Buying off-plan in Cyprus: what to check

Step 1: Who is selling: the company behind the project

Ask for the developer’s full legal name and registration number, not only the brand, and look the company up in the official register. The company that signs your contract should be the one that holds the land or the approvals.

What the rules and registers say

• Look up the developer company in the Registrar of Companies’ online search of business entities.Registrar of Companies (companies.gov.cy) (read 13 November 2026)

In our data

1 of 18 projects we track in Cyprus name the developer by its legal company.

Examples

• Horizon Towers (Phase 1, Towers 1-2): developer named as Shajrawi Leibovich Karekla Developments Ltd

Step 2: The land and what you will own

Find out exactly what you are buying: freehold, leasehold or a right of use, who holds the title today and what charges sit on it. Ask for the official registry extract, not a copy prepared by the seller.

What the rules and registers say

• The seller must attach to the sale contract a Certificate of Search of the property, dated within five working days of signing; fines for not doing so apply after a three-month transition that ended on 16 May 2026.Department of Lands and Surveys: administrative fines under Law 81(I)/2011 (13 Feb 2026) (read 13 November 2026)

In our data

1 of 18 projects we track in Cyprus describe the units as leasehold in the sources we read. 3 of 18 projects we track in Cyprus publish an address or location precise enough for a map pin.

Step 3: Permits and approvals

Ask for the permit number and date and confirm them with the authority that issued them. A company licence or a sales registration is not a building permit.

In our data

0 of 18 projects we track in Cyprus publish a permit or licence number.

Step 4: Where your money goes

Before each payment, know which account it goes to and what protects it if the project stops. Pay only into the account named in your contract, never into a personal account or a broker’s.

In our data

0 of 18 projects we track in Cyprus state how buyer payments are protected (escrow, bank guarantee or insurance).

Step 5: Recording your purchase and the contract

Check how your purchase is recorded before completion and what the contract says about delays, changes and refunds. Have an independent local lawyer or notary read it before you sign.

What the rules and registers say

• For property without its own title deed, such as a unit under construction, sign a sale contract and deposit it at the Department of Lands and Surveys: Law 81(I)/2011 then protects the buyer if the seller fails to meet the contract.Department of Lands and Surveys: contract of sale (Law 81(I)/2011, Law 132(I)/2023) (read 13 November 2026)
• Since 12 December 2023 (Law 132(I)/2023), where a mortgage is already registered, the buyer can pay the contract amount into the seller’s account and have the property transferred, regardless of encumbrances that rank after the contract.Department of Lands and Surveys: contract of sale (Law 81(I)/2011, Law 132(I)/2023) (read 13 November 2026)

Step 6: Handover dates and progress on site

Compare the handover date you are promised with the record: earlier dates for this project and how the developer’s other projects went. Then check progress on site before each staged payment.

In our data

0 of 18 projects we track in Cyprus have a handover date on record that has passed; 1 had the date moved later.

Examples

• Visionnaire Residences Tower: handover date moved later; months added: 15
• Horizon Towers (Phase 1, Towers 1-2): handover date on record Q3 2029, no change so far