Country guide
Buying property in Cyprus
Every figure carries its source and last-checked date.
EUR 2,400
Price per m² (capital)
2.5 to 6%
Total buying costs
5.1%
Gross rental yield
+30%
5-year price trend
If you want to buy property in Cyprus, you are looking at the cheapest transaction of the four countries we cover: total buying costs of just 2.5-6% on top of the purchase price. Stamp duty was abolished for contracts signed from 1 January 2026, transfer fees run at a permanently halved 1.5-4% (and drop to zero on new builds where VAT applies), and legal fees are typically 1-2% plus 19% VAT. There is no notary in the process at all: Cyprus is a common-law jurisdiction, and your lawyer handles the entire conveyance.
The ongoing tax picture is just as friendly for anyone moving to Cyprus. There is no national annual property tax (abolished in 2017), no wealth tax and no inheritance tax (abolished back in 2000). What remains are modest municipal charges for refuse, street lighting and sewerage, typically EUR 100-500 per year in total.
One caveat matters more than any other: everything on this page applies to the Republic of Cyprus, the government-controlled south, only. Property in Northern Cyprus carries major title-deed risk, as much of the land there is legally owned by displaced Greek Cypriots. Buy in the south.
Key facts
- Price per m² (capital)
- EUR 2,400
- Investropa market survey, Nicosia (Strovolos) EUR 1,800-3,000/m2, June 2026(2026-07)
- Price per m² (coast)
- EUR 4,000
- Investropa market survey; Limassol coast EUR 4,500-8,000/m2 (seafront to 12,000), Paphos coast EUR 2,600-6,500/m2, blended midpoint(2026-07)
- 5-year price trend
- +30% over 5 years
- Central Bank of Cyprus RPPI, cumulative ca. +30% 2020-2025 (Q4 2025: +7.1% y/y, apartments +9.6%)(2026-07)
- Total buying costs
- 2.5 to 6%
- Sum of the transfer tax, notary, registration and legal ranges below(2026-09)
- Gross rental yield
- 5.1%
- Global Property Guide, Cyprus average gross yield 5.09% (Q3 2025); Limassol ca. 6%, Nicosia ca. 5%, Paphos/Larnaca ca. 4%(2026-07)
- Cost of living (EU = 100)
- 89
- Eurostat comparative price level index (tec00120), Cyprus 89.2 in 2025 (2024: 91.6), EU-27 = 100(2026-07)
- Golden visa
- Active, property qualifies from EUR 300,000
- Civil Registry and Migration Department, Reg. 6(2) investor permit; the May 2023 policy revision is still the framework in 2026(2026-08)
Where in the country, and what it costs
A national average hides the only question that matters once you are serious: which stretch of coast. These are the areas foreign buyers actually shortlist, from cheapest to dearest. Note that these are province or district averages covering everything inside them, inland towns included, so they answer a different question than the single coastal figure in the table above.
- NicosiaEUR 2,407/m²
The capital is the one district without a coastline and prices 48 percent below Limassol, which is the clearest available measure of what sea access costs on the island.
- Famagusta (Ayia Napa, Protaras, Paralimni)EUR 2,591/m²
This figure covers only the government-controlled part of the district; the part north of the buffer zone is outside Republic of Cyprus land registry control and carries title deed claims that no price index accounts for.
- LarnacaEUR 2,784/m²
Median asking prices are 39 percent below Limassol, and the district holds the island's main airport, which matters if you let the property while you are away.
- PaphosEUR 3,827/m²
Sits 17 percent below Limassol on the same index while still being coastal, which is the main trade-off on offer in Cyprus.
- LimassolEUR 4,600/m²
Median asking prices run 20 percent above Paphos, pushed up by the seafront tower stock and the corporate relocations that fill it.
Source: AXIA Chartered Surveyors, median asking price per m2 by district, listings tracked 6 July to 3 August 2026 (Republic of Cyprus, government-controlled area only). Checked 2026-09. Asking prices, not transaction prices.
Buying costs
Costs on a €250,000 purchase
EUR 6,250 to EUR 15,000
on top of the purchase price.
- Transfer tax
- 1.5 to 4%
- Land Registry transfer fees, charged per band on the value in that band: 3% up to EUR 85,000, 5% to EUR 170,000, 8% above. The 50% reduction on resales brings this to an effective 1.5/2.5/4%; where VAT was paid instead (new builds) no transfer fee is due at all(2026-08)
- Notary
- 0%
- Cyprus is a common-law jurisdiction with no notarial system; the lawyer drafts and lodges the contract(2026-07)
Taxes for non-residents
- Annual property tax
- No national property tax (Immovable Property Tax abolished 1 January 2017). Only municipal charges remain: refuse, street lighting and sewerage (0.05-0.3% of the 2013 assessed value), typically EUR 100-500 per year in total
- Leptos Estates / Cyprus Tax Department guidance on IPT abolition(2026-07)
- Capital gains tax
- 20%
- Flat 20% CGT on gains from Cyprus immovable property (and property-rich company shares); lifetime exemptions raised under the 2026 tax reform(2026-07)
- Inheritance
- None. Estate duty was abolished as of 1 January 2000; no inheritance tax for residents or non-residents. Heirs only pay reduced Land Registry transfer fees on the title transfer
- Cyprus estate duty abolition (Law 78(I)/2000)(2026-07)
The buying process
- Can foreigners buy?
- Yes, no restrictions
- EU citizens buy without restriction; non-EU nationals need Council of Ministers approval under Cap. 109, in practice a formality(2026-07)
- Restrictions
- Non-EU nationals require Council of Ministers approval (Acquisition of Immovable Property (Aliens) Law, Cap. 109), routinely granted but limited to one residence, or since 2013 up to two properties, on max ca. 4,014 m2 of land. Important: only buy in the Republic of Cyprus (south); property in Northern Cyprus carries major title-deed risk as much of it is legally owned by displaced Greek Cypriots
- Cap. 109 / ICLG Real Estate Cyprus 2026(2026-07)
- Mortgage as non-resident
- Yes
- Cypriot banks lend to non-residents (Bank of Cyprus, Hellenic Bank a.o.); higher deposits and full income documentation required(2026-07)
- Maximum loan to value, non-resident
- 70%
- Typical non-resident maximum; many banks cap at 50-60%. CBC regulatory ceiling is 70% for non-primary residences(2026-07)
Residency & golden visa
Cyprus runs the cheapest property-backed residency route of the four countries covered here. Under Regulation 6(2) the investment threshold is EUR 300,000 plus VAT, and the money has to go into a new-build property bought from a licensed developer, not a resale. The permit that comes out of it is permanent rather than renewable, covers the family, and takes roughly six months. Citizenship by investment is a separate thing entirely and it is closed: Cyprus scrapped that programme in November 2020 and it has not come back.
The threshold is not the whole test. Cyprus also requires proof of EUR 50,000 in secured annual income from abroad, rising by EUR 15,000 for a spouse and EUR 10,000 per child. That income condition is what actually filters applicants, and it is why the EUR 300,000 headline is not directly comparable with Greece, where the entry is EUR 400,000 outside the main centres but there is no equivalent income test. The two are set out against each other in Greece versus Cyprus.
One structural point that matters for anyone planning to move rather than invest: Cyprus is in the EU but not in the Schengen area. A Cypriot permit does not give you free movement through the rest of the bloc the way a Greek or Spanish one does. If borderless travel across Europe is part of the reason you are buying, weigh that before the tax rates.
Buying is not the same as living there. What it takes to actually move to Cyprus covers the visa routes, the tax position once you are resident, and what it costs.
The buying process step by step
Engage a lawyer
Cyprus has no notarial system, so an independent lawyer is not optional extra comfort, it is the person who drafts and lodges your contract. Expect a conveyancing fee of 1-2% of the price plus 19% VAT. Choose a lawyer with no ties to the seller or developer.
Reserve the property
Once you agree terms, you typically sign a reservation agreement and pay a deposit to take the property off the market while the legal work runs. Your lawyer should review the reservation terms before you sign anything or hand over money.
Due diligence
Your lawyer searches the Land Registry to confirm the seller holds clean title and checks for mortgages, memos and other encumbrances on the property. This step is where Cyprus purchases are won or lost, especially with new builds where developer debts can sit on the land.
Sign the contract of sale and lodge it at the Land Registry
The contract is signed and then lodged at the Land Registry, which protects your rights as buyer under Cypriot law until the title deed is transferred. Since 1 January 2026 no stamp duty is due on new contracts; only nominal Land Registry lodging fees remain.
Non-EU buyers: Council of Ministers permit
Non-EU nationals need approval under Cap. 109, applied for in parallel and routinely granted as a formality. It limits you to one residence, or since 2013 up to two properties, on a maximum of around 4,014 m2 of land. The application does not block you from taking possession. EU citizens skip this step entirely.
Transfer of title
At completion the Land Registry transfers the title deed into your name. Transfer fees are charged in bands of 3/5/8% by value tier, permanently reduced by 50% to an effective 1.5/2.5/4%, and are zero where VAT was paid on the purchase, as with new builds. A straightforward cash purchase completes in 6-8 weeks; typical conveyancing runs 3-6 months.
Is Cyprus right for you?
Cyprus is the right answer for the buyer whose priority is what happens after the purchase rather than the purchase itself. Nowhere else on this site is the ongoing burden this light: no national annual property tax since 2017, no wealth tax, no inheritance tax since 2000, and municipal charges that come to something like EUR 100 to 500 a year. Gross rental yields of about 5.1 percent are the highest of the four countries here. Add a common-law system in which contracts and Land Registry practice are conducted in a legal language British and Irish buyers recognise, and a lawyer-led conveyance with no notary in it at all.
The friction is real, though, and it is front-loaded. Non-EU nationals need Council of Ministers approval under Cap. 109, which is routinely granted but limits you to one residence, or since 2013 up to two properties, on a maximum of roughly 4,014 square metres of land. Conveyancing typically runs three to six months rather than the six to eight weeks you would expect in Spain. And the single most expensive mistake in this market is geographic: buy only in the Republic of Cyprus. Property in the north carries major title-deed risk, because much of that land is legally owned by displaced Greek Cypriots, and no amount of due diligence on the Cypriot side fixes it.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners buy property in Cyprus?
Yes. EU citizens buy without any restriction, and non-EU nationals only need Council of Ministers approval under Cap. 109, which is routinely granted and in practice a formality. The permit limits non-EU buyers to one residence, or since 2013 up to two properties, on a maximum of around 4,014 m2 of land, and it does not stop you taking possession while it is processed.
What are the total buying costs in Cyprus?
Around 2.5-6% of the purchase price, the lowest of the twelve countries we compare. For resale property that is transfer fees at an effective 1.5-4% (statutory bands halved by a permanent 50% reduction) plus legal fees of 1-2% with 19% VAT. Stamp duty was abolished for contracts signed from 1 January 2026. New builds instead carry 19% VAT, with a reduced 5% rate on the first 130 m2 of a primary residence, but then pay no transfer fees.
Is there an annual property tax in Cyprus?
No, there is no national property tax; the Immovable Property Tax was abolished on 1 January 2017. You only pay municipal charges for refuse, street lighting and sewerage, set at 0.05-0.3% of the 2013 assessed value and typically EUR 100-500 per year in total. Cyprus also levies no wealth tax and no inheritance tax.
Can I get a mortgage in Cyprus as a non-resident?
Yes, Cypriot banks such as Bank of Cyprus and Hellenic Bank lend to non-residents. The regulatory ceiling is 70% loan-to-value for non-primary residences, though many banks cap non-residents at 50-60%, and you will need full income documentation and a higher deposit than local buyers.
How long does buying a property in Cyprus take?
Typically 8-26 weeks. A straightforward cash purchase can complete in 6-8 weeks, while typical conveyancing runs 3-6 months. For non-EU buyers the Council of Ministers permit is applied for in parallel and does not delay you taking possession.
Does buying property in Cyprus give me residency?
It can. Cyprus runs an active fast-track permanent residency route (Regulation 6(2)): invest EUR 300,000 plus VAT in a new-build property from a licensed developer and show a secured annual income of EUR 50,000, plus EUR 15,000 for a spouse and EUR 10,000 per child. The permit is indefinite and processing takes around 6 months. Note that Cyprus citizenship-by-investment was scrapped in November 2020 and remains closed.
Can I rent out my Cyprus property?
Yes, and average gross yields are around 5.1%, with Limassol near 6%. For short lets you must register the property in the Deputy Ministry of Tourism register of self-service accommodation, display the registration number in every listing, and renew the licence every 3 years. Rental income is taxed on a progressive 0-35% scale with the first EUR 22,000 tax-free since the 2026 reform and a flat 20% expense deduction, plus a 2.65% GHS contribution.
The next step
Get introduced to a buying agent in Cyprus
Tell us what you are looking for and we will put you in touch with an independent buying agent or adviser in that country. Free for you. We are paid a referral fee by the professional if a purchase completes, which is set out in full on our about page.