Buying Costs in North Cyprus: What You Pay on Top of the Price
Last updated: 7 October 2026 · Rates are taken from the official texts; check the current text before you commit
The short answer. As a foreign individual buyer you pay three official charges on top of the price: VAT (5% on a home with an enclosed area under 300 m², 10% at 300 m² and above), stamp duty (0.5% of the contract value, paid by the buyer) and the title deed transfer fee (4% in total on your first property, 5.5% on the second, 6% on the third). The title deed fee regulation is in force until 5 January 2027. Lawyer's and other fees are extra; ask for a quote.
Worked example, for these assumptions only: you are a foreign individual and this is your first property in North Cyprus; you are buying from a developer, the sale is subject to VAT and VAT is added on top of the price; the enclosed area is under 300 m²; the contract price is £150,000 and the Land Registry's market valuation equals that price.
| VAT 5% | £7,500 |
| Title deed fee 4% (transfer 3% + 0.5% + 0.5%) | £6,000 |
| Stamp duty 0.5% | 0.5% of the contract value; converted to Turkish lira at the official rate on the day of stamping |
In this example the three charges come to 9.5% of the price. That figure holds only for these assumptions and is not the cost of every purchase in North Cyprus: on a second property the title deed fee is 5.5%, on a third 6%; at 300 m² and above VAT is 10%; and if the market valuation differs from the price, the title deed fee changes.
Sources: TRNC Official Gazette 196 and 197 (6-7 October 2026, Land Registry and Cadastre Department Fees and Charges Amendment Regulation); Stamp Duty Law, First Schedule, and the order of 13 August 2026; Inland Revenue Department VAT Rates Regulation (16 September 2026). Correct as of 7 October 2026; check the current official text before you commit. Official Gazette 197 · Inland Revenue legislation
Work out your own figures in pounds
Enter the price you have been quoted. Nothing is stored; the sum uses only the figures you type in.
| VAT () | |
| Title deed transfer fee () | |
| Stamp duty | |
| Total official charges (without stamp duty) |
These are estimates for a foreign individual buying from a developer, with VAT added on top of the price and the Land Registry valuation equal to the price. Stamp duty is set in Turkish lira (0.5% on the first 89,000,000 TL, 0.1% above that), so it is converted at the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye selling rate of 27.10.2026 (£1 = 66.44 TL); on the day you pay, the official rate of that day applies. Lawyer's fees, contract registration and service charges are not included.
What goes into the total cost
| Item | When? | How to find out |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | as set out in the payment plan | always ask whether VAT is included |
| VAT | depends on the transaction | 5% (home with an enclosed area under 300 m²), 10% (300 m² and above) |
| Stamp duty | at contract stage | 0.5% (on the first 89,000,000 TL; 0.1% above that), paid by the buyer; converted to lira at the official rate on the day of stamping |
| Contract registration | within 1 month of paying the taxes and fees (together with the permit application) | 2026 rules: miss the deadline and the contract can be treated as invalid |
| Title deed transfer fees | within 75 working days of the permit being published | foreign individual: first property 4%, second 5.5%, third 6% (until 5 January 2027); TRNC citizens pay different rates |
| Legal review / lawyer | BEFORE you sign | get a quote from an independent lawyer |
| Service charge | ongoing after handover | ask the site management for the yearly amount IN WRITING |
| Insurance, upkeep, furniture | after handover | budget for how you will use the home |
Note: rates are taken from the TRNC Official Gazette and Inland Revenue Department texts (7 October 2026). The rules changed more than once during 2026, so check the current official text on the day of your purchase. The title deed fee is charged on the market valuation set by the Land Registry at transfer.
Setting your budget: 3 steps
- Total budget is not the same as the price you can pay. Start with the total you have set aside for the whole purchase, take the buying costs off it, and what is left is the price range you can safely look at.
- Add up the WHOLE payment plan. "£X deposit + £Y a month for N months" can look tempting. The real question is how much you pay in total, and on which dates. Ask for the reservation, deposit, stage payments, instalments, handover and title deed items in a single table.
- Add the cost of owning it. Costs do not stop at handover: service charge, insurance, upkeep and, if it is an investment, letting management and the risk of empty months. Judge an investment on the total cost of buying and owning, not on the purchase price alone.
Payment plans and instalments in North Cyprus
On new builds in North Cyprus you usually pay through the developer's own instalment plan: a reservation fee, a deposit when you sign, stage payments during construction and the balance on handover. Do not assume a bank mortgage is a standard option, especially as a foreign buyer; terms vary by bank, by development and by title type. So there is no single market answer to "what will the monthly payment be?"; each plan is specific to the development.
When you weigh up a payment plan, ask the developer for the following in writing:
- A dated payment schedule: the amount of each payment and on which date or at which build stage it falls due.
- The total: if the plan adds up to more than the cash price, what is the difference, and is there a charge for paying over time?
- The currency: the price may be set in pounds, dollars or euros. If your income is in a different currency, your instalments move with the exchange rate; allow for that risk.
- Late-payment terms: what happens if you pay late, and what does the developer commit to if handover is late?
- The title deed stage: after which payment contract registration and the transfer steps begin.
The payment plan is separate from the buying costs: taxes, fees and legal costs are not part of the instalments and are worked out on their own, as in the table above. Ask for the plan itself directly from the developer of the development; satisofisi.com does not publish prices or payment plans.
5 cost mistakes that hurt most
- Looking only at the asking price → work out the total cost of buying.
- Assuming VAT is included in the price → get it confirmed in writing in the contract.
- Registering the contract late → under the 2026 rules, missing the deadline can cost you the contract itself.
- Leaving out the service charge → over ten years of ownership it adds up to a serious sum.
- Judging rental income before costs → you do not know the net return until service charge, empty months and management are taken off.
Budget clear? Next step: the area and the development
Compare current developments within your real budget, and ask for the current price and payment plan through the "Get a Quote" form on the development page. Your enquiry goes to the developer and the answer comes back to you:
Sources
The deadlines (1 month for contract registration, 75 working days for paying the fees, 1 year for the transfer) come from Decree-Law 119/2026 (TRNC Official Gazette 196, 6 October 2026, replacing 63/2026 and 89/2026). Title deed fee rates come from the Land Registry and Cadastre Department Fees and Charges Amendment Regulation (Official Gazette 196-197, 6-7 October 2026; in force until 5 January 2027), stamp duty from the First Schedule of the Stamp Duty Law, and VAT rates from the VAT Rates Regulation (16 September 2026). Decrees and regulations of this kind are time-limited and can change; check the current official text on the day of your purchase.
This page is general information, not tax or legal advice.