Rules

Rules currently carried by decree (temporary)

These provisions of decree 89/2026 apply in place of the corresponding articles of Law 52/2008 while the decree is in force. A decree with force of law lasts ninety days unless renewed or replaced by legislation.

• A foreigner may transfer to close relatives with Ministry approval

  While the decree is in force, a foreigner may transfer property held in their name or leased by them to relatives of the first and second degree by blood or marriage, with the knowledge and approval of the Ministry, regardless of the restrictions in Article 4 of the law.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · After transfer · Resale

• Build-and-sell partnerships with local contractors (foreign share up to 49%)

  While the decree is in force, contractors registered with the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association who hold a valid annual contractor class certificate may form partnerships with citizens of states that recognise the TRNC and grant reciprocal rights, solely to build and sell housing; the foreign share of such a partnership may not exceed forty-nine per cent, and the partnership may apply for Council of Ministers approval to buy land for that purpose.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Citizens of states recognising the TRNC with reciprocal rights · Developers · Investors

• Completed, delivered dwellings bought before the decree: transfer within thirty-six months

  While the decree is in force, for dwellings bought within the limits under a sales contract before the decree, completed and delivered to the buyer, the parties or the seller must complete the transfer at the District Land Registry within thirty-six months of the decree’s entry into force and pay all taxes and transfer fees on the same date. A person with a reasonable excuse who notifies it in writing within thirty-four months, and pays the taxes and fees, may transfer later; the Land Registry must decide on the excuse within fifteen days.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Completion · Title transfer

• Council may extend transitional periods by up to six months for administrative fault

  While the decree is in force, where a step within the transitional periods could not be completed because of fault on the administration’s side, the Council of Ministers may extend the period by up to six months to allow it to be completed.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027.

• Current acquisition limits under the decree in force

  While the decree is in force, a foreign natural or legal person may, with Council of Ministers permission, buy: land of up to 1,338 m² suitable for a building permit with only one dwelling; or up to three apartments (up to six for citizens of states that recognise the TRNC and grant reciprocal rights); or a detached house on land of up to 3,300 m² with no second dwelling; or, in a housing estate or site, two two-storey detached villas (three for citizens of recognising states).

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Other foreign nationals · Citizens of states recognising the TRNC with reciprocal rights · Land plot · Apartment · Detached house

• Current cap: at most eighty per cent of a housing project may be sold to foreigners

  While the decree is in force, more than half of the properties on the same parcel may not be bought by foreigners who are first-degree relatives or relatives by marriage of each other, or of the same nationality; and in any case at most eighty per cent of housing projects in development areas may be sold to foreigners.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Apartment

• Current deadline: transfer fees within seventy-five business days; no utilities until taxes are paid

  While the decree is in force: where no mortgage is created in favour of the seller, the one-year transfer period runs from the date the full price is paid; a contractor who has been paid in full but fails to transfer title must compensate the buyer for the loss caused; the buyer and seller must pay the title transfer fees within seventy-five business days of publication of the permission or the permission is automatically cancelled; and until all taxes and fees are paid no permanent or temporary water or electricity connection may be made to the property (construction-site connections excepted).

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Permission to Purchase · Title transfer · Completion

• Current deadline: transfer within one year of the permission being published

  While the decree is in force, the transfer must be executed at the District Land Registry within one year of the publication in the Official Gazette of the Council of Ministers decision granting permission; otherwise the decision is automatically cancelled and void.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Permission to Purchase · Title transfer

• Current investment threshold: ten million euros

  While the decree is in force, an investment in tourism, education, health, industry, agriculture, technology or research qualifies for an investment-purpose purchase if at least ten million euros is deposited in a bank operating in the TRNC and used within two years for the investment stated in the Council of Ministers decision (land purchase excluded). Build-and-sell housing is not an investment.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Investors

• For two years, applications may rely on a construction permit or planning approval

  While the decree is in force, for two years from its entry into force a foreigner may apply to the Ministry for purchase permission with a construction permit or a planning approval from the Town Planning Department where condominium ownership or a construction servitude cannot be established for the property.

  In force from 7 August 2026 until 5 November 2026. · Apartment · Detached house · Permission to Purchase

• Investment property bought under the law may be sold to another foreigner with permission

  While the decree is in force, property bought for investment with Council permission under the law, whether or not the investment is complete, may with a new Council permission be bought by a foreign person or entity; if the investment is incomplete the buyer must complete it within two years under the supervision of the responsible Ministry and the Tax Office.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Investors

• Licensed intermediary investor

  While the decree is in force, a foreign natural or legal person may obtain an annual licence from the Ministry’s Undersecretariat to take at least ten dwellings a year (excluding land and plots) into its disposal by written agreement, at project stage or after final approval, without acquiring ownership, in order to market and transfer them to foreign buyers. The licence fee is twice the monthly gross minimum wage; agreements must be registered at the District Land Registry within one month; transfers to buyers must be completed within two years of final approval; the applicant must produce an apostilled criminal-record certificate no more than three months old. If an investor fails to market and transfer within the two-year window, the property must instead be brought within the Holiday Homes legislation by obtaining the usage certificate described for over-limit pre-2024 contracts, or the Ministry cancels the investor's licence.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Individuals · Companies and other legal entities · Investors

• Over-limit pre-2024 contracts must be transferred within twenty-four months

  While the decree is in force, pre-2024 contracts that exceed the limits must be transferred, in line with the decree, within twenty-four months from the end of the six-month registration window; contracts not transferred must instead use the usage-certificate route, and contracts not brought into line within the period are void.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Contracts signed before 21 May 2024

• Pre-2024 contracts above the limits: notify with a fee of one per cent (three per cent if late)

  While the decree is in force, a foreigner whose pre-2024 contracts exceed the acquisition limits and were not registered must notify the Ministry within the same six months, paying a fee of one per cent of the contract price; a late notification is possible on payment of three per cent.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Contracts signed before 21 May 2024

• Pre-2024 contracts: register and apply within six months of the decree

  While the decree is in force, a foreigner who signed a sales contract before Law 39/2024 came into force on 21 May 2024, and the seller, must within six months of the decree’s entry into force register the contract at the District Land Registry up to the buyer’s acquisition right and apply to the Ministry for purchase permission.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Contracts signed before 21 May 2024

• Pre-2024 trustee agreements: register within six months or they are void

  While the decree is in force, trustee (yediemin) agreements made before Law 39/2024 in relation to a foreigner’s acquisition of property must be registered at the District Land Registry within six months; unregistered agreements, and agreements whose effect would be to defeat the law, are void.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Trustees acting for a foreigner · Contracts signed before 21 May 2024

• PTP criminal-record certificate: currently must be apostilled and no more than three months old

  While the current decree remains in force, a Permission to Purchase applicant's criminal-record certificate must be apostilled and issued no more than three months before submission — a stricter requirement than the plain 'original certificate' wording still found in the Ministry of Interior's own posted checklist and in the consolidated Law 52/2008 text.

  In force from 7 August 2026 until 6 October 2026. · Buyers

• Register the stamped contract and apply for permission within one month, or the contract is void

  From the decree’s entry into force, a foreign buyer must, within one month and after all taxes and fees arising from the sale have been paid, register the stamped agreement or sales contract at the District Land Registry (in person, through a lawyer or an authorised representative) and apply to the Ministry for purchase permission; otherwise the contract is automatically void.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Contract · Contract registration · Contracts signed on or after 21 May 2024

• Usage certificate for over-limit pre-2024 contracts: ten years, ownership stays with the seller

  While the decree is in force, a foreigner who has notified over-limit pre-2024 contracts may register contracts for dwellings (not land) at the District Land Registry, request the usage-certificate right and pay the title transfer fees, and receive a ten-year usage certificate. Ownership remains with the seller; the certificate cannot be cancelled during the period except on transfer or at the holder’s request; holders of properties under the holiday-homes regime receive an indefinite certificate; the certificate confers use and enjoyment but not ownership, and its rights other than the right to sell cannot be transferred; a positive security check and full payment of the price are conditions; no certificate is available for property in restricted zones; contracts not transferred within ten years become void.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Apartment · Detached house · Contracts signed before 21 May 2024

• Where a unit title is impossible, shares may be transferred with the Land Registry Director’s approval

  While the decree is in force, where a technical obstacle from a co-owner or from the project makes it impossible to obtain a separate unit title for property acquired before the decree, the owners may within two years apply to the District Land Registry and, with the approval of the Director of the Land Registry and Cadastre Department, transfer their shares to others.

  In force from 6 October 2026 until 4 January 2027. · Share title

Statutory rules: Law 52/2008 as amended by Law 39/2024

The rules written into the law itself. Where a decree rule above covers the same point, the decree rule applies for as long as the decree is in force.

• A manager or management committee is mandatory once a building has more than 4 units

  A manager or management committee is mandatory by law once a building has more than 4 units; appointment requires a majority by both headcount and land share, with annual re-appointment.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Owners

• A separate unit title must exist before a foreigner applies

  Before a foreign natural or legal person applies to the Ministry to buy a property, condominium ownership or a construction servitude must have been established for it under the Condominium Ownership and Construction Servitude Law (35/2010). Concluding a sales contract without this is an offence.

  In force since 21 May 2024. · Apartment · Detached house

• A site's management plan binds all owners and successors; changing it needs a two-thirds vote

  A site's management plan is a binding contract on all owners and their successors — a buyer automatically inherits its terms on purchase; changing it needs a two-thirds vote of all owners.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Owners · Buyers

• Agricultural and forest land cannot be sold to foreigners

  Immovable property in agricultural land and forest land may not be sold to foreign natural or legal persons. A person who sells such land to a foreigner commits an offence.

  In force since 21 May 2024. · Agricultural land · Forest land

• Application service fee: half the monthly gross minimum wage

  When applying online for purchase permission, a service fee equal to half of the monthly gross minimum wage in force is paid. Half of it is credited to the Immovable Property Commission compensation account and half to an account for Land Registry services.

  In force since 21 May 2024.

• Applications are made online with documents set by Ministry circular

  Foreign natural or legal persons, or their authorised representatives, apply for purchase permission through the online section of the Ministry’s automation system, uploading copies of the unit title and the other documents required by the Ministry, including the document showing the purchase price (agreement, undertaking or invoice). The list of required documents is set by a Ministry circular.

  In force since 21 May 2024.

• Building insurance is an owners'-assembly decision, not an automatic legal requirement

  Insuring a shared building is a decision the owners' assembly makes (Article 23(1)), not an automatic legal requirement — corroborating a prior finding from the general Insurance Services Law with a more directly on-point primary source.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Caps on the share of land that may be sold to foreigners

  No more than seven per cent of a district’s surface area, and in any case no more than three per cent of the country’s surface area, may be sold to foreigners; any registration made contrary to these ratios is void.

  In force since 21 May 2024.

• Common-expense cost-sharing: equal for staffing, by land share for the rest, unless the management plan says otherwise

  Unless the site's management plan says otherwise, staffing costs are split equally among owners and other common costs (incl. insurance) proportionally to land share; the Condominium Law provides that an owner remains liable for these costs even if they waive their right to use the shared areas.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Companies with foreign shareholders may buy investment land up to 80,280 m²

  A company established or registered in the TRNC with any foreign shareholding may, subject to the investment rules, buy up to 80,280 m² of land for investment; its shareholders, directors or trustees may not buy land a second time through another entity; and a foreign company that buys property must notify the Registrar of Companies within six months of the transfer.

  In force since 21 May 2024. · Companies and other legal entities · Investors

• Converting a residential unit to commercial use needs permits AND unanimous owner consent

  Converting a residentially-registered unit to commercial, professional or entertainment use requires both the relevant official permits and a unanimous owners'-assembly decision — a single dissenting owner can block it.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Owners

• Criminal-record certificate and security investigation

  The application proceeds only if the applicant (and, for companies, the shareholders) submit criminal-record certificates from their own country and the security investigation carried out on them is positive. If the security investigation is negative, the Ministry rejects the application.

  In force since 21 May 2024.

• Foreign legal entities need permission after a security check of their people

  Purchases and long-term leases by foreign legal persons are subject to Council of Ministers permission, conditional on a positive security investigation of their directors, managers, shareholders or members. The same applies when a foreign legal person transfers its shares to another foreigner or changes a foreign director, manager or trustee.

  In force since 21 May 2024. · Companies and other legal entities

• Foreigners may mortgage what they own and take mortgages

  A foreigner who has obtained a title deed or a lease certificate under the law may mortgage that property or right after paying the Land Registry fees, and may also take property as mortgagee.

  In force since 10 November 2008.

• Foreigners need Council of Ministers permission to buy or lease long-term

  A foreign natural or legal person may buy immovable property in Northern Cyprus only after obtaining a purchase permission from the Council of Ministers, and may take a long-term lease only with prior Council of Ministers permission.

  In force since 10 November 2008. · Other foreign nationals · Citizens of states recognising the TRNC with reciprocal rights · Turkish citizens · Individuals · Companies and other legal entities · Trustees acting for a foreigner

• Long-term leases: ten to ninety-nine years, registered within thirty days

  A long-term lease to a foreigner runs for at least ten and at most ninety-nine years. The lease contract must be prepared by a practising advocate and signed before two witnesses, and an application to register it at the District Land Registry must be made within thirty days of signature; late applications are not accepted. The tenant receives a lease certificate recorded on the title and a real right limited to the lease term that can be transferred, mortgaged, sub-let, inherited and enforced against.

  In force since 10 November 2008. · Long-term lessees

• No share titles in land; up to three foreigners may share a house or apartment

  Foreign natural or legal persons may not buy land in shares (share title). An apartment or detached house may be bought in shares on a separate title by no more than three foreign natural persons, subject to the other limits.

  In force since 21 May 2024. · Land plot · Share title · Apartment · Detached house

• Owners' assembly decisions: simple majority, one vote each, and a right to sue to annul

  The owners' assembly decides by simple majority of those present at a quorate meeting (more than half by headcount and land share); each owner has one vote regardless of unit size; a dissenting or absent owner may sue to annul a decision within strict time limits.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Owners

• Penalties: fines of up to five hundred times the monthly gross minimum wage

  Breaches of the acquisition limits, sales of agricultural or forest land to foreigners, contracts without unit titles, share-title land sales, breaches of the same-parcel cap, unlawful trustee agreements and failures to meet the transitional deadlines are offences punishable on conviction by a fine of up to five hundred times the monthly gross minimum wage at the date of conviction.

  In force since 21 May 2024.

• Persistent non-payment of common expenses is a statutory ground for a forced sale of the unit

  Persistent non-payment of common expenses (3 times within 2 years, after a lawsuit cause arises) is one of three statutory grounds on which other owners can apply to court to force the sale of an owner's unit.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Re-applying after cancellation costs double; no third application

  A foreigner whose permission was cancelled for missing the tax deadline pays double the application fees on re-applying for the same property, and no third application may be made by the same person for the same property.

  In force since 21 May 2024.

• Registrations contrary to the law are void

  Any entry made in the land register contrary to the law or to regulations made under it is void from the moment it is made.

  In force since 10 November 2008.

• Rental income withholding tax: 10%

  Rental income earned in the TRNC is subject to withholding tax at a rate of 10% under the Income Tax Law.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Short-term/holiday-home letting is subject to a licensing regime, under the Holiday Homes Law

  Letting TRNC property short-term (up to 60 days per stay) for tourism purposes is subject to a registration and operating-licence regime under the Holiday Homes Law No. 54/2025, administered by the Tourism Planning Department.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Owners

• Taxes and fees on transfers are payable under the general tax laws

  All taxes, duties, fees, withholding tax, VAT and other financial obligations arising on a transfer of ownership under the law are paid by the buyer and the seller in accordance with the legislation in force.

  In force since 10 November 2008.

• The Rent Control Law applies only within Council-of-Ministers-declared control zones

  TRNC's Rent Control Law 17/1981 applies its tenant protections only within Council-of-Ministers-declared 'control zones', not nationwide.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Tenants · Owners

• Transfers between foreigners are subject to the same restrictions

  The restrictions in Article 4 also apply when property lawfully acquired by a foreigner is leased long-term or transferred to another foreigner.

  In force since 21 May 2024. · Resale

• Trustee agreements may not be used to exceed the limits

  Foreign natural or legal persons may not conclude a trustee (yediemin) agreement in order to buy more property than the law allows, whatever the Contracts Law or the Trustees Law would otherwise permit. The parties to such an agreement commit an offence.

  In force since 21 May 2024. · Individuals · Companies and other legal entities · Trustees acting for a foreigner

• Unpaid common-expense debts can become a registered priority charge against a unit

  Unpaid common-expense debts, once court-established, can be registered as a priority charge against a unit at the District Land Registry — a genuine due-diligence risk for a buyer of resale property.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Who counts as a "foreigner"

  A "foreigner" is any natural person who is not a TRNC citizen; the term includes foreign legal persons and a foreigner’s trustee. A company established or registered in the TRNC counts as a foreign legal person if any share or capital belongs to a foreigner, or if the majority of its directors are foreign.

  In force since 21 May 2024. · Individuals · Companies and other legal entities · Trustees acting for a foreigner

• Within a declared Rent Control zone, eviction is limited to an exhaustive statutory grounds list

  Within a declared Rent Control Law zone, eviction is restricted to an exhaustive list of statutory grounds under Article 7; a court may defer execution of an eviction order for up to one year.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Tenants · Owners

Republic of Cyprus law

Provisions of Republic of Cyprus law that reach transactions and use of property in the north. They apply within the Republic’s jurisdiction and, through EU and UK enforcement, beyond it.

• Republic of Cyprus: dealing in immovable property belonging to another without the registered owner’s consent is a felony

  Under section 303A of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Cyprus, a person who, with intent to defraud, deals in immovable property belonging to another is guilty of a felony punishable by up to seven years’ imprisonment. "Dealing" includes selling, letting, mortgaging or encumbering property or making it available for use; advertising or otherwise promoting such transactions; entering into an agreement for them; and accepting property that is the object of such a transaction. A person acts with intent to defraud if they do any of these while knowing, or where they ought reasonably to have known, that the registered owner has not consented. An attempt is punishable by up to five years.

  In force since 1 January 2006. · Any nationality · Individuals · Companies and other legal entities · Equivalent-property title · Allocation title · Buyers · Sellers · Developers

• Republic of Cyprus: possessing or using land registered to another without consent is an offence (up to five years since 2025)

  Under section 281 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Cyprus, as amended by Law 18(I)/2025, whoever possesses, cultivates, occupies or uses in any way land registered in the name of another, without the consent of the registered owner or their heirs, is guilty of an offence punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to ten thousand euros, or both. Before the 2025 amendment this was a misdemeanour punishable by two years’ imprisonment or a fine not exceeding five thousand pounds.

  In force since 21 February 2025. · Any nationality · Equivalent-property title · Allocation title · Owners · Tenants · Buyers

Property — Regulations

• A property owner's residence permit does not automatically cover their spouse or children

  A property owner's own property-linked residence permit does not by itself extend to their spouse or children. Eligible family members instead fall under the separate Family Residence Permit regime; a residence-permit holder is one of the categories of person the regulation recognises as able to act as sponsor (destekleyici) for that separate permit.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Owners

• Pre-title short-term residence route: a third of the price paid, plus a Permission to Purchase application

  A buyer who has paid at least one-third of the purchase price and has applied to the Council of Ministers for Permission to Purchase qualifies for a short-term residence permit, even before the title is transferred.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Buyers

• Shared-title dwelling: generally one shareholder's residence permit at a time, with a narrow exception

  Where a dwelling's title is divided into multiple shares and one shareholder has already obtained a short-term residence permit through it, another shareholder is generally not granted the same permit for the same dwelling. The exception: if that first shareholder's short-term permit has not yet produced any derived family residence permit, a second shareholder may still qualify for their own short-term permit through the same dwelling. Where this exception is used and the same dwelling supports more than one short-term residence permit, none of those permits may be used as the basis for a family residence permit.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Owners

• Stamped sale contract plus income: up to five years' residence before title transfer

  A buyer with a stamped, Tax-Office-approved sale contract who applies to the Ministry may be granted a short-term residence permit for up to five years (matching the length requested), conditioned on income of at least one minimum wage per month — or, for those without regular income, a lump-sum bank deposit equal to one minimum wage multiplied by the number of years of permit requested.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Buyers

Property — Official guidance

• Current Immigration Department guidance: one year at a time for the first three years, then two years

  The Immigration Department's own published guidance for property-linked short-term residence states that permits are issued one year at a time during the first three years, and, once title is registered in the applicant's own name, two years at a time after that.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Buyers · Owners

• The property-based residence permit requires living in the property, not renting it out

  The TRNC property-based residence permit requires the applicant to actually use the property as their own residence — renting it out to someone else would not satisfy this specific route's eligibility criterion, per the Immigration Department's own published guidance.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Owners

Residence permits and visas

Rules from the Residence Permits and Visas Regulation, the TRNC subsidiary regulation governing entry, visas and residence permits for foreigners, as amended through 2026.

• 2026 amendment: 'Sponsor' now also covers a person supporting a residence-exemption application

  As of A.E.460/2026, a 'Destekleyici' (Sponsor) is defined as a citizen or legal residence-permit holder in the TRNC who undertakes the livelihood, expenses and housing of a foreigner coming for family unity, and who is named as the basis for an application — whether that application is for a residence permit or for a residence-permit exemption. This broadens the term's prior scope, which covered only permit applications.

  In force since 25 May 2026. · Dependants

• 24-month passport validity required for students/workers from unrepresented countries (2026)

  A new Article 4(2)(d), inserted by A.E.784/2026, requires foreigners from countries with no TRNC diplomatic/consular representation, coming to study or work in the TRNC, to hold at least 24 months' passport validity. This condition does not apply to nationals of represented countries, and does not apply to purposes other than study or work.

  In force since 24 August 2026. · Students · Workers

• A residence-permit applicant with no social-insurance right owes a Health Fund premium

  A foreigner applying for any type of TRNC residence permit who has no social-insurance right to public health services must pay a premium under the Health Fund Law (Sağlık Fonu Yasası), scaled to the length of the permit requested or intended.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• A student's residence permit can be cancelled over a university's non-reporting

  A foreign student's residence permit may be cancelled by the Immigration Department if their university fails to report the student's enrolment status to GöçSis for three months or more, whether counted from the permit's start date or from the university's last report.

  In force since 24 August 2026. · Students

• A Time-limited Work Permit becomes legally invalid when the employment relationship ends

  Where a foreign worker holding a Time-limited Work Permit (Süreli Çalışma İzni) does not start the job for which it was granted, defaults in continuing it after starting, has their contract terminated by the employer, or the employment relationship otherwise ends in any manner whatsoever, the permit becomes invalid and is deemed cancelled as a matter of law. This does not extinguish the worker's rights under the Labour Law and other laws.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• A Time-limited Work Permit is valid only for the named employer, workplace and profession

  A foreign worker's Time-limited Work Permit is valid only for the named employer, workplace and profession stated on it; working elsewhere without following the separately regulated transfer procedure is not permitted.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Workers

• E-Vize is an online application channel, not a separate visa category

  Under the E-Vize (Elektronik Vize) Regulation (A.E.783/2026, made under Article 20 of the Aliens and Immigration Law), foreign nationals from countries the Council of Ministers designates as subject to the e-Vize scheme apply online for any of the visa types already set out in Article 9 of the Residence Permits and Visas Regulation — it is a channel for existing visa types, not a separate category with its own entry conditions. Application criteria are set by the Ministry. Applications are to be resolved within 30 days, extendable to a maximum of 60 days for administrative reasons.

  In force since 24 August 2026.

• Family Residence Permit: up to ten years by default, capped at the sponsor's own remaining status

  Unless a more specific rule applies, a Family Residence Permit may be issued for up to ten years at a time. Its duration is capped at the period the sponsor is themselves legally permitted to stay.

  In force since 2 October 2026. · Dependants

• Humanitarian Residence Permit: discretionary, capped, last-resort only

  Where none of the Residence Permits and Visas Regulation's other categories apply, and in the assessing officer's opinion the foreigner would face humanitarian hardship if refused, a short-term residence permit of up to 1 year may be granted. The applicant must already be lawfully present in the country at the time of application. A Humanitarian Residence Permit holder is not eligible to act as a sponsor for a family residence permit.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Initial Time-limited Work Permit duration: 6 months to 1 year

  On an employer's first application for a given foreign worker, a Time-limited Work Permit (Süreli Çalışma İzni) is issued for a minimum of six months and a maximum of one year.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Marriage-of-convenience investigation: triggers, and the consequence for a citizen-spouse case

  Six listed circumstances (not living together, or a report the marriage isn't a real family union; no shared language; an unreasonable age gap; a spouse's own admission; a spouse's record of earning income illegitimately; family income inconsistent with living standard) trigger an investigation into whether a marriage was entered into solely to obtain a residence permit or citizenship. The investigation can occur before or after a family residence permit is granted. A finding that a marriage is one of convenience stands for at least a year without needing to be repeated. Where the marriage found to be one of convenience is to a TRNC citizen specifically, the foreign spouse's residence exemption under Article 12(1)(a) ends; if they do not leave within 15 days of notification and hold no other exemption, they are treated as staying without authorisation from day 16.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Dependants

• Non-owner (rental) short-term residence: income routes by age and pension status

  A foreigner without property title can get a one-year short-term residence permit per application with monthly income of at least three minimum wages, or a year's equivalent on bank deposit. Foreigners over 60 with a confirmed pension get up to 5 years on a stamped, Tax and Revenue Department-approved lease. Foreigners over 60 without a confirmed pension can reach the same 5-year term via a bank deposit equal to one minimum wage multiplied by the years of permit requested, plus the same approved lease. Separately, any foreign pensioner of the TRNC Social Insurance Department, regardless of age, can get up to 5 years with no income condition at all.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Tenants

• Over-60 residence exemption is relationally conditioned, not universal

  A foreigner is exempt from needing a residence permit at all if they are: (i) a parent over 60 residing with a citizen child; (ii) a person over 60 in a position to qualify for property-linked residence, or the over-60 spouse/partner of such a person once that person holds an exemption certificate; or (iii) a parent over 60 of someone holding a work permit, business-establishment permit, permanent residence permit or residence permit.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Residence-permit and visa-extension fees, effective 24 August 2026

  Effective 24 August 2026 (A.E.784/2026's First and Second Schedules): Short-Term and Family Residence Permit fees rise by duration tier from 2,000 TL (up to 6 months) to 40,000 TL (up to 120 months), with a separate late-application fee tier (3,000-24,000 TL) and a 1,000 TL/month backdated-permit fee. Student Residence Permit fees are lower (1,000-3,000 TL by tier) with no late or backdated fee. The daily visa-extension fee is 20 TL.

  In force since 24 August 2026.

• Residence-permit exemption for a sponsor's grandparent over 70 with no living parent or child

  A foreigner who is the direct ascendant (grandmother or grandfather) of a sponsor, aged over 70, none of whose first-degree relatives (mother, father or child) are alive, is exempt from needing a residence permit. The sponsor must be a TRNC citizen or a legal residence-permit holder supporting the grandparent's family-unity-based presence in the TRNC.

  In force since 25 May 2026. · Dependants

• Settling in the TRNC: one vehicle exempt from the 5-year import age limit

  The general vehicle-import age limit is 5 years from first registration (cars, non-standard vehicles, motorcycles) or 12 years (motor caravans), administered by the Ministry of Trade. A foreign national relocating to settle in the TRNC may import one vehicle already registered in their own name before arrival, exempt from this limit, once only, if they intend to settle permanently; can show TRNC home ownership (title deed or Tax-Department-stamped sale contract) or hold a property-linked or high-income-plus-rental residence permit; can show at least 2 months' prior TRNC residence via Police General Directorate documentation; and have not previously used this same right.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Owners · Tenants

• Short-term residence permit: default duration where no specific category applies

  Unless a category-specific duration applies elsewhere in the Residence Permits and Visas Regulation, a short-term residence permit is granted for 1 year on first application and 2 years on subsequent applications, with the exact term within that default influenced by the foreigner's request, its grounds, and other relevant matters.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Six residence/visa facilitations for Turkish citizens under Article 28A

  Under Article 28A (made under the 2000 TRNC-Türkiye bilateral facilitation agreement, Law 34/2000), Turkish citizens: (1) are exempt from Article 14(2)(b)(v)'s income condition on the sale-contract property-residence route; (2) have Article 14(2)(i)'s specific income-multiple requirement replaced with a general 'enough income to sustain oneself' test; (3) are exempt, for parents over 60, from the family-permit sponsor-employment/children-under-12 condition in Article 16(1)(c); (4) face the Article 20(2)(a) health-check condition only once every two years, not the general cadence; (5) are exempt from the short-term residence-permit requirement when approved by the Ministry to film promotional content; (6) receive a 90-day visa on first entry for most visa categories, with only subsequent entries following the normal category-specific durations.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Standard work-permit process: preliminary permit required before entry

  For the standard Time-limited Work Permit (Süreli Çalışma İzni) route, an employer wishing to employ a foreign worker who is currently abroad must first obtain a Preliminary Permit (Ön İzin) from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security for that named worker; this must be completed before the worker enters the TRNC. Once the worker has entered the TRNC on the Ön İzin, the employer must apply to the Ministry to complete the full Süreli Çalışma İzni registration within 15 days of the worker's entry, and complete that registration within 30 days.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Student residence permit: one year at a time

  A residence permit granted to a foreign student pursuing associate, bachelor's, master's or doctoral study at a higher-education institution in the TRNC is granted for a maximum of one year at a time, renewed according to the length of study.

  In force since 24 August 2026. · Students

• Tourist/visit-purpose visa durations by circumstance

  A visitor entering for a touristic visit and staying at a hotel/accommodation or renting housing gets up to 30 days on their own declaration, or up to 90 days with a paid reservation document and receipt for the excess. A visitor staying at a relative's home, or visiting a relative up to the third degree, gets up to 60 days unless the Minister restricts this further. A visitor for an official/business/conference/festival/health-tourism purpose gets their demonstrated duration plus one week, extendable to a 90-day maximum by the Chief Immigration Officer on documented extension of purpose.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• UNHCR protection-document holders no longer exempt from needing a residence permit

  Foreign nationals holding a protection document issued in their name by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are no longer exempt from needing a residence permit. The residence-permit exemption that previously applied to this group was removed from the regulation.

  In force since 24 August 2026.

• Visa extension fee is not refunded if the extension is refused or the visa is cancelled

  The fee charged for a visa or e-Vize extension application, set out in the regulation's Second Schedule, is not refunded to the applicant if the extension is not granted, or if the visa is subsequently cancelled.

  In force since 24 August 2026. · Visitors

• Visa extension: online application at least five business days before expiry

  An application to extend a visa or e-Vize period granted on entry to the TRNC is made online through GöçSis, at the latest five business days before the current visa period ends.

  In force since 24 August 2026. · Visitors

• Visa stays may not exceed 90 days in any rolling 180-day period

  A foreigner's visa-based stay may not exceed 90 days at a time, nor 90 days within any rolling 180-day period. Carve-outs: an exit within 72 hours of entry does not count toward the cap; stays before the Regulation's own commencement do not count; ambiguous consecutive-entry records are resolved by disregarding the entry whose exit is not established; the calculation may be dispensed with where Police Immigration's online records are unavailable; tour leaders notified by the Ministry of Tourism are exempt from the cap. Separately, Article 7(3)(a) allows Ministerial-approved entry/stay, capped at the visa maximum, for someone facing a relative's (up to third degree) documented serious illness, death or similar emergency — an entry-permission provision, not an extension of the 90-in-180 cap itself.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• When unauthorised presence begins, and the grace periods that delay it

  A foreigner is treated as unauthorised from the moment their lawful permission expires without renewal. Specific grace periods delay this: 40 days to apply for a new permit after a residence-exemption-triggering circumstance ends; 40 days of continued lawful presence after a work/business permit expires or is cancelled; 60 days of continued lawful presence after a student permit-holder defers or interrupts study; 60 days of continued lawful presence after graduating. Separate exemptions exist for documented legal detention, a court-ordered travel ban, or a documented inability to travel for health reasons.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

Living — Legislation

• "Social Security Agreement" (Sosyal Güvenlik Anlaşması) is a defined legal concept under TRNC law

  TRNC law recognises a defined category of "Sosyal Güvenlik Anlaşması" (Social Security Agreement): bilateral or multilateral agreements approved by the TRNC Assembly, together with their implementing arrangements. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has general statutory authority to conclude such agreements with the countries where TRNC-insured persons work, or with the countries of foreign nationals working in the TRNC (Social Security Law No. 73/2007, Article 119). This concept is used elsewhere in the same Law, including as a condition for a limited insurance exemption for some short-term foreign assignees (Article 6(1)(E)). Law No. 26/2026 — ratifying a 19 November 2025 TRNC-Türkiye Cooperation Agreement in Labour, Employment and Social Security — is NOT itself a Social Security Agreement in this defined sense: it is a government-to-government cooperation and coordination framework which itself names "implementation of social security agreements" as one of its own separate areas of cooperation, implying a distinct agreement it helps administer rather than being that agreement.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• 2026 income tax brackets and rates

  Under Article 52(1) of the Income Tax Law No. 24/1982, as replaced by Law No. 25/2026 (effective 21 May 2026), annual income tax is assessed at: 10% on the first 45,000 TL; 20% on the next 45,000 TL; 25% on the next 120,000 TL; 30% on the next 190,000 TL; and 37% on the portion above 400,000 TL.

  In force since 21 May 2026.

• A single Insurance Superintendent regulates all insurance classes; a statutory arbitration route exists below 40,000 TL

  The Insurance Superintendent (Director of the Department of Money, Exchange and Development Fund Affairs, under the Ministry of Finance) licenses and supervises all insurance and reinsurance companies under the Insurance Services (Regulation and Supervision) Law No. 60/2010. Insurers must join and fund a statutory Insurance Arbitration Commission. A complainant must first have received a negative response from their insurer, or no response within 15 business days, before applying to the Commission. The Commission must resolve within 2 months (extendable by 1 month with the applicant's consent), and its decisions up to 40,000 TL are binding on both parties.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• AML customer due diligence: transaction thresholds, PEP checks, and non-face-to-face accounts

  Standard customer due diligence applies when a bank establishes a business relationship, or when a single or linked transaction reaches EUR 10,000 or its equivalent (EUR 2,000 for gambling/betting providers, EUR 1,000 for electronic fund-transfer services), or whenever a transaction is suspected of money laundering or terrorist financing regardless of amount. Banks must specifically check whether a customer living abroad is a Politically Exposed Person. A non-face-to-face relationship, opened by correspondence, phone, email, internet or other remote means, is explicitly permitted and regulated, not prohibited — it triggers enhanced due diligence, satisfied by confirming the first transaction originates from an account the customer already holds at a bank in an 'equivalent country' (an EU/EEA state or one with similar anti-money-laundering obligations), by additional-document identification, or by third-party verification through a bank in that equivalent country.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Foreign ID documents accepted for bank customer identification; anonymous accounts banned

  A passport, ID card or driving licence bearing the holder's photograph, issued by a local OR foreign official authority, is a valid identity document for bank customer due diligence purposes. Banks must establish and verify a customer's identity by examining the original of such a document. Banks must not open or operate anonymous accounts, accounts whose holder's identity is unknown or undocumented, or unnamed numbered accounts.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Maternity health services need no residence test; cash grants need 5 years' legal residence

  An insured woman, or the non-insured wife of an insured man, is entitled to maternity health services (examination and birth care) with no separate residence condition stated. The same person is entitled to pregnancy/birth cash grants only if 120 days' maternity-insurance premium was paid in the preceding 12 months AND they have legally resided in the TRNC, continuously or not, for a total of 5 years.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Dependants · Workers

• Municipalities must supply drinking water, and may disconnect only after a statutory non-payment sequence

  A municipality is legally obliged to bring drinking water to every residence and workplace within its boundaries. Municipal permission is mandatory to receive a water connection. A municipality may disconnect drinking water only after a user has failed to pay for 3 consecutive months AND failed to pay within 7 working days of a written notice.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• No statutory mandate for property or earthquake insurance was found, though the power to create one exists

  Under Article 63 of the Insurance Services Law, the Council of Ministers may make any insurance class compulsory in the public interest, by a specific implementing Regulation. Fire, explosion, earthquake, flood and other natural-disaster cover are each separately regulated, licensable insurance classes under this same Law. No implementing Regulation making any of these classes compulsory for ordinary property owners was found after a genuine search.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Private-school licensing, accreditation and diploma-validity framework

  Under Article 53 of the National Education Law No. 17/1986, a private school (opened by a natural or private-law legal person) requires Ministry of National Education permission, obtained via a submitted project and granted after evaluation; its teaching standards must be at least equivalent to State schools; its operation and programme equivalency remain subject to ongoing Ministry supervision and Accreditation Commission review; unauthorised operation or continued operation after permit cancellation carries criminal prosecution and escalating fines/imprisonment; and a diploma issued by a school that is not accredited carries no legal validity whatsoever.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Savings deposits are insured up to EUR 20,000 per account, with no nationality qualifier

  All banks licensed under the TRNC Banking Law must insure savings deposits (deposits opened by natural persons, not subject to commercial transactions) held with them, under the Savings Deposit Insurance and Financial Stability Fund Law. The insured amount has been set by the Central Bank at not less than EUR 20,000 per account since 1 January 2004. The statutory 'savings deposit' definition carries no citizenship or residency qualifier.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• SIM registration needs only a passport copy; device (IMEI) registration is a separate regime

  A communications provider must obtain a copy of a consumer's passport before activating a postpaid or prepaid SIM subscription, where the consumer is not a TRNC or Turkish citizen (a copy of the ID card or passport is required for TRNC/Turkish citizens). A provider may not activate a subscription without first taking this document copy, and false information at registration is prohibited. Device (IMEI) registration, via the Mobile Device Registration System (MCKS), is a separate legal regime: devices brought from abroad have a grace period of 90 days per calendar year before mandatory in-person registration at BTHK.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Social Security health-service entitlement and coverage scope

  Under Articles 72-73 of the Social Security Law No. 73/2007, an insured person (and the persons they are legally obliged to support), together with permanent-incapacity/disability/old-age pension recipients (and their dependants) and widow/orphan-pension recipients, are entitled to a defined statutory health-service package: examination, diagnosis, hospitalisation, in-country referral, medication during treatment, qualifying curative prosthetics/orthotics/glasses, specified emergency treatment abroad while on official duty, and Central-Health-Board-approved overseas treatment where diagnosis or treatment is unavailable in the TRNC.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Social Security sickness (temporary-incapacity) benefit — qualifying conditions

  Under Article 31(2)(A) of the Social Security Law No. 73/2007, an insured person who has paid at least 90 days of sickness-insurance premium within the 12 calendar months preceding the onset of temporary incapacity is entitled to a statutory temporary-incapacity benefit, paid daily from the 3rd day of incapacity, for up to 6 months — extendable to 18 months where a Health Board report certifies that continued treatment could prevent or significantly reduce permanent incapacity.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Tax non-compliance can be grounds to refuse residence, work, or income-generating permission

  Under Article 3(2) of the Income Tax Law No. 24/1982, where a foreigner or person not settled (yerleşmiş) in the TRNC fails to fulfil all their obligations under this Law and other Tax Laws, and any security the Tax Office deems necessary, the relevant and competent authorities are not to permit that person to reside, work, or engage in income-generating activity in the TRNC.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• The Central Bank supervises TRNC banks; bank staff owe a lasting confidentiality duty

  The Central Bank of the TRNC is the sole authority responsible for supervision and audit of the implementation of the Banking Law. Anyone who learns a bank's or a customer's secrets in the course of their role is bound by a confidentiality obligation that continues after they leave their post, subject to exceptions such as disclosure required by law or a permitted public statement.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Third-party motor insurance is compulsory; driving uninsured is a criminal offence

  No person may drive a motor vehicle on a TRNC road without a valid third-party insurance policy covering them. Driving uninsured is punishable by up to 3 times the monthly minimum wage or up to 1 year's imprisonment, with possible court-ordered licence disqualification (minimum 6 months for a first offence, 12 months for a repeat offence). Minimum coverage includes death, bodily injury and emergency medical treatment costs (uncapped in the base Law's own text) and property damage, currently capped at 1,200,000 TL per accident or chain of accidents as of a 25 February 2026 Regulation. Passenger-transport vehicles (buses/minibuses) carry separate, higher Euro-denominated death/injury minimums.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• TRNC has no continental-style notary — Certification Officers authenticate signatures only

  A TRNC Certification Officer (Tasdik Memuru) certifies only that a signature or seal on a document belongs to the person who applied it, and may do so only for a document signed or sealed in the officer's own physical presence — a pre-signed or foreign-executed document is outside the officer's power to certify. Certification under the Certification Officers Law is stated to be valid only for documents used before TRNC or Turkish Republic authorities; the Law does not address recognition anywhere else.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• TRNC Income Tax period is the calendar year

  For the purposes of the Income Tax Law No. 24/1982, the tax period (vergilendirme dönemi) is the preceding calendar year.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Voluntary Social Security insurance is restricted by statute to TRNC citizens

  To become a voluntary Social Security insured person, a person must be a TRNC citizen, in addition to not already being compulsorily insured, not already receiving a relevant pension, and being 18 or older. A non-citizen foreign resident is statutorily excluded from this route regardless of how long they have lived in the TRNC or their residence status. Voluntary insurance is the only route into Social-Security-based health coverage for someone not compulsorily insured through employment.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• YÖDAK's statutory basis and its foreign-student immigration/health coordination duty

  YÖDAK (the Higher Education Planning, Supervision, Accreditation and Coordination Board) is established, with public legal personality, by Article 7 of the Higher Education Law No. 65/2005 — not by Law No. 2/1993, which establishes a separate body, YÖDİD (the Higher Education and Foreign Relations Department). Among YÖDAK's statutory duties and powers, Article 11(2)(L) assigns it the duty to coordinate foreign students' immigration procedures, and their health or other social-security-related procedures, with the relevant Ministries.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

Living — Official guidance

• 2026 Personal Deduction Amount: 655,000 TL

  For the 2026 tax period, the Personal Deduction Amount (Kişisel İndirim Miktarı), set under Article 12(1) of the Income Tax Law No. 24/1982 (as amended) by Council of Ministers Decision Ü(K-I) 132-2026, published in Official Gazette No. 16 of 28 January 2026 (Annex IV), is 655,000 TL.

  In force since 1 January 2026.

• A separate permanent-residence route exists for a TRNC-born child or one who arrived before 18

  A foreign child born in the TRNC, or who arrived before turning 18, has a dedicated permanent-residence application route under the Permanent Residence Permit Law (51/2015), distinct from the Article 16 family-residence-permit framework. The application uses the Permanent Residence Permit Regulation's Annex 4 form, submitted to the Immigration Department, with: ID/passport, a population-registry extract or (third-country nationals) birth certificate, a copy of the parent's ID/passport, a student certificate if applicable, an entry-exit movement record, police-clearance certificates from both the TRNC and the home country, a residence certificate, and a State-hospital communicable-disease-free health report. The fee is 70 TL per permit copy.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Dependants

• Bringing a dog or cat into the TRNC: import licence, direct entry, and health conditions

  Bringing a dog or cat into the TRNC requires a pre-export Import Licence (form PİB.01), applied for and obtained before export, valid 30 days. Animals may not move between the Republic of Cyprus (south) and the TRNC — a pet must arrive directly from abroad via a TRNC port or airport. The animal must be over 3 months old, rabies-vaccinated 1 month to 1 year before import, current on standard vaccines, and pass a rabies-antibody FAVN titration test at an EU-approved laboratory (antibody level at least 0.5 IU/ml). The animal must also have been owned by its current owner for at least 2 months before import. Non-compliant animals face refusal (normally returned at the carrier's expense), or if the owner refuses return, quarantine up to 3 months at the Director's discretion at the owner's cost (30 TL/day per the primary source); an animal neither returned nor quarantined as required, or a non-compliant caged bird, is euthanised 48 hours after entry.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

Living — Official forms

• Exchanging a foreign driving licence: three document tiers by licence origin

  To exchange a foreign driving licence for a TRNC one, per the Traffic Department's own official form: (1) Turkish Republic (TC) licence holders need a passport/ID with valid immigration status, their original licence plus a copy, 2 photos, AND an approval of the TC licence from the Turkish Embassy in Lefkoşa; (2) EU-country licence holders need only a passport with valid immigration status, their original licence plus a copy, and 2 photos; (3) other-country licence holders need the same core documents plus a full translation of the licence certified by the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

Investing — Legislation

• A distinct constitutional nationalization power names foreign-owned property

  TRNC's Constitution contains a distinct nationalization provision, Article 43, that explicitly names foreign-owned movable and immovable property, alongside public-service enterprises, as a category the State may nationalize with compensation — separate from ordinary expropriation under Article 41.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

• A foreign company's TRNC branch requires prior Council of Ministers permission

  A foreign company's TRNC branch requires prior Council of Ministers permission under Companies Law Article 347(1) — distinct from, and additional to, ordinary local incorporation.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• A share transfer or director change in a property-owning TRNC company can trigger property-acquisition rules

  A change of control — a share transfer, or a change of director, manager or trustee — in a TRNC company that owns or is acquiring TRNC immovable property is not always a purely ordinary corporate matter: under the Immovable Property Acquisition and Long-Term Lease (Aliens) Law, a foreign-to-foreign transfer of such a company's shares, or a change of its foreign director/manager/trustee, requires Council of Ministers permission with security vetting (publicly-listed companies exempt), and the Registrar of Companies must immediately notify the Ministry of Interior of any director/shareholder change at such a company. Where control shifts from foreign to TRNC-citizen ownership, fresh Council of Ministers permission is required for continued build-sell/investment use of the property.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders · Buyers

• A TRNC private company's constitution restricts who its shares may be sold to

  Under the Companies Law, restricting the right to transfer shares is one of three mandatory, defining conditions of private-company status (alongside a 50-member cap and a ban on public share subscription) — a company whose articles do not restrict share transfer is not, in Companies Law terms, a private company at all. The Act's own model articles for a private company (First Schedule, Table A, Part II, Article 3) implement this by giving directors absolute discretion, without needing to give any reason, to refuse to register the transfer of any share.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

• Banking: no TRNC-citizenship or local-ownership requirement for founders/shareholders

  The Banking Law does not require a TRNC bank's founders or shareholders to be TRNC citizens, and does not cap foreign ownership at any percentage. Founder/qualified-shareholder conditions are fit-and-proper criteria (no serious criminal record, financial power/reputation/competence) applied equally; for founders who are not TRNC citizens and/or not resident in the TRNC, the Central Bank additionally takes the law of their home country into account. A foreign bank may also establish a TRNC branch directly, subject to a permission/vetting regime (not banned from banking at home, a positive opinion from the home regulator, and standard establishment conditions) rather than a requirement to incorporate locally with TRNC-citizen ownership.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Beneficial ownership is identified via professionals' AML duties, not a public register

  TRNC company beneficial-ownership identification is imposed on the professionals forming or administering a company, through AML Law customer-due-diligence duties applying a 25% ownership threshold — not via a direct public beneficial-ownership register for companies as such.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

• Capital reduction requires Court confirmation and is distinct from a dividend

  A TRNC company may reduce its share capital and return funds to shareholders only with Court confirmation, in a process that gives creditors who object a statutory right to be heard — a legally distinct mechanism from an ordinary dividend distribution.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

• Company incorporation does not by itself authorise trading

  Incorporating or registering a company with the Registrar of Companies (RKMMD) does not by itself authorise every commercial activity. A separate municipal for-profit business permit is a distinct statutory requirement: the Municipalities Law requires anyone wishing to engage, for profit, in a business, profession, trade or craft within a municipality's boundaries to obtain a permit from that municipality, in addition to company incorporation.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Corporate tax: annual filing, two payment instalments, and an on-time compliance discount

  TRNC corporate tax is filed annually — by April, or within 4 months of a non-calendar year-end — and paid in two instalments, in May and October. A 5% discount rewards 3 consecutive years of on-time compliance. Reassessment is time-barred after 7 years.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

• Dividend withholding tax: 15%, final for a non-resident without a TRNC place of business

  Dividends paid by a TRNC company carry 15% withholding tax, which is FINAL (non-creditable, non-refundable) for a non-resident individual or a foreign corporation without a TRNC place of business or permanent representative.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Foreign-exchange bureaux: no TRNC-citizenship requirement for founders/shareholders

  The Currency and Exchange Law does not require a TRNC foreign-exchange bureau's (döviz bürosu) founders or shareholders to be TRNC citizens. Founder/shareholder conditions are fit-and-proper and anti-money-laundering criteria applied equally; for founders who are not TRNC citizens and/or not resident in the TRNC, the law's own text states that the legislation of their home country is additionally taken into account, and only persons who are not qualified to found an exchange bureau in their own country are excluded on that specific ground.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Free Port and Zone: capital and earnings may be freely transferred abroad

  A company licensed to operate in the TRNC's Free Port and Zone regime (Gazimağusa or Gemikonağı) may freely transfer qualifying foreign currency, profits and capital abroad, without restriction, under the Free Port and Zone Law's own exchange-transactions provision.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Free Port and Zone: income/corporate-tax and customs exemption on qualifying zone activity

  A company licensed to operate in the TRNC's Gazimağusa or Gemikonağı Free Port and Zone is exempt from income/corporate tax and customs duty on qualifying zone activities, provided goods or services are not sold into the TRNC's domestic market.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

• Insurance agencies: founders and shareholders must be TRNC citizens

  Unlike an insurance or reinsurance company, a TRNC insurance agency (sigorta acentesi) — the intermediary/distribution role, not the underwriting company — must have a TRNC-citizen founder, and its shareholders and any person acquiring shares (including by capital increase) must also be TRNC citizens.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• Insurance and reinsurance companies: no TRNC-citizenship requirement for founders/shareholders

  The Insurance Services Law does not require a TRNC insurance or reinsurance company's founders or shareholders to be TRNC citizens. Founder/shareholder conditions are fit-and-proper criteria (no serious criminal record, not bankrupt, financial power/reputation) applied equally; for founders who are not TRNC citizens and/or not resident in the TRNC, the law's own text states that the legislation of their home country is additionally taken into account. A foreign insurance/reinsurance company may also open a TRNC branch directly, subject to a permission regime (minimum capital, not banned/restricted at home, home-country-approved articles) rather than a requirement to incorporate locally with TRNC-citizen ownership; the branch manager specifically must be TRNC-resident.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• İş Kurma İzni: the permit test for foreign directors and shareholders is residence plus employer-capacity conduct, not remuneration

  TRNC's Foreigners' Work Permits Law creates a distinct permit, the İş Kurma İzni (Business Establishment Permit), for foreign members of the Board of Directors and shareholders/partners of TRNC companies, separate from the ordinary employee work permit (Süreli Çalışma İzni). The requirement is triggered conjunctively: (a) an intent to reside in the TRNC beyond the entry-visa period, and (b) acting in the capacity of employer in the company. Neither formal appointment as a director alone, nor holding shares alone, meets this conjunctive test by itself — remuneration is not part of the statutory test in either direction.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

• NCR interpretation: active, unpaid management may fall within the İş Kurma İzni requirement

  NCR reads the İş Kurma İzni's conjunctive trigger test (residence-intent plus acting in the capacity of employer) as capable of being met by a foreign director who is actively, personally managing a TRNC company's operations in the TRNC, even where that person draws no formal salary — because the Law's 'İşveren' (employer) definition turns on control over hiring/firing and operational decisions, not on being paid, unlike the separate 'İşçi' (worker) definition, which explicitly requires a wage. This is NCR's own interpretation of the statutory text's structure and silence on remuneration for this category, NOT an explicit textual holding using the words 'unpaid' or 'without salary' — no TRNC court decision, regulator statement or official guidance confirming this specific reading was located.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

• RKMMD is the statutory Registrar of Companies

  RKMMD (Resmi Kabz Memurluğu ve Mukayyitlik Dairesi, the Official Receiver and Registrar of Companies) is the statutory Registrar of Companies under Companies Law Fasıl 113 Article 2.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

• The Constitution provides full compensation for expropriation, with a 3-year buy-back right

  TRNC's Constitution provides for full and equitable compensation for any expropriation, with a court-appealable process and a buy-back right for the original owner if the property is not used for its stated purpose within 3 years.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

• The International Business Company regime: an offshore-only, 2.5%-tax vehicle

  TRNC's International Business Company regime, under Law 38/2005, is a separate, offshore-only corporate vehicle taxed at 2.5%, available only to foreign persons or TRNC citizens resident abroad — not the default route for an operating TRNC business.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

• TRNC company winding-up: three legally distinct routes

  A TRNC company may be wound up in one of three ways: by the Court, or voluntarily by its members, or voluntarily by its creditors. The members'-versus-creditors' distinction turns on whether the directors have filed a statutory solvency declaration within the 12 months preceding the winding-up resolution — if they have, the members' voluntary route applies; if not, the creditors' voluntary route applies.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

• TRNC corporate tax rate: flat 10%, including foreign corporations

  TRNC corporate tax is a flat 10% on net corporate income, explicitly including foreign corporations — no rate differential by ownership, though the taxable base differs (worldwide vs. TRNC-source only) by where the company is seated.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record.

• TRNC outbound withholding on payments to foreign contractors, professionals and suppliers

  TRNC businesses paying foreign contractors, professionals or suppliers face specific outbound withholding tax rates, ranging from 10% to 36% depending on the type of payment, final for the foreign recipient unless they have a TRNC place of business or permanent representative.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

• TRNC's domestic analogue to 'permanent establishment': işyeri or daimi temsilci

  TRNC tax law's domestic analogue to 'permanent establishment' is 'işyeri' (place of business, explicitly including a construction site) or 'daimi temsilci' (permanent representative) — the presence of either brings a foreign company into ordinary corporate-tax self-assessment rather than final withholding.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

• TRNC's incentive regime: eight categories, open to foreign investors, with a clawback

  TRNC's incentive regime under the Incentive Law 47/2000 is administered by the State Planning Organization, offers eight defined incentive categories to domestic and foreign investors alike, and can be clawed back, with financial and criminal consequences, for breach of its conditions.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders

Investing — Regulations

• Selling your shares or ending your directorship invalidates the İş Kurma İzni

  An İş Kurma İzni (Business Establishment Permit) becomes invalid automatically the moment the qualifying company's TRNC activity ceases, the holder sells their shares, or their directorship ends — it is a conditional, derivative right tied to the holder's qualifying position, not a standing investor-residence status.

  In force. Start date not confirmed in this record. · Investors · Company shareholders