Buying property in Cyprus as a UK citizen after Brexit

The short answer

• Yes, you can buy. UK citizens buy on the same terms as any non-EU buyer: you sign, then apply for a permit that is granted almost routinely.
• Usually up to two properties per family, such as two homes, or a home plus a small shop or office, under the permit practice in place since 2013.
• Owning a home does not let you stay longer. Without a residence permit you can spend 90 days in any 180 in Cyprus.
• You can let your home. Nothing in the purchase rules stops a UK owner from letting; short lets must be registered like anyone else's.
• No stamp duty since 1 January 2026, and 5% VAT on a new home is possible if Cyprus becomes your main home.

The purchase permit for non-EU buyers

Since 1 January 2021, UK citizens are third-country buyers under the Immovable Property (Acquisition by Aliens) Law, Cap. 109. The permit is formally granted on behalf of the Council of Ministers; in practice the District Officer handles the application and signs the decision. Your lawyer applies after you sign the sale contract.

• What you can buy: usually up to two units per family (spouses count together): two homes, or a home plus a shop of up to 100 m², or a home plus an office of up to 250 m². A plot for a home is generally limited to about 4,014 m² (three donums).
• How long it takes: commonly one to two months, longer in some districts. You do not have to wait for it to move in: the permit is needed for the title deed transfer, not to use the home.
• What protects you meanwhile: your lawyer deposits the signed contract at the Land Registry, which stops the property being sold or mortgaged to anyone else. See title deeds.
• Buying through a company does not avoid the permit: a Cyprus company controlled by non-EU owners counts as an alien buyer too. Take legal advice before using one.

The reform still in Parliament

The government and several parties have proposed replacing Cap. 109. Drafts discussed in 2026 would ban non-EU purchases in some areas (farmland, near military sites, ports and the Green Line), cap plot and home sizes, and look through companies to their owners. As of September 2026 the bill was still in committee and not law. The drafts seen so far are not retroactive. If you are close to buying, ask your lawyer for the position on the day you sign.

How long you can stay: the 90/180 rule

Without a residence permit, UK visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Cyprus is in the EU but not in Schengen, so days in Cyprus and days in Schengen countries are counted separately. Owning property in Cyprus does not change the limit.

• Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before you arrive and be valid for at least 3 months after you leave.
• Overstaying can lead to a ban on re-entry.
• To stay longer, you need a residence permit: see moving to Cyprus from the UK.

Letting your home as a UK owner

The purchase permit controls who can buy, not what you do with the home afterwards, and no rule stops a non-EU owner from letting. For holiday lets, every owner, whatever their nationality, must register the property with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism (€222 for three years) and show the registration number in every advert. Fines for unregistered lets reach €5,000.

Rent from a Cyprus property is taxed in Cyprus, and usually reportable in the UK too, with credit for the Cypriot tax. See rental yield in Limassol and UK pension and tax in Cyprus.

What you pay on top of the price

• VAT on a new home: 19%, or 5% on the first 130 m² and first €350,000 if it becomes your main residence for 10 years. A UK buyer who genuinely moves to Cyprus can qualify; a holiday home cannot. See VAT: 5% or 19%.
• Transfer fees on a resale only; none when VAT was paid.
• No stamp duty for contracts signed from 1 January 2026.
• Legal fees, agreed with your own lawyer.

Every figure is worked through, with a calculator, in the cost of buying property in Cyprus.

Paying from the UK

You can open a Cypriot bank account as a UK resident, but banks decide case by case and check non-EU customers closely. Expect to show your passport, proof of address, a bank reference, evidence of income and a clear record of where the purchase money comes from. Starting this early saves weeks at completion.