Everything a buyer needs to know before signing in Cyprus.
Costs, VAT, residency, off-plan protections and honest area comparisons — written by the studio that builds the homes, not by an agency selling them.
Buying in Cyprus
Buying property in Cyprus: what is actually for sale, and where
Most property advertised in Cyprus falls into four groups: city apartments, coastal holiday apartments, resale village houses and new-build family homes. Prices, running costs and resale liquidity differ sharply between them. Extraland builds only the fourth group — detached, energy-class-A family homes on generous plots in Sotira, nine minutes from central Limassol.
Read the guideNew-build homes near Limassol: what to inspect before you sign
When you buy new-build near Limassol you are buying a specification and a payment schedule. Verify the energy class, the written specification sheet, the staged payment milestones, the delivery clause, the warranty terms and the Land Registry deposit of your contract of sale — in that order.
Read the guideBuying property in Cyprus as a foreigner
EU citizens buy Cyprus property with no restrictions. Non-EU citizens may acquire one residential property, on land up to 4,014 m², with Council of Ministers approval — a routine consent that does not prevent you completing the purchase. Additional properties are usually held through a Cyprus company. The whole transaction can be completed remotely by power of attorney.
Read the guideOff-plan property in Cyprus: risk, protection and reward
Off-plan buying in Cyprus means contracting for a home before completion, paying in stages against construction milestones. The protections that matter are an independent lawyer, Land Registry deposit of the contract within six months, milestone-linked payments, a written specification, and a developer that has delivered comparable projects.
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Costs & tax
The real cost of buying property in Cyprus
On a new-build home you pay VAT (19%, or a reduced 5% on a qualifying primary residence up to 130 m²), stamp duty on the contract, legal fees, and Land Registry costs — transfer fees are waived where VAT has been paid. On a resale there is no VAT, but transfer fees of 3–8% apply instead.
Read the guideVAT on property in Cyprus: 19%, 5%, or none
New-build residential property in Cyprus carries 19% VAT. A reduced 5% rate applies to the first 130 m² of a qualifying primary and permanent residence, subject to area and value conditions. Resale property and land in most cases carry no VAT, but attract transfer fees instead.
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Residency
Cyprus permanent residency through property
Under the fast-track Regulation 6(2) route, a non-EU applicant investing from €300,000 (plus VAT) in new-build residential property, with proof of secure annual income from abroad, can obtain Cyprus permanent residency — typically within two to three months. Spouse and dependent children can be included.
Read the guideMoving to Cyprus from the UK: a practical checklist
UK nationals moving to Cyprus need a residence permit route (employment, self-sufficiency, or property-based permanent residency), registration for healthcare, a Cyprus tax number, a local bank account, and a driving licence exchange. Property is usually chosen first because several of the other steps reference an address.
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Area
Houses for sale near Limassol: the trade-off nobody explains
Inside Limassol, land is scarce and most new supply is apartments. A detached house with a real garden almost always means the belt of villages around the city — trading five to fifteen minutes of driving for several hundred square metres of plot. Sotira sits at the near end of that trade: nine minutes to the centre, one minute to the A6.
Read the guideSotira or Limassol city: an honest comparison
Central Limassol wins on walkability, nightlife and being at the centre of business life. Sotira wins on plot size, quiet, air, price per square metre and running costs, at the cost of nine minutes' driving. Families with young children and remote or hybrid workers generally prefer Sotira; single professionals who want to walk everywhere generally prefer the city.
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