Title deeds in North Cyprus
Property here sits under several categories of title deed. Knowing which one applies, and having your own lawyer verify it against the Land Registry entry for that exact parcel, is the most important due-diligence step you will take. No category is safe or unsafe in the abstract: what matters is the individual plot, its register entry and its chain of title.
Turkish title (Türk Koçanı)
A deed for land registered to Turkish Cypriot owners before 1974. Widely used and generally straightforward to deal with, but the register entry, chain of title and any charges or mortgages still need checking parcel by parcel.
Foreign title (Yabancı Koçan)
A deed for land registered to non-Cypriot owners before 1974. Conveyancing follows the same route as Turkish title, with the same parcel-level checks.
Exchange title (Eşdeğer Koçan)
Issued by the TRNC to Turkish Cypriots displaced in 1974, in exchange for property they left in the south. Common across developments in the north. Ask your lawyer to review how the specific allocation was issued and what is recorded against it.
TMD allocation
A form of state allocation rather than a private freehold entry. Read the contract closely and have your lawyer confirm what title you will hold, and when.
Leasehold
Usually a long lease, often on state land. Check the term, renewal rights, ground rent, and whether the lease can be transferred or mortgaged.
Permission to Purchase
A non-TRNC buyer cannot have a deed transferred into their name without Permission to Purchase, a Council of Ministers approval. It is an administrative process that takes time and can be refused, so your contract should state what happens to your money if it is. Registering your sale contract at the Land Registry is what protects your position while it is pending.
What we do and do not state
We publish a deed category for a property only when we hold it from a named source, and we show what that source was and when. Where the panel on a listing reads "To be confirmed", we do not yet hold it, and we will request the deed copy from the developer on enquiry.
This is general information, not legal advice. Appoint your own independent lawyer, not one recommended by the seller, and do not pay a deposit before they have checked the deed.
Questions specific to your purchase?
We'll answer plainly, with North Cyprus numbers, no pressure, no drip of listings you didn't ask for.
Related guides in North Cyprus
This guide covers North Cyprus only, rules, taxes and deed types differ in every country we operate in. Title classes in North Cyprus differ from those in the Republic of Cyprus. Always take independent legal advice before reserving.