North Cyprus property glossary

Title deed · koçan

Official rule

The koçan is the title deed issued by the TRNC Land Registry. It identifies the land by its location and parcel, records the registered owner and area, and indicates the basis on which the title was issued. The deed alone does not show every charge or restriction: an up-to-date Land Registry search by your own TRNC-licensed lawyer is needed to see mortgages, attachments and registered contracts.

Related: Title deed types

Source: TRNC Land Registry and Cadastre Department (tapu.gov.ct.tr)

Turkish title · Türk koçanı

Market usage

A market phrase rather than a formal category name. It is usually used for land that was registered to Turkish Cypriots or foreigners before 1974, as distinct from titles issued by the TRNC afterwards. Because listings use the phrase loosely, ask for the deed itself and a Land Registry search, and have your own lawyer confirm in writing what the title history actually shows.

Related: Title deed types

Pre-1974 Turkish Cypriot or foreign title

Land registered to Turkish Cypriot or foreign owners before 1974 and held on that original registration chain. Buyers and lenders often regard it as the most straightforward category to verify, but that is a general market view, not an assurance about any particular parcel. Your lawyer still checks the chain of ownership, boundaries, encumbrances and any claims before you commit.

Related: Title deed types

Exchange title · eşdeğer koçan; often listed as an equivalent title

Official rule

A title issued by the TRNC after 1974 to Turkish Cypriots who left property in the south, against property of equivalent value in the north. The legal framework is the Settlement, Land Distribution and Equivalent Property Law (İTEM, Law 41/1977). Exchange titles are common in developments and are regularly bought and sold; your lawyer should read the exchange record and the title history for the specific parcel.

Related: Title deed types

Source: Settlement, Land Distribution and Equivalent Property Law (İTEM), Law 41/1977, consolidated text in the TRNC courts' legislation database (mahkemeler.net)

Allocation title · tahsis koçanı

Official rule

A title issued by the TRNC after 1974 by allocating land, historically to people settled in the north and to others under the İTEM framework, rather than in exchange for property left in the south. Allocation titles have attracted specific legal scrutiny, and some buyers, lenders and insurers approach them more cautiously. Market labels such as "TMD title" are used loosely; ask your lawyer which legal basis the Land Registry record shows.

Related: Title deed types

Source: Settlement, Land Distribution and Equivalent Property Law (İTEM), Law 41/1977, consolidated text in the TRNC courts' legislation database (mahkemeler.net)

Leasehold · uzun süreli kira

Some property sits on land the buyer does not own outright but holds under a long lease, for example over state or foundation land. The buyer then owns a leasehold interest, not freehold title. Read the lease for its term, rent, permitted use, renewal, assignment to a later buyer and what happens at expiry, and have your own lawyer confirm who the landowner is.

Related: Title deed types

Parcel and plot · parsel

A parcel (parsel) is the unit of land identified by number on the cadastral map kept by the Land Registry and Cadastre Department, and the title deed refers to it. "Plot" is used more loosely in marketing, sometimes for part of a parcel that has not yet been separately registered. Check that the parcel number on the deed, the site plan and the land you inspected all match.

Related: Title deed types

Source: TRNC Land Registry and Cadastre Department (tapu.gov.ct.tr)

Land Registry search · tapu araması

A search at the Land Registry shows what is recorded against a parcel: the registered owner, the title type, mortgages, attachments or court orders, and contracts of sale already registered. It is the basic check before any deposit changes hands. It should be made shortly before signing and repeated before transfer, by your own TRNC-licensed lawyer, because the record can change.

Related: How to buy as a foreign buyer · Title deed types

Land Registry · Tapu ve Kadastro Dairesi

Official rule

The Land Registry and Cadastre Department (Tapu ve Kadastro Dairesi) is the TRNC government department, under the Ministry of Interior, that keeps title and cadastral records. Its district offices (Tapu Amirlikleri) register contracts of sale, record mortgages and other entries, and transfer title once the conditions for transfer are met. Buyers usually deal with it through their lawyer rather than directly.

Related: How to buy as a foreign buyer

Source: TRNC Land Registry and Cadastre Department (tapu.gov.ct.tr); TRNC Ministry of Interior, Land Registry and Cadastre Department page

Official Gazette · Resmî Gazete

Official rule

The TRNC Official Gazette publishes laws, decree-laws, regulations and certain government decisions; each text states when it takes effect. It matters to a foreign buyer because the rules on foreigners' acquisition of property are published there, as are decisions on purchase permission. When a website quotes a rule, check which Gazette issue it relies on and ask your lawyer whether it has since been amended.

Related: International Buyer Desk

Source: Decree-Law 119/2026 on foreigners' acquisition of immovable property, TRNC Official Gazette No. 196, 6 October 2026 (repealing and re-enacting Decree-Law 89/2026 of 7 August 2026); summarised on the NORTHEA International Buyer Desk

Decree-law · yasa gücünde kararname

Official rule

An instrument made by the Council of Ministers that has the force of law for a limited period and needs parliamentary approval to become permanent. The current rules on foreigners' acquisition of property were set this way: Decree-Law 119/2026, published in the Official Gazette on 6 October 2026, repealed and re-enacted Decree-Law 89/2026 of 7 August 2026, which had re-enacted Decree-Law 63/2026 of 11 May 2026, which had repeated the purchase limits of Decree-Law 11/2026 of 12 February 2026. Rules made by decree-law can be renewed, amended or replaced, so confirm the text in force with your lawyer.

Related: International Buyer Desk

Source: Decree-Law 119/2026 on foreigners' acquisition of immovable property, TRNC Official Gazette No. 196, 6 October 2026 (repealing and re-enacting Decree-Law 89/2026 of 7 August 2026); summarised on the NORTHEA International Buyer Desk; Decree-Law 11/2026, Official Gazette No. 28, Annex I Part II, 12 February 2026

Council of Ministers · Bakanlar Kurulu

Official rule

The TRNC cabinet. Under the decree-law in force, a foreign individual or company needs the Council of Ministers' permission to acquire immovable property. The application is prepared by the buyer's lawyer and processed by the relevant ministry, with background checks, before a decision is made. The Council of Ministers also makes decree-laws, which is how the current foreign-acquisition rules were set.

Related: How to buy as a foreign buyer · International Buyer Desk

Source: Decree-Law 119/2026 on foreigners' acquisition of immovable property, TRNC Official Gazette No. 196, 6 October 2026 (repealing and re-enacting Decree-Law 89/2026 of 7 August 2026); summarised on the NORTHEA International Buyer Desk

Permission to purchase · satın alma izni

Official rule

The consent a foreign buyer needs before title can be transferred into their name. Foreign individuals and companies may acquire property only with this permission and within the limits of the decree-law in force; a company with foreign shareholding may itself count as foreign. The timing varies and is outside the seller's control. Permission concerns ownership only: it gives no right of residence or citizenship.

Related: How to buy as a foreign buyer · International Buyer Desk

Source: Decree-Law 119/2026 on foreigners' acquisition of immovable property, TRNC Official Gazette No. 196, 6 October 2026 (repealing and re-enacting Decree-Law 89/2026 of 7 August 2026); summarised on the NORTHEA International Buyer Desk

Independent TRNC-licensed lawyer · avukat

Market usage

A lawyer licensed to practise in the TRNC who acts for you alone, not for the seller or developer. Their work usually includes title and encumbrance searches, reviewing and negotiating the contract, registering it, applying for purchase permission and handling the transfer. NORTHEA is not a law firm and does not give legal opinions; it introduces independent lawyers and coordinates the file.

Related: How to buy as a foreign buyer · Private Acquisition

Power of attorney · vekaletname

A document authorising someone, usually your lawyer, to act for you in specified steps: signing, registering the contract, applying for permission, paying fees or taking transfer. Many overseas buyers use one so they do not have to travel for each step. Read its scope carefully, limit it to what the purchase needs, and ask how it must be signed, notarised or legalised abroad for use in the TRNC.

Related: How to buy as a foreign buyer

Reservation agreement and deposit · rezervasyon ve kapora

Market usage

A short agreement, with a deposit, that takes a property off the market for an agreed period while checks are made. It is not the contract of sale. Before paying, confirm in writing the period, what happens to the deposit if the searches reveal a problem or permission is refused, and who holds the money. Pay only after your own lawyer has seen the terms.

Related: How to buy as a foreign buyer

Contract of sale · satış sözleşmesi

The agreement between buyer and seller that fixes the price, the payment schedule, exactly what is being sold, completion and delivery terms, and remedies if either party fails to perform. For off-plan purchases it should also cover specifications, delay and title issuance. Sign it only in a language you understand, after independent legal review, and make sure it is stamped and registered at the Land Registry.

Related: How to buy as a foreign buyer · Off-plan and developer checks

Contract registration · sözleşmenin Tapu'ya kaydı

Official rule

After signing and stamping, the contract of sale is lodged at the district Land Registry office. Registration records the buyer's interest against the parcel before title transfers, which gives protection an unregistered contract does not, for example against a later sale of the same unit. The decree-law in force sets a deadline for registration; your lawyer confirms it and should give you proof of registration.

Related: How to buy as a foreign buyer · Off-plan and developer checks · Acquisition timeline

Source: Decree-Law 119/2026 on foreigners' acquisition of immovable property, TRNC Official Gazette No. 196, 6 October 2026 (repealing and re-enacting Decree-Law 89/2026 of 7 August 2026); summarised on the NORTHEA International Buyer Desk; TRNC Land Registry and Cadastre Department (tapu.gov.ct.tr)

Stamp duty · damga resmi

Official rule

A duty charged on the contract of sale, calculated on the contract price and usually paid when the contract is stamped, before it is registered at the Land Registry. It is separate from the title transfer fee. The rate is set by law and can change, so this glossary does not quote it; your lawyer confirms the current rate and who pays it under your contract.

Related: Taxes and purchase costs · International Buyer Desk

Title transfer fee · tapu harcı

Official rule

The fee paid to the Land Registry when title passes to the buyer, usually the largest one-off cost after the price itself. The rate depends on factors such as the buyer's status and the property, and for foreign buyers part of it may fall due before transfer. Rates and payment deadlines are set by law and change; confirm both with your lawyer before you sign.

Related: Taxes and purchase costs · International Buyer Desk

VAT · KDV

Official rule

Value added tax (katma değer vergisi, KDV) applies to new property sold by a developer; a resale between private individuals usually does not carry it. The contract should state whether the price includes VAT and when it is payable. The rate and any exemptions are set by the tax authorities and can change, so confirm them with your lawyer or accountant before you sign.

Related: Taxes and purchase costs

Off-plan · projeden satış

Market usage

Buying a property before it is built or finished, usually with staged payments. Prices may be lower than for completed property, but the buyer carries construction, delay and developer risk. Check the developer's land title and building permit, tie payments to visible construction stages, register the contract, and have your own lawyer review the delay remedies and how and when individual titles will be issued.

Related: Off-plan and developer checks

Payment plan · ödeme planı

Market usage

The schedule of instalments in an off-plan or developer sale: typically a deposit, staged payments during construction and a balance at delivery or title, sometimes continuing after delivery. A well-structured plan keeps what you have paid close to the value actually built. Be cautious of plans that front-load payments, and check what happens if a payment is late or the project is delayed.

Related: Off-plan and developer checks

Building permit · inşaat izni

Official rule

The permission, issued by the competent authority (usually the municipality) under planning and building rules, that allows a specific building to be constructed to approved plans. For an off-plan purchase, ask to see the permit for the exact project and phase, and check that the approved plans match the plans you are being sold. A project marketed before a permit is issued carries additional risk.

Related: Off-plan and developer checks

Habitation certificate · iskan

Official rule

The certificate issued once a building has been completed in line with its permit, confirming that it may be occupied; in Turkish it is widely called iskan. It is generally needed before individual title deeds can be issued for units in a project. Ask whether it has been issued for your building, not only for an earlier phase, and have your lawyer check its status before the final payment.

Related: Off-plan and developer checks

Individual title and "title split" · kat mülkiyeti

Market usage

In a new project the land title first stands in the developer's name. Separate titles for each apartment or villa (for apartments, often under kat mülkiyeti, condominium ownership) are issued only after completion and the required approvals; "title split" is the market phrase for that step. Until then the buyer's protection rests mainly on the registered contract. Ask how long the developer's earlier projects took to reach individual title.

Related: Off-plan and developer checks · Title deed types

Completion and delivery · teslim

Market usage

In market usage, completion can mean either the physical handover of a finished property (delivery, teslim) or the legal transfer of title, and in Northern Cyprus the two often happen at different times. Read the contract to see which event triggers the final payment, what condition the property must be in at handover, and what happens if the delivery date is missed.

Related: How to buy as a foreign buyer · Off-plan and developer checks

Snagging · eksik ve kusur listesi

Market usage

The inspection of a newly built property before or at handover to list defects and unfinished work: finishes, leaks, doors and windows, electrics, plumbing, drainage and common areas. The developer is asked to put the list right, ideally before the final payment. An independent surveyor or engineer can carry it out. Check the contract's warranty and defect-liability terms before you accept the keys.

Related: Off-plan and developer checks

Immovable Property Commission (IPC) · Taşınmaz Mal Komisyonu

Official rule

A body in the TRNC, established under the Immovable Property Law (Law 67/2005), that examines claims by people who owned property in the north before 1974 and may offer restitution, compensation or exchange. For a buyer it is context: it is one reason title history matters. Whether any claim or decision touches a given parcel is a question for your own lawyer's research, not something a listing can settle.

Related: Title deed types

Source: Immovable Property Commission (tamk.gov.ct.tr), Immovable Property Law No. 67/2005

Ownership, residence and citizenship · mülkiyet, ikamet, vatandaşlık

Official rule

Owning property in the TRNC does not by itself give a right of residence, a work permit or citizenship. Owning a home you live in can be the basis of a short-term residence permit application; under the rules in force since October 2026: 10 or 5 years with a title deed, 5 years with a stamped contract worth GBP 300,000 or more, and below that 5 years (or up to 5 years) only with proof of one minimum wage of monthly income (art. 14(2)(b); TRNC Official Gazette Nos. 193 and 194). Not citizenship. These are separate legal matters, governed by their own rules and decided by the authorities case by case. Purchase permission concerns ownership only. NORTHEA does not promise or arrange residence or citizenship; take advice from an independent immigration professional before relying on any such expectation.

Related: How to buy as a foreign buyer · International Buyer Desk · Residence permits for property owners

Source: TRNC Official Gazette No. 194, Annex III, 5 October 2026 — Residence Permits and Visas (Amendment) Regulation, A.E. 943 (replaces art. 14(2)(b)(v); in force on publication); Official Gazette No. 193, Annex III, 2 October 2026 — amending Regulation A.E. 932 (replaces art. 14(2)(b)(iv))