Frequently Asked Questions
When it comes to initiating an overseas investment or acquiring a vacation home, it’s natural to have a multitude of inquiries. From the initial steps and best approaches to concluding the purchase, understanding taxation and residency permits, we have compiled a comprehensive collection of essential information and frequently asked questions for families or investors considering these ventures.
Rest assured, should you have any additional queries or require a more detailed explanation, our team is readily available to assist you. You can reach out to us via our contact page. We are here to provide the guidance and support you need.
Solicitors fees for processing your entire purchase transaction will vary, but expect to pay around £1200.
Purchaser’s tax: 3% of either the contract price or the valuation made by the North Cyprus Land Registry Office – whichever is higher.
V.A.T (K.D.V): Payable only on new properties, or properties that are being issued a title deed for the first time; 5% of the contract price.
Stamp Duty: 0.5% of the sale price payable within 30 days of signing your contracts, your solicitor will usually be able to arrange payment of this for you. Stamp Duty increases if not paid within 30 days.
£1000 is usually the minimum required to begin the sale process. Once this is paid, then the property can be withdrawn from the market.
Once your North Cyprus property is registered in your name, we advise you to make a new will as your property in North Cyprus is not covered on your original will. Your solicitor can assist with preparing a new will for you.
Initially, you only need your passport when purchasing a property, if you cannot be present in North Cyprus for when your contract is being signed, then you will have to give ‘Power of Attorney’ to a trustee or your solicitor so that they may sign on your behalf. For overseas buyers, a ‘police check’ document must be obtained from your country of origin as part of your permission to purchase application.
This can be done quite easily via bank transfer, please seek aid from one of our qualified representatives.
You must use a solicitor registered with the Bench in Northern Cyprus.
Overseas buyers may only own the title deeds for one property at a time. A married couple can only have one title deed between them.
You can sign sale agreements for more than one property, although you can only apply for ownership of one title deed. For additional properties, you must appoint a trusted nominee in whose name the title deeds can be written.
The amount of land that buyers from overseas are allowed to buy up has been increased to 5 donums of land (6690m² or 72,000ft²), as long as there is only one property on the land.
1 donum is approximately one third of an acre – or to be more precise: 1,338m² or 14,400ft². Land measurements are generally calculated in donums, evleks and square feet. There are 4 evleks in each donum and 3,600 square feet to an evlek.
The builder will notify us when each important stage of construction has been completed. The stages when payments are due should be clear on your contract. Our team will check on the progress and we will send you pictures by email for confirmation.
You are issued a 90-day visa when you arrive, after which you must apply for a temporary residency permit. Temporary residency permits must be renewed every 12 months.
Yes you are required to submit an application for residency in North Cyprus. When you arrive on the island you are automatically given a 90-day visa and if you intend staying beyond that date you must apply to the immigration office for a temporary residency permit.
After you have been a resident in North Cyprus for 5 years you may apply for a Kimlik card.
Up to date information can be found on the Kyrenia Animal Rescue (KAR) website at http://www.kyreniaanimalrescue.org
None whatsoever.
We drive on the left hand side.
You are not required and we find that most foreign buyers find the local medical care to be quite adequate and extremely reasonable.
Turkish is the official language, although most people speak English too.
You can pay electricity and phone bills by standing order. Water bills can be paid in advance at the local council (Belediye) office.
At present, all flights must stop in Turkey for approximately 1 hour.
In the Kyrenia district there are regular mini buses (called a ‘dolmush’) that serve most populated areas until 7.00pm. Taxis are usually easy to find and reasonably priced.
There are various schools that follow the UK curriculum.
North Cyprus is in the ‘GMT +2’ time zone (2 hours ahead of the UK).
Post within North Cyprus is usually reliable. If you are being sent post from overseas then it’s best to ensure that the sender uses registered post, as regular post does tend to go missing at times. We advise that you apply for a PO Box in your local area after you have taken possession of your property, although there may be a waiting list for this. ‘Mersin 10, Turkey’ must be written instead of ‘North Cyprus’ at the end of the address for all post into the TRNC, as all of the post comes via Mersin.