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Foreign Property Acquisition Limits

Foreign Property Acquisition Limits

The limits that apply to foreign nationals acquiring property in North Cyprus — a source-cited reference table. This is not a calculator; it does not select a country or class for you.

These rules are in force via Council of Ministers decrees. Under the TRNC Constitution, a decree not ratified by the Assembly within 90 days of its Official Gazette publication lapses automatically; the rules may therefore be periodically republished and their details may change. Rely on the current Official Gazette and an independent TRNC lawyer before any transaction.

Foreign acquisition limits — a regime introduced by the 2024/2025 statutory amendments and carried forward by successive Council of Ministers decrees in 2026. The most recent decree was published in the Official Gazette in August 2026; Evlek has not seen the decree text from the primary source.

Apartment#
3 unitsWith Council of Ministers permission (PTP). Rises to 6 for citizens of reciprocity-group countries.
Home (land ≤1,338 m²)#
1 unitWith Council of Ministers permission (PTP).
Detached house#
1 unit, land ≤3,300 m²A second residence cannot be built on this land. With Council of Ministers permission (PTP).
Housing estate / two-storey villa within a complex#
2 unitsApplies within complex projects. Rises to 3 for citizens of reciprocity-group countries.
Project foreign-sales cap#
At most 80%At most 80% of a housing project may be sold to foreigners; the remaining 20% is reserved for TRNC citizens.
Apartment — same-plot distribution rule#
Cannot exceed 50%Under Decree 63/2026 Art. 10, this applies only to apartment purchases: more than half the properties on the same plot cannot go to buyers of the same nationality or first-degree relatives. This is NOT an ownership cap — it is a distribution/quota rule; it does not apply to villa or land purchases.
Usage certificate#
Up to 10 years of usage rightsAvailable to a foreigner exceeding the limit but meeting the conditions; title stays with the seller — this is not a title transfer.

New Contract Timelines

  1. 1
    Registration and permit applicationRegistration and the permit application at the Land Registry must happen within 1 month of your contract being signed.
  2. 2
    Duty and tax paymentDuties and taxes must be paid within 75 working days of the permit decision's Official Gazette publication.
  3. 3
    Completing the transferThe transfer must be completed within 1 year of the permit decision's publication.

If a deadline is missed, the contract becomes void automatically.

For a unit exceeding the limit, a duty of 1% of the sale price applies if notified on time; 3% if the notification deadline has passed.

Transition periods are provided for buyers with a pre-decree contract or who have already taken delivery of the property (6 months for older contracts, 36 months for delivered homes — these periods themselves are not new, they already existed in Decree 63/2026). These periods may restart each time the decree is renewed. This restart claim rests on a single news source and Evlek has not seen the Official Gazette text. Which contract date qualifies as "pre-decree" for this transition regime has not been confirmed by us against the primary source; confirm with the Land Registry or your lawyer whether your own contract date is covered. Confirm your own deadline with the Land Registry or your lawyer immediately — missing it can mean losing your right.

News source only — Official Gazette text unseen

Sources

The limits in this table were introduced by Law of Amendment No. 39/2024 (Official Gazette, 21 May 2024) and regulated by Decree with the Force of Law No. 63/2026 (Official Gazette No. 87, 11 May 2026); both texts have been read by Evlek from the primary source. A new decree on the same subject was published in the Official Gazette of 7 August 2026 (No. 147); this text could not be accessed and has not been read by us.

  • Law of Amendment No. 39/2024 — Official Gazette, 21 May 2024Official Gazette text read by Evlek
  • Decree with the Force of Law No. 63/2026 — Official Gazette No. 87, 11 May 2026Official Gazette text read by Evlek
  • Official Gazette of 7 August 2026, No. 147 — a new decree on the same subject (text not read)Confirmed via official index — text not read

This page is not legal advice; as a listing platform, Evlek does not assess or guarantee your acquisition eligibility. Rely on the current Official Gazette text and an independent TRNC lawyer before any transaction.

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