to provide a clear criminal record certificate which can be issued by the local police department in the country of origin, the form is standard. The certificate must be notarized or have an apostille stamp affixed to it. The buyer also must pay a fee equal to half of the minimum wage in the TRNC.

The buyer must apply to the Council of Ministers of the TRNC for permission to transfer the Title Deed no later than 6 (six) months from the date of signing the Sales Contract.

After receiving the Council of Ministers' permission, the property is transferred to the buyer's ownership, and an individual legal Title Deed is issued in buyer's name. The entire procedure for obtaining permission from the Council of Ministers of the TRNC and transferring the Title Deed to the new owner takes approximately 4 months to 2 years. Before the Title Deed is transferred to the foreign buyer, a transfer commission fee of 9% is paid. The fee is paid in two stages (according to the legislatively approved payment scale): the first part must be paid at the first stage when registering the property with the Land Registry, and the remaining part before transferring the Title Deed to the buyer's name. More details about taxes can be found in our "Taxes in Northern Cyprus" section.

The buyer is required to transfer the title to their name no later than 1 year after receiving the Council of Ministers' permission. Otherwise, the permission for the title transfer will be canceled.

If the property was purchased in installments, the 1-year period begins from the date of full payment (according to the document containing the property's price).

However, taxes and fees for transferring ownership must be paid by the buyer and seller no later than 75 days from the issuance of the Title Deed transfer permission by the Council of Ministers.

The cost of reapplying for such permission is equal to one minimum wage established in the TRNC at the time of the application.
 

Attention! According to Law 39/2024 dated May 21, 2024, and the amendments made by Decree 19/2025 dated May 15, 2025, foreign citizens are allowed to acquire ownership of the following types of real estate in the territory of the TRNC in the following quantities:

For foreign citizens (except for citizens of the Republic of Turkey):

• One plot of land of 1338 m²; or
• 3 (three) apartments; or
• One detached house with a plot not exceeding 3300 m²; or
• 2 (two) two-story villas in a complex.

For citizens of the Republic of Turkey:

• One plot of land of 1338 m²; or
• 6 (six) apartments; or
• One detached house with a plot not exceeding 3300 m²; or
• 3 (three) two-story villas in a complex.

More detailed information can be obtained from our specialists.