In short: When you buy a resale home in Cyprus, the buyer pays Land Registry transfer fees of 3%, 5% and 8% across three value bands, and since these are cut by a permanent 50%, the real rates are 1.5%, 2.5% and 4%. A €250,000 resale home costs about €6,600 in transfer fees and a €500,000 one about €16,600. New builds that carry VAT pay no transfer fee at all, and stamp duty was abolished for contracts signed from 1 January 2026.
Who pays the transfer fee
In Cyprus the buyer pays the transfer fee. It goes to the Department of Lands and Surveys (the Land Registry) and is due when the title deed is transferred into your name, not when you sign the contract.
The fee is worked out on the market value of the property as the Land Registry assesses it. Usually that is the agreed price, but the Registry can use its own valuation if it thinks the declared price is too low.
Transfer fee bands
The fee is progressive, so each slice of the value is charged at its own rate.
First band: 3% on the first €85,000, which is €2,550.
Second band: 5% on €85,001 to €170,000, which is €4,250 on that slice. Total so far: €6,800.
Third band: 8% on everything above €170,000.
These are the full statutory rates published in PwC's Cyprus tax summary. Most buyers do not pay them in full, because of the 50% reduction below.
The 50% reduction
Transfer fees are reduced by 50% when the purchase is not subject to VAT. In practice this covers almost every resale home. Law firms describe the reduction as permanent, so in effect the bands become 1.5%, 2.5% and 4%.
Joint buyers: when two people buy together, the value is split between them and the bands apply to each share separately. A couple buying 50/50 therefore often pays noticeably less than a single buyer of the same property. Ask your lawyer to confirm the figure for your exact ownership split.
Family transfers: transfers from parents to children are exempt, and transfers between spouses or third-degree relatives are charged at 0.1%, according to PwC.
When no transfer fee applies
If VAT is charged on your purchase, you pay no transfer fee at all. VAT and transfer fees never apply to the same transaction.
VAT applies to the first sale of a new-build property by a developer, and to building land sold in the course of business. The standard rate is 19%. Buyers of a main home can qualify for the reduced 5% rate on the first 130 m² and the first €350,000, as long as the home is no larger than 190 m² and the total value is no more than €475,000.
So the rule of thumb is simple. New build from a developer: VAT, no transfer fee. Resale: transfer fee, no VAT.
Stamp duty in 2026
Stamp duty no longer applies to contracts signed from 1 January 2026. Cyprus repealed its Stamp Duty Law as part of the tax reform approved by Parliament on 22 December 2025, which came into force on 1 January 2026.
Before the repeal, a sale contract paid nothing on the first €5,000, 0.15% from €5,001 to €170,000 and 0.2% above €170,000, with a cap of €20,000. These old rates still matter if your contract was signed on or before 31 December 2025, because such contracts remain under the old rules.
Worked example for a €250,000 resale home
Assume one buyer, a resale apartment, no VAT, and a contract signed in 2026.
Band 1: €85,000 at 3% is €2,550.
Band 2: €85,000 at 5% is €4,250.
Band 3: €80,000 at 8% is €6,400.
Full fee: €13,200. After the 50% reduction: €6,600.
Stamp duty: €0.
If two buyers share the same home 50/50, each share is €125,000. Each pays €2,550 plus €2,000, so €4,550, halved to €2,275. Together that is about €4,550 instead of €6,600.
Worked example for a €500,000 resale home
Again, one buyer, a resale, no VAT, contract signed in 2026.
Band 1: €85,000 at 3% is €2,550.
Band 2: €85,000 at 5% is €4,250.
Band 3: €330,000 at 8% is €26,400.
Full fee: €33,200. After the 50% reduction: €16,600.
Stamp duty: €0.
If two buyers share it 50/50, each share of €250,000 pays €6,600, so €13,200 in total, which saves €3,400 compared with a single buyer.
Other fees to know about
The seller, not the buyer, pays any capital gains tax on the sale. From 1 January 2026 the lifetime capital gains exemption for an individual's main residence rose to €150,000, according to Andersen Cyprus.
If you take a mortgage, the bank's charge also has to be registered at the Land Registry, and the bank may charge arrangement and valuation fees. Add your lawyer's fee too, which law firms typically quote at around 1% of the price plus VAT. Our guide to the total cost of buying property in Cyprus puts all of these together.
Practical tips
Check the VAT status first. Whether a property is VAT-able decides whether you pay 19% or 5% VAT, or transfer fees instead. Ask your lawyer to confirm it in writing with the seller's lawyer.
Think about joint ownership early. The split is fixed in the contract and affects the fee.
Budget for the fee at transfer, not at signing. With a resale, the title usually transfers within a few months. With a new build, you pay VAT instead.
Sources
Department of Lands and Surveys, Republic of Cyprus: https://portal.dls.moi.gov.cy
PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, Cyprus, Individual, Other taxes: https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/cyprus/individual/other-taxes
Andersen Cyprus, Cyprus Tax Reform, comprehensive update effective from 1 January 2026: https://cy.andersen.com/news/cyprus-news-cyprus-tax-reform-comprehensive-update-effective-from-1-january-2026/
Trident Trust, Summary of Cyprus 2026 tax reforms: https://www.tridenttrust.com/knowledge/news/summary-of-cyprus-s-2026-tax-reforms
Zeno Legal, Cyprus cost of buying property and transfer fees 2026: https://www.zenolegal.com/resources/cyprus-cost-of-buying-property-transfer-fees-2026
Kyprianou and Co, Cyprus VAT on first homes reform: https://www.kyprianou.com/?p=20260
Lawyer.com.cy, Stamp duty on contracts in Cyprus (pre-2026 rates): https://www.lawyer.com.cy/stamp-duty-cyprus
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm current rules with a Cyprus lawyer or accountant before you decide.