Buyer due-diligence checklist for North Cyprus

The steps in order

From: How to buy property in Northern Cyprus as a foreign buyer

• Brief and shortlist: define budget, use, area and title preference; view a small number of properties.
• Independent legal appointment: engage a TRNC-licensed lawyer, usually by power of attorney if you are not resident.
• Reservation: a modest deposit removes the property from the market for an agreed period while checks run.
• Due diligence: title search, encumbrances, permissions, planning status, seller identity and, for off-plan, the developer's land title and construction permit.
• Contract of sale: negotiated and signed in a language you understand; payment schedule and completion terms are fixed here.
• Contract registration: the contract is registered at the Land Registry within the statutory period after signing, and stamp duty is paid.
• Purchase permission: your lawyer applies to the authorities; police and military checks are made in the background.
• Payments: staged against the contract; for completed property, the balance is typically paid at transfer.
• Transfer of title: once permission is granted and transfer fees are paid, the title deed is issued in your name. For off-plan, the registered contract stands until completion and transfer.
• Aftercare: utilities, municipality registration, insurance, and, if you are not resident, a management arrangement (see managing and letting from abroad).

15 questions to ask before paying a deposit

From: Property due diligence in North Cyprus: the risks, and the checks before you pay a deposit

• Whose name is on the title deed, and is that the person or company signing?
• What type of title is it, and can I have its history in writing?
• Is any mortgage, court order or attachment registered against the parcel?
• Will any mortgage be released before or at transfer, and where does the contract say so?
• Is there a building permit, approved plans and an approval certificate, and do they match what is built?
• Were extensions, pools or extra floors added, and are they covered by the permit?
• Does this purchase fit my limit under Decree-Law 119/2026, counting what I already own?
• For an apartment, how many units in the parcel and the project are already sold to foreigners?
• For a new build, is the land in the developer's name, and did earlier buyers receive their title deeds?
• Is the reservation deposit refundable if the checks fail, and is that in writing?
• Who stamps and registers the contract within one month, and who files the permission application?
• Are payments tied to construction milestones I can verify?
• What does the contract say happens if delivery or the title transfer is late?
• Are there unpaid taxes, fees, service charges or utility bills on the property?
• Does my lawyer act for anyone else in this transaction?

What an independent lawyer checks

Why each check matters is explained in the due diligence guide.

From: Property due diligence in North Cyprus: the risks, and the checks before you pay a deposit

• Your eligibility under Decree-Law 119/2026.
• Land Registry search: owner, parcel, title type, charges, registered contracts.
• Title history and pre-1974 exposure, in a written opinion.
• Seller's identity and authority to sell.
• Restricted-area status of the parcel.
• Permit, approved plans and approval certificate.
• For apartments, the foreign-sales position of the parcel and project.
• Outstanding taxes and fees on the sale.
• The contract: price, milestones, transfer clause, mortgage release, delay remedies, language.
• Stamping, registration and the permission application within one month.
• Post-permission deadlines: fees within 75 working days, transfer within one year.

Title and encumbrance checks

Why each check matters is explained in the due diligence guide.

From: Property due diligence in North Cyprus: the risks, and the checks before you pay a deposit

• Registered owner or owners, and the share each holds.
• Parcel number, sheet and plan, and area, matched against the site plan and the property you viewed.
• Title type, with the chain of title in writing.
• Mortgages, court orders, attachments and any other charge.
• Any earlier sale contract registered against the parcel.

Documents to expect in a title dossier

From: Title deed types in Northern Cyprus, explained

• Copy of the title deed (koçan) showing parcel, plot, area and owner.
• Land Registry search: encumbrances, mortgages, charges and any notes.
• Site plan and parcel map matching the property inspected.
• For new builds: the developer's land title, construction permit and, on completion, the final approval and individual title issuance status.
• Any prior contracts registered against the parcel.

Developer verification checklist

From: Off-plan property in Northern Cyprus: risks and how to verify a developer

• Land title: whose name is the parcel in, what title type, and are there mortgages or charges over it?
• Construction permit: issued by the municipality for this project, with the approved plans matching the sales plans. For two years from 6 October 2026, where condominium ownership or floor easement (kat mülkiyeti / kat irtifakı) cannot yet be established for the unit, the purchase-permission application may be made with the construction permit or a planning approval from the Town Planning Department (Decree-Law 119/2026, art. 9; temporary s. 3 of Law 52/2008).
• Track record: completed projects, their delivery against promised dates, and whether individual titles have been issued to earlier buyers.
• Company standing: registered entity, directors, years trading, and any public disputes.
• Contract: governing language, payment schedule tied to milestones, specification schedule, delay remedies, cancellation and refund terms, snagging and warranty periods.
• Registration: the stamped contract, made within your purchase entitlement, is registered at the District Land Registry within one month, with the purchase-permission application made to the Ministry of Interior; buyer and seller must first pay all taxes and fees legally due on the sale. A contract not registered in time is automatically void (Decree-Law 119/2026, art. 4; s. 8(6)(1) of Law 52/2008).
• Site visit: progress on the ground compared with the payment stage being requested.
• Independent legal review of everything above, by a lawyer who does not act for the developer.