
GETTING TO CYPRUS:
There is a good selection year round of both scheduled and charter flights from most major airports around the UK to Cyprus, with extra flights provided during high season.
Visa/Residency issues in Cyprus:
Any EU citizen can stay for up to 90 days in Cyprus without a visa. Those wishing to spend longer will need a residence permit, which can be obtained from the local Cypriot authorities. This is a fairly straightforward process for anyone coming from an EU member state. That said, anyone wanting to stay permanently will need something called an Alien Registration Certificate. Proof of residence, funds and identity are required for this
Cyprus property Buying Process:
•When a property has been chosen, a buyer puts down a deposit of between £1,000 and £2,000. This represents a legally binding purchase agreement
•Contracts are then drawn up, outlining all the conditions of the sale, and at this point a further deposit of between 10% and 30% of the purchase price is payable (10% is usually paid for a resale, and between 20% and 30% for a new-build)
•At this point the contracts are sent to the land registry and the buyer must make a written application to the Council of Ministers in Cyprus for approval to transfer ownership of the property into the buyers name
. This is really only a formality (no-one from the UK has ever been denied approval), and you can live in your property while waiting for the approval to come through. Buyers need to present bank and character references with the application
•The balance of the money is generally paid on completion for re-sales and in stages agreed by the developer for new-builds
•All taxes are payable when approval is granted
Fees and taxes in Cyprus
•Transfer tax varies between 3% and 8%, with additional stamp duty of up to 0.2%
•You also need to allow up to 3.5% of the value of the property for annual taxes |