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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

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

Legislation · Republic of Cyprus · Criminal Code, Section 281(1) · in force from 21 February 2025 · last verified 14 September 2026 · rule record

Where this rule comes from

Jurisdiction
Republic of Cyprus
authority
House of Representatives, Republic of Cyprus
Instrument
Criminal Code, Cap. 154, consolidated text (CyLaw), sections 281 and 303A, Section 281(1)
Basis
Legislation · asserted by us within this jurisdiction
Verification
Primary source verified
in force from
21 February 2025
until
open

Regulatory events

History of this rule

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

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 · register entry

  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 · register entry

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