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Who counts as a "foreigner"

Rule record · last verified 14 September 2026

In force since 21 May 2024.

Rule

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.[1]

Practical implication

Buying through a local company does not avoid the rules if you hold any of its shares or most of its directors are foreign.

Applies to

Who:
Individuals · Companies and other legal entities · Trustees acting for a foreigner

Where this rule comes from

Instrument
Immovable Property Acquisition and Long-Term Lease (Aliens) Law, No. 52/2008, consolidated with amending Law 39/2024, Article 2, definitions of "Yabancı" and "Yabancı Tüzel Kişi" (as substituted by Law 39/2024)
Authority
Assembly of the Republic (Cumhuriyet Meclisi), TRNC
Jurisdiction
Turkish Cypriot administration (TRNC)
Basis
Legislation · asserted by us within this jurisdiction
Verification
Primary source verified. We read the primary text ourselves on 14 September 2026.
Legal review
Not yet reviewed by a named legal reviewer. Marked for priority review.

Regulatory events

History of this rule

  • — First published from the primary text. (version 1, First published)

Sources for this rule

Numbered in order of first use. Each entry names the kind of source it is and the day we read it.

  1. [1]
    Immovable Property Acquisition and Long-Term Lease (Aliens) Law, No. 52/2008, consolidated with amending Law 39/2024

    Central Legislation Office, TRNC · Legislation and gazettes · 10 November 2008 · original in Turkish · accessed 14 September 2026 · source record

Cite this record

https://northcyprusreference.com/en/rules/foreigner-definition

Identifier foreigner-definition · Open data · challenge this rule