Skip to content
North Cyprus Reference
Menu

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

Rule record · last verified 14 September 2026

In force since 21 February 2025.

Rule

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.[1][2]

Practical implication

Using a property in the north that Republic of Cyprus records register to a displaced owner can itself be an offence under Republic of Cyprus law, independently of any fraud.

Applies to

Who:
Any nationality · Owners · Tenants · Buyers
Title class:
Equivalent-property title · Allocation title

Where this rule comes from

Instrument
Criminal Code, Cap. 154, consolidated text (CyLaw), sections 281 and 303A, Section 281(1)
Authority
House of Representatives, Republic of Cyprus
Jurisdiction
Republic of Cyprus
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]
    Criminal Code, Cap. 154, consolidated text (CyLaw), sections 281 and 303A

    CyLaw (Cyprus Bar Association legal database) · Legislation and gazettes · original in Greek · accessed 14 September 2026 · source record

  2. [2]
    Official Gazette of the Republic of Cyprus, Part I(I), No. 5027, 21 February 2025: Criminal Code (Amendment) Law 18(I)/2025

    Official Gazette of the Republic of Cyprus · Legislation and gazettes · 21 February 2025 · original in Greek · accessed 14 September 2026 · source record

Cite this record

https://northcyprusreference.com/en/rules/roc-281-unlawful-possession-or-use-of-land-of-another

Identifier roc-281-unlawful-possession-or-use-of-land-of-another · Open data · challenge this rule