Country guide
Buying property in Cyprus as a foreigner
Rules last checked 29 October 2026 · 9 official sources · Education, not financial, tax, legal or immigration advice.
In the areas of Cyprus under the effective control of the Republic's government, citizens of the Republic and of EU and EEA states need no permit to acquire immovable property. Any other buyer needs the prior permission of the Council of Ministers under Cap. 109, and a contract gives no right to the property until it is granted.
What are you doing with Cyprus?
Returns after tax, what is withheld, and the way out.
Cyprus charges Department of Lands and Surveys transfer fees of 3% up to EUR 85,000, 5% from EUR 85,001 to EUR 170,000 and 8% above, with a 50% discount in most cases and no fee where VAT is charged on the same transaction. Details
Cyprus has had no recurrent tax on immovable property since 2017 and has no wealth tax, according to the European Commission 2026 country report. Details
Questions people in this position often miss
- Will I be taxed twice?Depends on your country
The country of the property and the country where the owner lives can each tax the same rent or gain.
- Can I borrow locally?Not confirmed yet
Lending to a buyer living abroad is limited in many countries and the loan to value limit can be lower.
- Can I move the money out of my own country?Depends on your country
Some countries cap or review money sent abroad to buy a home, and banks ask where the money came from.
- What do I report at home?Depends on your country
Foreign property, foreign accounts and foreign rent can each carry a form in the owner's own country.
- What is changing soon?Not confirmed yet
Bans, tax schedules and visa routes carry end dates, and a purchase often takes months to complete.
Whether a purchase gives a right to live there, and what living there costs in tax.
In the areas of Cyprus under the effective control of the Republic's government, citizens of the Republic and of EU and EEA states need no permit to acquire immovable property. Details
Cyprus charges Department of Lands and Surveys transfer fees of 3% up to EUR 85,000, 5% from EUR 85,001 to EUR 170,000 and 8% above, with a 50% discount in most cases and no fee where VAT is charged on the same transaction. Details
Cyprus has had no recurrent tax on immovable property since 2017 and has no wealth tax, according to the European Commission 2026 country report. Details
Questions people in this position often miss
- Does buying give me the right to live there?Not confirmed yet
Several well known property routes to residence have closed or changed, and others need more than a purchase.
- What happens if I die, or the family inherits?Answered below
The European Commission 2026 country report states that Cyprus has no wealth, inheritance or gift tax.
- Can I move the money out of my own country?Depends on your country
Some countries cap or review money sent abroad to buy a home, and banks ask where the money came from.
- Will I be taxed twice?Depends on your country
The country of the property and the country where the owner lives can each tax the same rent or gain.
- What is changing soon?Not confirmed yet
Bans, tax schedules and visa routes carry end dates, and a purchase often takes months to complete.
Part year stays, the yearly bill, and what the family inherits.
In the areas of Cyprus under the effective control of the Republic's government, citizens of the Republic and of EU and EEA states need no permit to acquire immovable property. Details
Cyprus has had no recurrent tax on immovable property since 2017 and has no wealth tax, according to the European Commission 2026 country report. Details
Cyprus charges Department of Lands and Surveys transfer fees of 3% up to EUR 85,000, 5% from EUR 85,001 to EUR 170,000 and 8% above, with a 50% discount in most cases and no fee where VAT is charged on the same transaction. Details
Questions people in this position often miss
- Does buying give me the right to live there?Not confirmed yet
Several well known property routes to residence have closed or changed, and others need more than a purchase.
- What happens if I die, or the family inherits?Answered below
The European Commission 2026 country report states that Cyprus has no wealth, inheritance or gift tax.
- What is owed every year, even if the home sits empty?Answered below
Cyprus has had no recurrent tax on immovable property since 2017 and has no wealth tax, according to the European Commission 2026 country report.
- Will I be taxed twice?Depends on your country
The country of the property and the country where the owner lives can each tax the same rent or gain.
- Can I move the money out of my own country?Depends on your country
Some countries cap or review money sent abroad to buy a home, and banks ask where the money came from.
What is owed each year, on rent and on a sale, and what the heirs face.
Cyprus has had no recurrent tax on immovable property since 2017 and has no wealth tax, according to the European Commission 2026 country report. Details
Cyprus charges Department of Lands and Surveys transfer fees of 3% up to EUR 85,000, 5% from EUR 85,001 to EUR 170,000 and 8% above, with a 50% discount in most cases and no fee where VAT is charged on the same transaction. Details
Questions people in this position often miss
- What do I report at home?Depends on your country
Foreign property, foreign accounts and foreign rent can each carry a form in the owner's own country.
- Will I be taxed twice?Depends on your country
The country of the property and the country where the owner lives can each tax the same rent or gain.
- What happens if I die, or the family inherits?Answered below
The European Commission 2026 country report states that Cyprus has no wealth, inheritance or gift tax.
- What happens when I sell?Answered below
Cyprus charges capital gains tax of 20% on gains from immovable property in the Republic, whatever the seller's residence. No tax is due where an individual's total gain does not exceed EUR 30,000, and a main residence exemption covers gains up to EUR 150,000.
- What is changing soon?Not confirmed yet
Bans, tax schedules and visa routes carry end dates, and a purchase often takes months to complete.
Who may buy
Choose a nationality to see the rules that apply to it.
Every rule, for every buyer
| Buyer | Property | Reading | Conditions | Applies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citizens of Cyprus, Nationals of EU member states and European Economic Area states | Any property | Open |
| from 1 May 2004 |
| Everyone else (not Cyprus, EU member states and European Economic Area states) | Any property | Approval needed |
| |
| Everyone else (not Cyprus, EU member states and European Economic Area states) | shares | Approval needed | Section 3(6) treats as an acquisition of immovable property a lease longer than 33 years (including options that can take it past 33 years), the acquisition of shares in a Republic company that owns immovable property where the acquisition would make the company alien controlled, and the creation of a trust for an alien that relates to such property. A company is alien controlled when half or more of its directors, votes or shares are held by aliens, or an alien holds powers to run it at the alien's will (section 2). |
What it costs to buy
transfer fees on sale
- Rate
3% up to EUR 85,000; 5% from EUR 85,001 to EUR 170,000; 8% above EUR 170,000, on the sale price or market value; a sale from parents to children and a gift between relatives up to the third degree are excepted; exchanges carry no fees unless the Director finds the values unequal, when the person acquiring the higher value pays on the difference. If the Director sets a different market value, the transferee pays on that value and may object in writing.
Transfer fee reduction and exemption where VAT applies
- Rate
The Department of Lands and Surveys states a 50% discount on the transfer fee in all cases where fees are charged under Chapter 17 of the Schedule, except transfers by a sale under Parts VI and VIA of Law 9/1965. It also states that no fee is charged under Chapter 17 where VAT is charged on the same transaction and property, with a certificate from the VAT Department.
Value added tax on property
- Rate
- Standard rate 19% (section 17 of the VAT Law, from 13 January 2014).
- Table C of the Schedule gives a reduced 5% rate on the first 130 square metres of a dwelling delivered or built before first occupation, used as the main and permanent residence in the Republic, for an applicant aged 18 or over who holds no other dwelling acquired at the reduced rate; the applicant must keep using it as a residence for 10 years or notify the Commissioner and pay the difference.
- Larger areas apply for a person with a disability or a large family.
Stamp duty on documents (abolished from 1 January 2026)
- Rate
- The Stamp Duties Laws of 1963 to 2025 were repealed by Law 239(I)/2025.
- The Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property announced on 19 January 2026 that documents submitted to it do not require stamp duty as of 01/01/2026.
- The notice does not discuss property sale contracts by name.
- Check
Check it is still current. The date of the law is not confirmed.
What if the price is…?
- Land Registry transfer fee (a banded scale)EUR 16,600
Duties and fees under the rules shownEUR 16,600
- 3% up to EUR 85,000, 5% to EUR 170,000 and 8% above, with the 50% discount the Department of Lands and Surveys applies in all cases except sales under Parts VI and VIA of Law 9/1965. No fee is charged where VAT is charged on the same transaction (a new build), so the figure is for a sale without VAT. Stamp duty was abolished from 1 January 2026.
Only duties stated for a foreign buyer of a home are counted: flat rates, flat fees and the standard banded scale shown. Reliefs, exemptions and the buyer's own circumstances can change the result. A planning figure, not a quote: legal fees, agent fees and local taxes are extra.
What an owner pays each year
Immovable property tax
- Rate
The European Commission 2026 country report for Cyprus states that recurrent property tax was abolished in 2017 and that there is no recurrent tax on immovable property.
Rent from the property
Tax on rent
- Owner living elsewhere
- The Income Tax Law taxes a person who is not resident on income accruing or arising in the Republic (section 5(2)); rents from property are within the charge (section 5(1)(e) for residents).
- In computing rental income of an individual, 20% of gross rent is deducted before depreciation and interest (section 9(2)).
- The individual scale from tax year 2026 is 0% up to EUR 22,000, 20% to EUR 32,000, 25% to EUR 42,000, 30% to EUR 72,000 and 35% above (Second Schedule).
Key numbers (1)
| Share of gross rent deducted before depreciation and interest | 20% |
|---|
Selling
Tax on a sale
- Owner living elsewhere
The Capital Gains Tax Law charges 20% on the gain from the disposal of property, defined as immovable property situated in the Republic, shares in companies owning such property (with a 20% value test for indirect holdings) and agreements to sell such property. The definition turns on where the property is, not on the seller's residence.
- Exemptions
- No tax where an individual's total gain from disposals does not exceed EUR 30,000 (EUR 50,000 for agricultural land sold by a person whose main occupation is farming).
- A main residence used by the owner exclusively as a residence for at least 5 years, on up to 1.5 donums, is exempt for gains up to EUR 150,000, rising to 10 years of use for a second or later disposal, and a person may use only one of the two exemptions, whichever is greater.
- Gains on shares listed on a regulated market are exempt.
- A disposal declaration is due within one month of the disposal and before the transfer (section 12).
- Tax paid on a gift of property is deductible from inheritance tax where the Inheritance Tax Law applies (section 11).
Key numbers (3)
| Capital gains tax on immovable property | 20% |
|---|---|
| Total gain below which no capital gains tax is due | EUR 30,000 |
| Main residence gain exemption | EUR 150,000 |
Inheritance and gifts
Inheritance and gift tax
- Summary
The European Commission 2026 country report states that Cyprus has no wealth, inheritance or gift tax. Capital gains tax law treats a gift of property as a disposal, and the Department of Lands and Surveys excepts gifts between relatives up to the third degree from transfer fees.
From your country
The country of the property is only half of it. The country where you live can limit the money you send, tax the same rent and gain again, and ask for forms of its own.
Choose where you live to see what your own country does when you buy in Cyprus.
The usual steps, in order
- Search the property on the Department of Lands and Surveys portal for the title, encumbrances, mortgages, court orders and personal prohibitions against the owner (free of charge).
- Check the legal access, planning zone, building permits and certificate of approval, and, for a unit under construction, the permits and the division of the property.
- Ask the seller whether the sale is subject to VAT and at which rate, and learn the transfer fees payable.
- Choose the route: immediate transfer of the title deed, or a sale contract deposited at the Department of Lands and Surveys, or an assignment of an existing deposited contract. A unit under construction cannot be registered until a completion certificate and a building authority certificate are issued.
- If the buyer is an alien under Cap. 109, apply for the permission of the Council of Ministers, because the contract gives no right until it is granted.
- Pay the transfer fees at registration of the title deed in the buyer's name, after any 50% reduction or VAT exemption.
- A seller declares the gain to the Tax Department for capital gains tax within one month and before the transfer.
Questions people ask
What if I am a non EU national buying a home in Cyprus?
Cap. 109 requires the prior permission of the Council of Ministers, in practice a permit from the authority it delegates; the contract gives no right to the property until that is granted and a registration made without it is void.
How do Cyprus transfer fees work on a resale?
The Department of Lands and Surveys lists 3%, 5% and 8% bands up to EUR 85,000, EUR 170,000 and above, then a 50% discount, or no fee at all where VAT is charged on the same transaction.
What if I only sign a sale contract before the permit?
Section 3(3) of Cap. 109 says a valid contract gives an alien no right to acquire the property until the Council of Ministers permission is granted.
What if the property is in the north of the island?
It lies outside the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus Government. Permits and fees described here do not apply there.
How does the non domicile rule work?
Special defence contribution on dividends and interest applies to individuals who are resident and domiciled. The law deems a person domiciled after 17 of the previous 20 years of residence.
How is a sale of Cypriot property by a non resident taxed?
The Capital Gains Tax Law charges 20% on gains from immovable property situated in the Republic regardless of residence, with exemptions for a small total gain and for a main residence.
What if I buy through a company or trust?
Cap. 109 treats a company controlled by aliens, a foreign company and a trust for an alien as aliens, so the permission requirement follows the structure.
What if I rent out a Cyprus property as a non resident?
The Income Tax Law taxes a person who is not resident on income arising in the Republic. For an individual, 20% of gross rent is deducted before depreciation and interest, and the scale from tax year 2026 runs from 0% up to EUR 22,000 to 35% above EUR 72,000.
How does VAT apply to buying a home in Cyprus?
The standard rate is 19%. A reduced 5% rate applies to the first 130 square metres of a dwelling delivered or built before first occupation and used as the main and permanent residence, for a buyer aged 18 or over who holds no other dwelling acquired at the reduced rate.
What is still open
These points could not be confirmed from an official source yet, so they are not stated as rules.
- The one property limit, the plot size cap and the permit procedure and processing time for non EU buyers could not be confirmed from an official source yet.
- The reported bill to replace Cap. 109 is not stated as a rule because only press reports describe it.
- Whether a Cap. 109 permit is needed for an acquisition on death could not be confirmed from an official source yet.
- Permanent residence by investment, including the reported property price and income tests, could not be confirmed from an official source yet.
- The reported alternative method of taxing non domiciled residents is not stated as a rule because only search results describe it.
- Double tax treaty numbers, mortgage and loan to value limits, bank account opening, beneficial owner and source of funds duties, stamp duty on contracts and municipal charges could not be confirmed from an official source yet.
- The personal allowance treatment and the filing procedure for rent received by a non resident could not be confirmed from an official source yet.
Sources
Official pages these figures come from (9)
See what this does to your own numbers
Add a property in Cyprus next to everything else you own, and see the income and net worth that follow after tax, year by year.
Free to start. No card. Rules checked 29 October 2026.
This is education, not financial, tax, legal or immigration advice. Rules change and depend on the buyer's own facts. Advice from a licensed professional in the country concerned is what settles a particular purchase.