Georgia and the northern part of Cyprus, criterion by criterion
"Northern Cyprus" is only a place name here; the text says "the northern part of Cyprus" for the area run by the Turkish Cypriot authorities, whose TRNC is recognised only by Turkiye. Local rules are given as reported, without implying recognition.
| Criterion | Georgia | Northern part of Cyprus | Source, north |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Internationally recognised state | TRNC recognised only by Turkiye; EU law suspended in the area | UN Security Council; EU Court of Justice |
| What a title shows | Registry entry, presumed accurate until declared invalid | Depends on the title type and on who owned the land before 1974 | PRIO Cyprus Centre, 2012 |
| Exposure elsewhere | None tied to the property | Republic of Cyprus judgments enforceable in other EU states; up to 7 years in prison under its Criminal Code | Case C-420/07; Criminal Code, Art. 303A |
| Permission to buy | Not needed; farmland closed to foreigners | Council of Ministers, after a security check | 2024 explanatory note |
| Charges on buying | No transfer tax; registration GEL 150 | Agencies quote 9% or 12% transfer fee, 5% VAT on new builds, 0.5% stamp duty; not confirmed | Agency guides |
| Residence for owners | 1-year permit above USD 150,000; 5-year permit above USD 300,000 | Permits exist; current terms not confirmed officially | Agency reports |
| Tax on rent | 5% of gross residential rent | Agency figure 13% or 8%; not confirmed | Tekce, agency |
| Currency | Floating lari; flats priced in dollars | Turkish lira | The Telegraph, 2024 |
| Market data | Every sale registered; price series published | No official price index found | Our search; Cyprus Mail |
What is the legal status of the north, and why does a buyer care?
On 15 November 1983 the Turkish Cypriot authorities issued a declaration that purported to create an independent state in the north. UN Security Council Resolution 541, adopted three days later, considered the declaration "legally invalid" and called on all states not to recognise any Cypriot state other than the Republic of Cyprus. Resolution 550 of 11 May 1984 repeated that call and found attempts to settle Varosha, part of Famagusta, by people other than its inhabitants inadmissible.
In its press release on Case C-420/07 (28 April 2009), the EU Court of Justice describes the TRNC as "not recognised by the international community with the exception of Turkey" and explains that Protocol No 10 to the Act of Accession suspends EU law in the north, while the land remains in the Republic's territory. Two legal orders therefore claim the same plot. A buyer in Georgia deals with one state, one register and one court system.
Which types of title deed are issued in the north?
Deeds from the local land office look alike but rest on different histories, traced in a 2012 report by the PRIO Cyprus Centre:
| Title | Origin | For a buyer |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-1974 Turkish Cypriot title | Registered before 1974 to Turkish Cypriots or other owners who were not Greek Cypriots | No competing pre-1974 Greek Cypriot owner; permission still needed |
| Exchange title (eşdeğer) | Law No 41/1977: Greek Cypriot-owned land given to Turkish Cypriots for property of equal value they left in the south | The exchange is recognised only under Turkish Cypriot law |
| Allocation title | Points under the same law, later also to groups such as veterans who had not necessarily left property in the south | Greek Cypriot-origin land with no exchange behind it |
Law 52/1995 turned possession certificates into full title deeds, and within the north's system such property can be inherited, mortgaged and sold, also to foreigners. Yet the European Court of Human Rights, PRIO notes, treats displaced Greek Cypriots as still the owners. So the history, not the deed, carries the risk. One Turkish Cypriot newspaper's count, reported by Cyprus Mail on 27 August 2023, found Turkish Cypriot title on 975 of 4,209 listed properties.
What did Orams v Apostolides decide?
A couple bought a plot at Lapithos, in the Kyrenia district, in 2002 from a third party who, by their account, had acquired it from the Turkish Cypriot authorities, and built a holiday villa. The Nicosia District Court, in the government-controlled south, ruled in 2004 and 2005 that the villa, pool and fencing be demolished, possession returned to the family that owned the land before 1974 and damages paid.
On 28 April 2009 the EU Court of Justice held (Case C-420/07) that such a judgment falls under the Brussels I Regulation, and that the fact it cannot be enforced where the land lies does not stop another member state from recognising and enforcing it. On 19 January 2010 the Court of Appeal of England and Wales restored the registration of the Cypriot judgments in England ([2010] EWCA Civ 9). Both rulings applied EU rules, so the exposure is to what a buyer owns in other EU member states. The UK has since left the EU, and how it would treat a new claim today we did not confirm.
What is the Immovable Property Commission, and what did Strasbourg say?
The Turkish Cypriot authorities set up the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) under Law No 67/2005; it can order restitution, exchange or compensation for Greek Cypriot owners. In Demopoulos and Others v Turkey, a decision of 1 March 2010, the European Court of Human Rights found that the law provides "an accessible and effective framework of redress", which owners must use before turning to Strasbourg. The decision concerns the remedy only: it settles no one's ownership and does not confirm the deeds issued in the north.
By 17 July 2026, according to IPC figures reported by Politis on 25 July 2026, 8,715 claims had been filed and 3,288 examined. Compensation awarded reached GBP 662,933,062, about EUR 776 million, while restitution, alone or with compensation, was decided in 15 cases. Where the IPC has decided nothing about a plot, the former owner may still hold the title in the Republic of Cyprus land register.
What does the criminal law of the Republic of Cyprus provide?
Article 303A of the Republic of Cyprus Criminal Code (Cap. 154), added in 2006, punishes dealing in property that belongs to another, with intent to defraud, by up to seven years in prison; an attempt carries up to five. On our reading of the Greek text on CyLaw, dealing includes selling, letting, advertising or promoting, agreeing to a deal and accepting the property, which can reach a buyer. Intent exists where the person knew, or should reasonably have known, that the registered owner, or another person entitled to consent, had not consented. Article 5(1)(e)(vi) applies the Code to acts by any person abroad that concern property situated in the Republic.
UK government guidance, last updated in 2019, says the offence covers transactions from 20 October 2006 and that purchase documents may be confiscated at the crossing points. Since a 2025 amendment, Article 281 also punishes possessing or using land registered to another without consent by up to five years, a fine of up to EUR 10,000, or both.
Who has been prosecuted, and has any buyer been convicted?
The reported cases, given here without names:
- Cyprus Mail, 9 July 2024: a woman who described herself as an estate agent in the north was arrested at Larnaca airport, the fourth such arrest that year according to government sources.
- AP, 24 October 2025: two estate agents had been jailed in May 2025, and a developer arrested at a crossing point in June 2024 was sentenced to five years after pleading guilty to 40 counts, which Politis reported were all under Article 303A.
- Cyprus Mail, 7 July 2026: a French appeal court decided on 1 July 2026 to honour a European arrest warrant from Cyprus in a case over property in the north; the same court had refused another on 10 December 2025.
We found no report, up to 3 November 2026, of a private buyer convicted; the cases concern developers and agents. That is a finding about published reports, not an assurance, because Article 303A also covers accepting the property.
How does a foreigner buy under the rules applied in the north?
We could not obtain the Turkish Cypriot official gazette. The steps below come from an explanatory note on the amendment to the Immovable Property Acquisition and Long Term Lease (Aliens) Law in force from 21 May 2024, published by Kibris Postasi on 23 May 2024.
- A security investigation comes before permission (Article 8(5)).
- The Council of Ministers decides, and a permission is published in the official gazette. UK guidance (2019) warns it may be refused without a reason, even for pre-1974 Turkish Cypriot title.
- The transfer at the land office must follow within six months, or the permission lapses (Article 8(6)).
- All taxes and fees are due within 60 working days of publication, or the permission is cancelled (Article 8(7)).
The note also closes farmland and forest to foreigners and, from about May 2025, bars off-plan sales in a building without a floor easement or condominium title. Limits per buyer were tightened in May 2024 and loosened in May 2025, as Cyprus Mail reported. A decree in force from 11 May 2026, reported by Cyprus Mirror and Politis the next day, allows a foreigner, with permission, for example up to three apartments. We did not see the decree's text.
What do agencies quote for taxes, and what does Georgia charge?
We found no official tariff for the north. Agencies quote a transfer fee for foreign buyers of 9% or 12% of the value, 5% VAT on a new property bought from a developer and 0.5% stamp duty. None of these rates is confirmed from an official text.
| Charge | Northern part of Cyprus | Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer fee or tax | USD 18,000 at 9%; USD 24,000 at 12% | None |
| VAT | USD 10,000 at 5% | Only from a VAT-registered business seller, normally inside the price |
| Stamp duty | USD 1,000 at 0.5% | None |
| Total | USD 29,000 to 35,000 (14.5% to 17.5%) | Registration GEL 150, about USD 58 |
On agency figures again, rent in the north carries a final withholding of 13% if paid in foreign currency or 8% in lira, and a private seller has 2.8% of the price withheld, with no holding-period exemption mentioned. Georgia taxes residential rent at 5% of the gross, as our rental income tax guide explains, and exempts a home held over two years on sale. Every Georgian fee is listed in our guide to buying costs.
Residence, currency and access: what changes day to day?
Residence. The Turkish Cypriot authorities issue residence permits to property owners; agencies describe terms of up to five years, which we could not confirm from an official text. We found no source saying such a permit gives any right in the Republic of Cyprus or the rest of the EU; the Republic's own routes are in our Georgia and Cyprus comparison. Georgia grants a 1-year permit for property valued above USD 150,000 and a 5-year investment permit above USD 300,000, as our residence permit guide sets out.
Currency and access. The north uses the Turkish lira, at TRY 49.8827 per US dollar on 2 November 2026; for the lira's inflation, see our Georgia and Turkiye comparison. Flights to Ercan, the north's airport, operate via Turkiye (The Telegraph, 4 February 2024). Turkish Cypriot official data reported by Cyprus Mirror counted 1,140,381 air and sea arrivals other than local citizens in January to June 2025, 982,021 of them Turkish citizens; we found no full-year figure.
What market data can a buyer check?
The north has no official price index. The only volume figure we found is that 6,951 foreign nationals were granted the right to buy in 2024 (Cyprus Mail, 15 July 2025, citing the Turkish Cypriot newspaper Yeni Duzen). In Georgia every sale is registered, and Galt & Taggart's report for August 2026 gives USD 1,432 per m² for white-frame flats sold by Tbilisi developers; our price index and rent index explain each series. Georgia is set against a very different market in our Georgia and Dubai comparison.
What does a Georgian registry title give by comparison?
Foreigners in Georgia buy flats, houses and commercial property as citizens do; only agricultural land is reserved. Under the Law on the Public Registry, recorded data are presumed accurate until declared invalid (Article 5), and anyone may obtain an extract (Article 10(3)): online it costs GEL 13, or GEL 52 for the same day. The agency does not vouch for the documents filed with it (Article 3(6)), so a lawyer still checks the seller's basis of ownership, but no second register claims the same land. Our guide to reading a registry extract goes through it line by line.
What should you ask before any purchase in the north?
Not legal advice: get written answers from people who do not work for the seller.
- Title type and history. Which of the three types is it, and who owned the land before 1974?
- The Republic of Cyprus register. Does it still record another owner, and has that owner consented?
- IPC status. Was a claim filed or decided for this plot? Get the decision.
- Two independent lawyers. One in each part of the island, neither chosen by the developer.
- Permission and deposit. What happens to your money if permission is refused or a deadline passes, and does an unfinished building have condominium title?
- Charges. The transfer fee, VAT and stamp duty in force on your date, with the text they come from.
- Travel and EU entry. Arrests have taken place at Larnaca airport and at a crossing point, and UK guidance mentions documents confiscated at crossings. Ask what this means for your travel and for what you own in the EU.
Risks and exceptions
- Reading the deed alone. Deeds of different origins look alike.
- Taking agency tax rates as law. No official tariff confirmed them.
- Treating the island as one jurisdiction. The local land office and the Republic of Cyprus courts may answer differently about the same plot.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy property in Northern Cyprus?
Under the rules the Turkish Cypriot authorities apply, yes, with Council of Ministers permission. How the Republic of Cyprus views the sale depends on who owned the land before 1974.
Is pre-1974 Turkish Cypriot title free of risk?
It has no competing pre-1974 Greek Cypriot owner, but permission can still be refused and the chain of owners should still be checked.
Has a private buyer been convicted?
We found no such report up to 3 November 2026; reported sentences concern a developer and estate agents.
Sources
- Resolution 541 (1983), 18 November 1983, and Resolution 550 (1984), 11 May 1984, UN Security Council (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Press release No 39/09, Case C-420/07, Court of Justice of the European Union, 28 April 2009 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Apostolides v Orams & Ors [2010] EWCA Civ 9, Court of Appeal, 19 January 2010, The National Archives (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Demopoulos and Others v Turkey, decision of 1 March 2010, European Court of Human Rights (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Displacement in Cyprus, Report 4: Turkish Cypriot Legal Framework, PRIO Cyprus Centre, 2012 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Criminal Code, Cap. 154, consolidated Greek text, CyLaw (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Cyprus: buying property, UK government, updated 27 November 2019 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Politis: IPC compensation figures, 25 July 2026; sentencing report, 24 October 2025; new rules for foreign buyers, 12 May 2026 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Sentencing report, Associated Press, 24 October 2025 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Cyprus Mail: 27 August 2023, 9 July 2024, 17 May 2025, 15 July 2025, 7 July 2026 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Explanatory note on the 2024 amendment to the Aliens property law, Kibris Postasi, 23 May 2024 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Cyprus Mirror: decree on foreign ownership, 12 May 2026, and air and sea traffic, first half of 2025, 28 August 2025 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Navigating the taxes in North Cyprus, Tekce, agency, updated 25 October 2026, and property rules for foreigners, 2026, Realting, portal (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Report on building in the north, The Telegraph, 4 February 2024 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Indicative exchange rates, Central Bank of the Republic of Turkiye, 2 November 2026, and official exchange rates, National Bank of Georgia, 3 November 2026 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Law on the Public Registry, Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons and Tax Code, Legislative Herald of Georgia, and registration fees, National Agency of Public Registry (accessed 13 October 2026)
- Tbilisi Residential Real Estate, August 2026, Galt & Taggart, 23 October 2026 (accessed 2 November 2026)
Change log
- - Comparison published from UN Security Council resolutions, EU, English and Strasbourg court decisions, the Cyprus Criminal Code, a 2024 explanatory note, press reports and Georgian law and registry data.