Buyer's Guide
Can Foreigners Buy Real Estate in TRNC?
Acquisition of Immovable Property and Long-Term Lease (Foreigners) No. 52/2008, adopted at the meeting of the TRNC Republican Assembly dated 10 November 2008. Within the framework of the law, foreign natural or legal persons have the right to purchase or long-term lease real estate in our country, subject to the approval of the Council of Ministers, provided that official procedures and legal applications are completed.
Foreign persons who will purchase or rent immovable property in TRNC must apply to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and obtain the approval of the Council of Ministers in order to purchase immovable property and have legal rights over that property. The approval process varies depending on the nature of the application and is generally completed within a period of 6 to 12 months.
What Should I Pay Attention to When Buying Real Estate in TRNC?
Relevant article 52/2008 on "Acquisition of Immovable Property and Long-Term Rental (Foreigners)" regarding the ability of foreigners to buy real estate in the TRNC. You can learn about all your legal responsibilities by reviewing the law.
Mortgages, liens, etc. on the immovable property to be purchased. Issues such as whether there are any restrictions or whether there are any personal statements or situations that prevent the sale of the real estate must be checked by the relevant Land Registry and Cadastre Office.
Reliable, expert and not registered in the sector and/or related It is not recommended to work with people or companies that are not registered with the authorities. It is recommended to prefer buildings built by contractors registered with KTİMB and the Construction Committee.
In order to protect legal rights regarding the issues included in the contract between the owner and the buyer, the contract must be certified in a registered Notary office and a legal opinion must be obtained from a law office before signing the contract. It is recommended.
How Many in TRNC? Are There Equal Title Deeds?
There are 3 types of title deeds in total in TRNC:
Turkish Title Deed: The title deeds of the places belonging to the Turks and the British before 1974 are referred to as Turkish Title Deeds. The safest type of title deed. It is evaluated as.
Equivalent Title Deed: Within the scope of the Settlement, Landing and Equivalent Property Law (İTEM Law), the TRNC state has issued title deeds in return for some immovable properties previously owned by Greek Cypriots in the North and properties left in the South. This type of real estate is popularly called Equivalent Koçanlı.
Allocation Title Deed: It is the type of title deed given for the places allocated by the TRNC. People who have this title deed have the right to use the area. Banks cannot provide housing loans for houses with allocation deeds.
What Taxes Are Paid When Buying a House?
The following taxes are paid when buying a house in TRNC:
Stamp fee: It is 0.5% of the price on the contract. After signing the sales contract, it must be paid to the tax office within 21 days.
Real estate transfer fee: It is determined as 6%. When a one-time exemption right is used, it is paid as 3%.
VAT rate: 5%.
Withholding tax: 0% on the first sale, 3% for the 2nd and 3rd sales within a year. If you are doing real estate professionally, the withholding tax you have to pay is 6.5%.
How to Get My Residence Permit?
After the title deed transfer, you can get a residence permit. This permit is valid for 1 year and you will need to renew it every year. After completing your 3rd year, you can apply for an indefinite residence permit in Cyprus.
If you are over 65 years old, you can get an indefinite residence permit immediately after the title deed is transferred. If you want to spend your life here after retirement, there are no obstacles in front of you.
If you want to switch to TRNC citizenship from another citizenship, you must live in Cyprus for 11 years with a residence and work permit.
How are transfer transactions carried out?
You can contact us for detailed information. However, in general terms, the transfer process in Northern Cyprus consists of 5 steps:
Preliminary exchange of contracts
Actual exchange of contracts
Stamping and registration of contracts
BuyApplication for stay permit
Deed transfer