Cyprus is poised to overhaul decades-old rules that let overseas buyers snap up large tracts of land after members of parliament’s Interior Committee agreed on a consolidated bill that would sharply restrict what non-Cypriots can acquire. The draft law—tabled on 27 February in the wake of months of hearings—would ban third-country nationals from buying property in agricultural and rural zones, as well as plots near ports, airports, military sites and beaches.
![Cyprus MPs Move to Curb Foreign Property Purchases, Citing ‘Golden Passport’ Legacy]()
For international investors or relocation managers now weighing their options, VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork maze—its Cyprus desk (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) offers end-to-end assistance with entry visas, residency permits and document legalisation, ensuring clients stay compliant as the regulatory goalposts shift.
Urban apartments, houses and small shops would remain open to foreign investment, but with a five-year minimum holding period and a residence requirement designed to deter speculative flips. Committee chair Aristos Damianou said successive Cabinet exemptions had allowed “beaches to hotels” to pass into foreign hands, fuelling a price bubble that has priced locals out of the market. Lawmakers now want a “modernised framework” that balances inward capital with social cohesion. A land-registry audit of foreign ownership concentrations is expected within weeks, paving the way for a plenary vote before Parliament dissolves for the 2026 general election. Business impact: Corporate relocation teams and high-net-worth clients eyeing Cyprus for either lifestyle or ‘Plan B’ residency will need to recalibrate. Large-scale resort, logistics or energy projects driven by foreign funds may have to seek joint-venture structures with Cypriot entities or switch to long-term lease models. Real-estate advisers say due-diligence timelines will lengthen as authorities vet buyer profiles and intended use. Context: The clamp-down is the latest aftershock of the now-defunct Citizenship-by-Investment scheme, under which more than 7,000 passports were issued before a 2020 exposé triggered EU infringement proceedings. While the new bill does not touch existing title deeds, officials stress it forms part of a broader migration and housing agenda that also tightens asylum-appeal deadlines and accelerates social-housing construction.
For international investors or relocation managers now weighing their options, VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork maze—its Cyprus desk (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) offers end-to-end assistance with entry visas, residency permits and document legalisation, ensuring clients stay compliant as the regulatory goalposts shift.
Urban apartments, houses and small shops would remain open to foreign investment, but with a five-year minimum holding period and a residence requirement designed to deter speculative flips. Committee chair Aristos Damianou said successive Cabinet exemptions had allowed “beaches to hotels” to pass into foreign hands, fuelling a price bubble that has priced locals out of the market. Lawmakers now want a “modernised framework” that balances inward capital with social cohesion. A land-registry audit of foreign ownership concentrations is expected within weeks, paving the way for a plenary vote before Parliament dissolves for the 2026 general election. Business impact: Corporate relocation teams and high-net-worth clients eyeing Cyprus for either lifestyle or ‘Plan B’ residency will need to recalibrate. Large-scale resort, logistics or energy projects driven by foreign funds may have to seek joint-venture structures with Cypriot entities or switch to long-term lease models. Real-estate advisers say due-diligence timelines will lengthen as authorities vet buyer profiles and intended use. Context: The clamp-down is the latest aftershock of the now-defunct Citizenship-by-Investment scheme, under which more than 7,000 passports were issued before a 2020 exposé triggered EU infringement proceedings. While the new bill does not touch existing title deeds, officials stress it forms part of a broader migration and housing agenda that also tightens asylum-appeal deadlines and accelerates social-housing construction.
