buyer's guide
The cost of buying property in Cyprus
What you pay on top of the price depends mostly on one question: is the home new from a developer, or a resale? Here is every cost for both, as of 2026, with the official rates and a calculator.
Updated
The short answer
- New home from a developer: VAT (5% or 19%) and your legal fees. No transfer fees, no stamp duty.
- Resale: Land Registry transfer fees and your legal fees. No VAT, no stamp duty.
- With a mortgage: add 1% of the loan amount to register it at the Land Registry.
Every cost, new home and resale
| Cost | New home from a developer | Resale |
|---|---|---|
| VAT | 19%, or 5% on part or all of a main residence: see VAT: 5% or 19% | None |
| Land Registry transfer fees | None when VAT was paid | 3% up to €85,000, 5% to €170,000, 8% above, then halved |
| Stamp duty | None for contracts signed from 1 January 2026 | None for contracts signed from 1 January 2026 |
| Legal fees | Agreed with your lawyer | Agreed with your lawyer |
| Mortgage registration | 1% of the amount borrowed | 1% of the amount borrowed |
| Every year | No national property tax since 2017; small local authority fees and the building's shared costs | The same |
Transfer fees are always paid by the person the property is registered to, the buyer, unless the contract says otherwise.
Transfer fees on a resale, worked through
The Department of Lands and Surveys charges fees in bands on the sale price or market value: 3% on the first €85,000, 5% on the next €85,000 and 8% on anything above €170,000. A standing 50% reduction then halves the total. When VAT was paid on the sale, no transfer fees are due at all.
| Resale price | Bands before reduction | Transfer fees to pay |
|---|---|---|
| €200,000 | €2,550 + €4,250 + €2,400 | €4,600 |
| €300,000 | €2,550 + €4,250 + €10,400 | €8,600 |
| €500,000 | €2,550 + €4,250 + €26,400 | €16,600 |
If the declared price looks below market value, the Land Registry can value the property itself and charge fees on its figure. You can object, but you pay on the assessed value first.
- VAT
- €17,500
- Land Registry transfer fees
- €0
- Stamp duty
- €0 (abolished 2026)
- Legal fees (estimate)
- €3,500
- Mortgage registration (1%)
- €0
- Costs on top of the price
- €21,000
- Total to pay
- €371,000
An estimate from the published rules. For VAT, the Tax Department's calculator on the Tax For All portal gives the binding figure; for transfer fees, the Land Registry values the property.
Stamp duty: abolished from 1 January 2026
Cyprus repealed the Stamp Duty Laws of 1963 to 2025 with Law 239(I)/2025, published on 31 December 2025. A sale contract signed from 1 January 2026 needs no stamping. A contract signed by at least one party on or before 31 December 2025 still falls under the old rules: 0.15% on the value up to €170,000 and 0.20% above, capped at €20,000.
Legal fees, mortgages and buyers from outside the EU
- Legal fees are set by your lawyer. Ask for a written quote that covers title checks, the contract, depositing it at the Land Registry, the transfer of title and, if you are from outside the EU, the purchase permit.
- Mortgage registration at the Land Registry costs 1% of the amount advanced. Banks add their own arrangement and valuation fees.
- Buyers from outside the EU need a permit from the district office to buy. It is routine and your lawyer applies for it.
Common questions
Sources
Figures on this page were checked against these sources on the date above.
- Department of Lands and Surveys - Rights and Fees (official schedule)
- KPMG - Cyprus: repeal of stamp duty laws (January 2026)
- Harneys - Abolition of stamp duty in Cyprus
- Giorgos Landas LLC (Legal 500) - Abolition of the Stamp Duty Law as of 01/01/2026
- KPMG Cyprus - Reduced VAT rate 5% on a new dwelling
General information as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice. Rates, limits and procedures change; confirm every point with an independent Cypriot lawyer or tax adviser before you commit.
