The buying process

Clarity before commitment.

What purchasing property in North Cyprus involves: the acquisition permission process, legal limits for foreign buyers, title deed categories, land measurements, and crucial checks before signing.

7 Guide Topics

Click any card to expand detailed guidance and relevant links.

How foreign nationals buy

Foreign individuals and qualifying companies may buy property under Law 52/2008 and the rules currently in force, including Decree-Law 63/2026. Council of Ministers Permission to Purchase (PTP) is required. Under the current rule, the stamped agreement or sales contract must be registered at the relevant District Land Registry and the PTP application filed with the Ministry within one month. A KTEB-registered real-estate agency can prepare the sales contract and transaction file and coordinate both submissions; an authorised representative or lawyer may also act where appropriate. PTP processing time is not fixed, so use a case-specific timetable rather than a generic estimate.

Legal limits on what may be bought

Under the rules currently published, a foreign person or qualifying foreign entity may acquire one of the permitted categories: buildable land of up to 1,338 m² for one dwelling; up to 3 apartments; one detached house on land of up to 3,300 m²; or up to 2 two-storey detached villas in a housing development. Higher apartment and villa limits apply to nationals of states that recognise the TRNC and grant reciprocal rights. Security, project-level foreign-ownership and other statutory checks still apply. Because the categories can change, confirm the exact entitlement for the buyer and property before reserving.

Title deed (koçan) types

North Cyprus real estate operates under three primary title deed categories: Turkish Title, covering properties owned prior to 1974 by Turkish Cypriots, British or other foreign nationals, offering the highest international certainty. Equivalent (Eşdeğer) Title, issued by the TRNC state post-1974 in exchange for properties left behind in South Cyprus, fully guaranteed by the state. Allocated (Tahsis) Title, granted by the state post-1974 to veterans and settlers.

Land measurements

Land parcels in North Cyprus are quoted using traditional British-derived metrics: 1 Cyprus Dönüm = 4 Evlek = 14,400 sq ft = 1,337.8 m²; 1 Evlek = 3,600 sq ft (334.45 m²). This is not the same as the 1,000 m² Turkish dönüm. Use our area converter tool to calculate land dimensions.

Before you sign

Confirm whether the title is individual or shared and whether the seller has authority to sell. Check Land Registry records for mortgages, liens, annotations, court orders and other restrictions. For off-plan projects, obtain the master title, construction permission, approved plans, technical specification, completion and separate-title timetable. BESTATE PROPERTY can prepare the contract and transaction documents and coordinate these checks. If you want a separate legal opinion or formal legal representation, ask an independent TRNC lawyer to review the legal position before signing.

Taxes, fees and transfer costs

The payable items depend on the transaction: contract stamp duty, the buyer’s applicable title-transfer charges, VAT where the sale is taxable, and the seller’s disposal withholding where applicable. Rates, exemptions and the party legally responsible can change. Use the Tax and Duty Calculator for the current published schedule, then confirm the transaction-specific treatment with the relevant authority or qualified tax professional.

Please note

This guide is for general information and is not a personal legal, technical or tax opinion. BESTATE PROPERTY can prepare transaction documents and coordinate the purchase. Rules, rates and limits change, so transaction-specific legal, technical or tax questions should also be confirmed with the relevant authority or qualified professional where needed.