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Cyprus · EUR

Real estatein Cyprus

Cyprus sells at the District Lands Office, where resale transfer fees are permanently halved and VAT-charged new builds pay zero. sivrce opens with Nicosia and Limassol — an inland capital and a coastal second-home market that share a fee scale and almost nothing else.

Limassol
Lands Office path
Title deed checked
3D map
−50%transfer-fee cut on resales, permanent
0%transfer fees where VAT was charged
Title deedseparate title or Specific Performance first
PermitCouncil of Ministers step for non-EU buyers
What a purchase really costs

€300,000 home in Nicosia

Transfer fees (Τέλη Μεταβίβασης) — ≈2.9%
€8,600
Advocate & disbursements (≈1%)
€3,000
Cash needed at the Lands Office
€311,600

≈ +3.9% over the price. The statute reads 3/5/8% on the Lands Office assessed value — but resales carry a permanent 50% reduction, and new-builds that attracted VAT pay zero transfer fees. Stamp duty was abolished in January 2026. Title deeds on new builds can lag years behind handover: deposit the contract at the District Lands Office within six months for Specific Performance protection, and never pay in full without a separate title in sight.

Rentals run on rules

The rent side, in three lines

  • Pre-2000 buildings in controlled areas fall under rent control — increases follow the statutory order, not the market.
  • Deposits run one to two months; a statutory tenancy continues after expiry unless a court orders otherwise.
  • Short-lets need registration with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism — the licence, not the photos, decides the model.

Nicosia rents off the capital year-round; Limassol rents off the coast and the season. Do not blend them.

Cities

Two cities, one fee scale

Transfer fees are national and assessed by the District Lands Office, not the contract. Nicosia is an inland capital market; Limassol is a coastal second-home market. Same scale, different buyers.

The statute reads 3/5/8% on the Lands Office assessed value, but a resale pays half of that and a new build that attracted VAT pays nothing. Stamp duty was abolished in January 2026. Fees fall due when the title transfers — which, on a new build, can be years after you move in.

The title deed is the whole transaction in Cyprus. Developments have a long history of selling before separate titles exist, so the diligence is the title: a separate title in hand, or the contract deposited at the Lands Office within six months for Specific Performance protection. Never pay in full without one of the two.

Non-EU buyers need Council of Ministers permission — routinely granted for one residential unit, but a step with its own timeline. EU buyers do not. sivrce.com/cy is the canonical Cyprus URL, and listings publish only when verified like Georgia.

FAQ

Do I pay transfer fees on a new build?
No, where VAT was charged — the exemption is total. Resales pay the 3/5/8% scale halved. Confirm which side of that line your unit sits on before you budget.
Can a non-EU citizen buy in Cyprus?
Yes, normally one residential unit with Council of Ministers permission, which is routinely granted but takes time. Start the application with your advocate; do not treat the sale contract as the permission.
Why is the path /cy?
ISO-3166 country codes keep one URL per market. Cyprus is sivrce.com/cy.

All markets: sivrce.com · Georgia marketplace: sivrce.ge · Prices and availability are published only when a verified listing exists. Market currency: EUR.