What it costs to buy property in Cyprus
A foreign buyer should budget roughly 4.2%–4.7% of the purchase price on top of the price itself. A licence is required before you can take title.
What you pay
- Land Registry transfer fees3.2% of the price$16,139
- Legal fees1.0%–1.5% of the price$5,000–$7,500
| On a purchase of | $250,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land Registry transfer fees | $6,139 | $16,139 | $36,139 |
| Legal fees | $2,500 – $3,750 | $5,000 – $7,500 | $10,000 – $15,000 |
| Total on top of the price | 3.5%–4.0% | 4.2%–4.7% | 4.6%–5.1% |
Who carries the taxes and fees
What the seller pays — not you
- Agency commission — 3%–5%Carried by the seller in Cyprus.
Guides that add every tax together and present the total as a buyer's bill overstate the cost. These are the seller's.
Can you buy as a foreigner?
Licence required
A non-EU buyer needs a permit under the Acquisition of Immovable Property (Aliens) Law, Cap. 109, but there is no quota and no reciprocity test: it is an administrative filter rather than a real obstacle, and the sale proceeds while it is pending. EU buyers need nothing. The practical risk in Cyprus is not permission but title — insist on confirming the title deed exists and is unencumbered, because developer mortgages over unissued deeds have trapped buyers here before.
Allow 1–6 months, varying sharply by district
Limassol has been running at about 30–45 days and Larnaca, Nicosia and Famagusta at one to two months, while Paphos takes considerably longer. The application goes in after the contract is signed, and you can take possession while it is pending — so this rarely delays the move, only the title.
Take it with you
These figures as a PDF, worked out at the price you enter, with every source and the date it was checked.
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Nearby markets compared
What a foreign buyer pays on top of a $500,000 price, here and in the markets around it nearest in cost.
An estimate for budgeting, not legal or tax advice. These rates are traced to published sources but have not been reviewed by a practitioner in this jurisdiction. Confirm the current position with an attorney before you commit.
Stamp duty is omitted deliberately: Law 239(I)/2025 abolished it for documents signed on or after 1 January 2026, as part of that year's tax reform — a contract signed by either party before then still falls under the old rules. VAT on a new build is 19%, reduced to 5% on the first 130 m² of a qualifying primary residence worth up to €350,000 where the whole transaction is under €475,000 and 190 m² — conditions tight enough to be worth checking line by line.