Legal · Title Deeds
A title deed (Koçan) is the definitive legal proof of property ownership in the TRNC. This guide explains the four main deed types, the transfer process, statutory costs, and the due diligence every buyer — especially foreign nationals — should complete before committing. It reflects the rules in force on 27 September 2026; decree-laws are temporary, and we update this page when the rules change.
The Koçan is the official document issued by the Land Registry (Tapu ve Kadastro Dairesi) confirming legal ownership. It records the owner's name, property location (district, quarter, parcel/plot number), property type (land, building, independent section), share percentage (for shared title), and any registered encumbrances (mortgages, liens, annotations). Without a registered title deed in your name, legal ownership is not fully secured.
North Cyprus property titles fall into four categories. Understanding which type applies to a property is central to assessing risk, resale potential, and mortgage eligibility. Ownership of some property in the north is disputed internationally, and no title type should be described as guaranteed. Ask an independent TRNC lawyer to check the title's history before you commit.
Land owned by Turkish Cypriots before 1974. These deeds originated under British colonial administration and continued under the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus and later the TRNC. Properties with this title generally face fewer legal challenges, though independent Land Registry verification remains essential.
Issued after 1974 to Turkish Cypriots who relinquished property in the Republic of Cyprus (South) in exchange for allocated land in the North. Widely used in modern developments. The original South Cyprus title reference is recorded on the deed. While common and generally accepted, independent legal verification is strongly recommended to confirm the exchange was properly executed and no competing claims exist.
Land allocated by the TRNC state (Tahsis) to individuals, often for housing or development. These titles require careful legal review because the original state allocation conditions, zoning compliance, and any outstanding obligations must be confirmed. Some Tahsis titles carry restrictions on resale or require state consent for transfer.
A shared title (hisseli koçan) is a single Koçan covering a land parcel or building, with each owner holding a defined share (hisse). An individual title (müstakil koçan) is a separate deed for a specific unit. Under Law 40/2024, a property can be sold or transferred at the Land Registry only if it has its own title deed and/or a registered condominium right (kat irtifakı); a sale contract made otherwise is void, and selling such a property, or acting as intermediary in the sale, is an offence. Foreign buyers cannot buy land on a shared title; a flat or house on its own title may be shared by at most 3 foreign individuals. Individual titles offer cleaner ownership, easier financing, and simpler resale. Always confirm the current title status, check with the developer and a lawyer that the kat irtifakı is registered, and ask for the developer's committed timeline for the final title.
The transfer process formally moves ownership from seller to buyer at the Land Registry.
The signed and stamped sales contract is registered at the relevant District Land Registry. While Decree-Law 89/2026 is in force, a foreign buyer must register the stamped sales contract and apply to the Ministry of Interior for PTP within one month, with the taxes and fees due at that stage paid; if this is not done in time, the contract becomes void automatically. For sales made through an estate agent, the Estate Agents Law separately requires the sale contract to be registered within 21 days, with the required fees paid. Which deadline applies to your contract, and who must register it, depends on the buyer and the deal. BESTATE PROPERTY sets out the timetable before signing, and a lawyer can confirm it; if two deadlines could apply, plan for the earlier one. For a foreign buyer, part of the transfer fee is collected at this stage, so ask the Land Registry which amounts are due at registration. Registration protects the buyer's contractual interest against a later sale or encumbrance by the seller.
Non-TRNC citizens must obtain Permission to Purchase (PTP) from the Council of Ministers (Bakanlar Kurulu). The application is made online through the Ministry of Interior's system, a service fee of half the current monthly gross minimum wage is paid when applying, and the Ministry runs security and archival checks. Permission is not automatic: if the security result is negative, the application is refused. The contract must remain registered throughout, and transfer cannot complete until PTP is granted. While Decree-Law 89/2026 is in force, once the permission is published in the Official Gazette the buyer and seller must pay the title-transfer fees within 75 working days, and the title must be transferred within 1 year, or the permission is cancelled automatically. Where no mortgage is registered in the seller's favour, the year runs from the date the full price shown in the documents filed with the application is paid; ask your lawyer how this applies to a payment plan. Processing times vary considerably; ask your KTEB-registered agency for the current transaction timetable and obtain separate legal confirmation where needed rather than relying on a published average.
The buyer completes the agreed payment schedule. The seller provides a tax clearance certificate (vergi borcu olmayan belgesi) from the Tax Office and a municipal clearance (belediye borcu olmayan belgesi) confirming no outstanding property taxes or utility debts.
Both parties, or properly authorised representatives acting under a valid power of attorney, attend the Land Registry. The balance of the transfer fee is paid, the transfer declaration is signed and the buyer is registered as owner. BESTATE PROPERTY coordinates the appointment, documents, payment sequence and handover.
Rates are set by law and change; the figures below reflect the schedules published in our taxation guide, and the calculator computes from the same source. Your KTEB-registered agency can prepare the cost schedule and transaction documents; confirm the tax treatment for your transaction with the relevant authority or a mali müşavir.
Charged to the buyer unless otherwise negotiated, and calculated on whichever is higher: the price in the sales contract or the value assessed by the District Land Registry (rayiç değer). Under the Land Registry fees regulation of 15 May 2025, foreign buyers who are not nationals of a state that recognises the TRNC pay 9% on each of the first, second and third property. Nationals of recognising states, for example Turkish citizens, pay 6% on the first property, 8% on the second, and 9% on the third and on any fourth to sixth apartment; ask the Land Registry whether a one-time first-home reduction applies to you. For TRNC citizens the standard fee on a sale is 6%, and a one-time 3% can apply to one house (with up to one dönüm of land) and one plot, or one dönüm of field in place of the plot, or a workplace of up to 300 m²; confirm eligibility, and when the fee is due, with the Land Registry. For foreign buyers, including nationals of recognising states, the fee is not all paid at the end: part is collected when the contract is registered (Step 1) and the balance at transfer (Step 4). The split depends on the buyer's category and on how many properties they have bought, so ask the Land Registry for the exact amounts due at each stage, and whether anything paid at registration is refundable if the purchase does not go ahead.
Stamp duty on the sales contract is 0.5% on the first 89,000,000 TL of the contract amount and 0.1% on any amount above that. The contract is stamped before it is registered (Step 1), and it should say which party pays.
Whether VAT (KDV) applies depends on the seller and the sale. It is usually charged when you buy a new property from a VAT-registered developer. Where it applies, the rate is 5% for property and for homes with a covered area of up to 300 m², and 10% for homes with a covered area of 300 m² or more. Confirm the position for your purchase with a mali müşavir.
Agency services, independent legal review, valuation, surveying and tax advice are separate professional services. The scope and fee basis for any service should be agreed in writing before instruction.
Before any reservation or contract is signed, your KTEB-registered agency should assemble and coordinate the checks below. Where an independent legal opinion or representation is requested or required, a TRNC lawyer can review the legal findings separately:
Current registered owner matches the seller. No mortgages (ipotek), liens (haciz), annotations (şerh), court orders, or restrictions on the title. Parcel and plot boundaries match the physical property.
Master title ownership — the developer holds clean title to the land. Construction licence (ruhsat) and occupancy permit (iskân) status. Infrastructure approvals (roads, water, electricity, sewage). No developer mortgages on the master title that could block individual title separation. Have the agency verify the project's foreign-ownership quota position and obtain separate legal confirmation where needed, since it can prevent an otherwise eligible purchase from completing.
Confirm the property's zoning designation (konut, ticari, tarım, yeşil alan) matches its use. Check building density (kat alanı oranı / KAKS, taban alanı oranı / TAKS) compliance. Verify no demolition orders or planning enforcement actions exist.
Electricity (Kıb-Tek) and water (Belediye) connection status. Road access (public, private, or right of way). Internet and fibre availability. For a purchase by a foreign buyer, while Decree-Law 89/2026 is in force, the local authority may not connect permanent or temporary water, and Kıb-Tek may not connect temporary or permanent electricity, until all taxes and fees on the purchase are paid; connections for a construction site are an exception.
Missing the registration deadline that applies to the transaction can remove contractual protection or, under the current foreign-buyer rule, invalidate the agreement. Other risks include an unauthorised seller, mortgages or court restrictions on the title, developer debt affecting a master title, delayed issue of separate titles in off-plan projects, and agricultural land marketed as buildable without the required planning approval.
Under Law 40/2024, an off-plan unit can be sold or transferred at the Land Registry only if it has its own title deed and/or a registered condominium right (kat irtifakı); a sale contract made otherwise is void. Before you sign, check with the developer and a lawyer that the kat irtifakı is registered. While Decree-Law 89/2026 is in force, if a condominium title (kat mülkiyeti or kat irtifakı) cannot yet be set up for the property, the purchase-permission application can instead be made with the building permit or the planning approval. This route is temporary and sits alongside Law 40/2024, so ask a lawyer how both apply to your unit before you sign. Other questions to ask the developer: current master title status, any bank mortgages on the land, the committed timeline for the final title, and whether the project's foreign-ownership position permits your purchase.
Acquisition limits apply. Foreign nationals may acquire a limited number of properties, and the limit differs for citizens of countries with reciprocity. The current bands, with their statutory source, are set out in the Foreign Buyer Roadmap. PTP is mandatory — Council of Ministers permission is required before transfer can complete. Resale — a foreign owner can sell to a TRNC citizen, who needs no purchase permission, or to another foreigner, who does; the buyer's own transfer-fee band will apply. Family transfers — under the current decree, a foreign owner may also transfer property to first- and second-degree relatives by blood or marriage with the Ministry of Interior's knowledge and approval. Inheritance — ask a lawyer what the heirs will need, and do not assume a rule until it has been checked for the case.
BESTATE PROPERTY prepares sales contracts and transaction documents with the parties; coordinates offers, negotiations, title and encumbrance checks, seller or developer documents, PTP files, tax and Land Registry steps, payments and handover; and sets out the statutory costs openly in our Tax Calculator. Where a client wants a separate legal opinion or where formal legal representation is required, we coordinate that work with an independent TRNC lawyer without handing ownership of the entire transaction to the lawyer.