We fully understand the concerns involved when purchasing property in a foreign country and our aim is to make the process as simple, understandable and trouble free as possible.

Below we provide a few points of guidance that we hope will assist you, but we strongly recommend that you consult with a local solicitor who can answer any legal questions you may have. (We can recommend local English speaking solicitors with whom we have worked for over 5 years)

The process of property purchase in Northern Cyprus is relatively straight forward and is generally based on the legal system used in the UK with the exception of a few points:

• Only one donum (Approximately 0.336 of an acre) of land can be purchased by a foreign national (husband and wife count as one person - unless they have different family names).

• The transfer of the title deed to the purchaser's name may take between 12 to 18 months, as the foreign national's purchase has to be approved by the government's Council of Ministers. However, this should not stop you moving into your property, as your solicitor will advise you. Council of Ministers approval is not required if the title deed is pre-1974 English or foreign (non-Cypriot).

• Prior to obtaining your permission to purchase in Northern Cyprus, a check will be carried out with the authorities in the UK or your country of origin to confirm you have no serious criminal record.

If however you were interested in investing in several plots of land or properties in Northern Cyprus we can advise you further, and would be delighted to discuss this in greater depth or send you detailed information. Just e-mail us on and we will respond immediately.

title deeds

There are conflicting stories about buying in Northern Cyprus, so those of you who are thorough will research the situation. However, when looking at the area of title deeds you will find a whole mixture of often puzzling conflicting information, much of which seems to give no answer and sometimes seems to add to the confusion.

A full description of the various different types of title deed can be found in the 'Legal' section. This is therefore a brief summary of the four most common types of deeds.

Pre-74 Foreign Title: This is land/property that was pre-owned by a foreign (non- Cypriot) national.

Pre-74 Turkish Title: This is land property that was pre- 74 owned by a Turkish Cypriot

Exchange Title (Esdeger): This is pre-1974 Greek Cypriot land/property that was given to a Turkish Cypriot in exchange for land/property that they had to leave behind in the South of the island in 1974.

TMD Title: This is pre-1974 Greek Cypriot land/property that was given to people for military service or to Turkish and Turkish Cypriot settlers for various reasons after 1974 to encourage economical development of the North of the island.

Note: All of the above titles are considered safe to purchase, with a foreign deed at the safest end of the scale and a TMD deed at the other end. However we highly recommend that, when deciding to purchase, you appoint a reputable solicitor who will act on your behalf to advise you and check that your property/land has a legitimate, clean freehold title.

As a company fraser & co do not deal specifically with the complexities and legal aspects of land titles, as we believe this is the prerogative of your legal adviser.

purchasing costs

When purchasing a property in Northern Cyprus, as in any other country in the world, there are costs of which you should be aware that are in addition to the purchase price.

For example:

If you bought a property valued at £80,000 (Eighty Thousand Pounds Sterling) the additional costs are shown below.

Purchase Tax 6% £4,800

KDV (VAT) 5% £4,000

Utility Connections £200 to £800 per utility (water and electric). Gas is bottled.

Telephone land lines can be a problem, so most people have a mobile phone. Satelite computer connections are available.

Legal Fees: £1,000 to £1,300
Note, Legal fees are usually inclusive of preparation of contracts, land/property searches, application to purchase to the Council of Ministers, transfer of Title at the District Land Office.