How Many Properties Can Foreign Nationals and Turkish Citizens Purchase in Northern Cyprus?

Under the decree dated 6 October 2026, property acquisition limits for foreign nationals in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) vary depending on the property type and the buyer’s citizenship.

Subject to purchase permission from the Council of Ministers and compliance with other legal requirements, the main acquisition limits are as follows:

Property Acquisition Limits 

Property type:Apartment             

Other foreign buyers:Up to 3 apartments             

Turkish citizens:  Up to 6 apartments

Two-storey detached villa built as part of a housing

Other foreign buyers: Up to 2 villas                           

Turkish citizens: Up to 3 villas

Development or residential complex

General detached house category 

For Foreign Nationals:  The plot may not exceed 3,300 m². No second house, apartment or other dwelling may be built on the same plot.

For Turkish Citizens : The same land and building restrictions apply.

Land eligible for building permission

For Foreign Nationals:The plot may not exceed 1,338 m². Only 1 dwelling may be built on it.

For Turkish Citizens :The same land and building restrictions apply.

The extended acquisition rights shown in the Turkish citizens column are based on the category applicable to citizens of states that recognise the TRNC and grant the same rights to TRNC citizens.

Can Acquisition Rights for Different Property Types Be Combined?

These entitlements cannot automatically be added together.

For example, they should not be interpreted as a combined entitlement to purchase “6 apartments, plus 3 villas, plus an additional plot of land.”

When assessing purchase plans involving different property types, the buyer’s existing properties and pending applications must be considered together.

The Development’s Foreign Sales Quota Also Matters

Being within an individual buyer’s acquisition limit does not mean that a property can be purchased in every development. The relevant development may already have reached its foreign sales quota.

The decree imposes restrictions relating to buyers of the same nationality or certain family relationships within the same parcel of land. It also provides for a maximum foreign sales limit of 80% in residential developments located in areas open to development.

Therefore, both the buyer’s individual acquisition entitlement and the sales restrictions applicable to the relevant parcel and development must be assessed together during the purchase process.