Council Permit Documents: Criminal Record and List

Short answer: According to the Ministry of Interior list, the Council of Ministers permit documents are as follows: a petition addressed to the Ministry, information form, passport or ID photocopy, title deed (koçan) photocopy, site plan with the area marked, original criminal record obtained from your own country, sales contract if any, and stamp duty stamp for applications made by power of attorney. In practice, the contract registered at the Land Registry and the stamp duty receipt are also added to the file.

This article has been prepared for Turkish citizens and other foreigners who have bought or are preparing to buy a home in Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The documents may look simple on paper; however, they must be prepared in full within the one-month period after the contract. Below, we explain the official list, how to obtain a criminal record, translation and certification issues, and the most common document mistakes.

Council of Ministers permit documents: official list

The official documents are listed under eight items in the "Documents Required During the Purchase of Immovable Property" list published by the TRNC Ministry of Interior. The list requires different petition annexes depending on whether the application is made for an apartment, detached house or land.

The list is published on the official website as the Ministry of Interior document list; as the document is dated 2020, ask your lawyer about items added in practice. As of October 2026, Decree No. 89/2026 requires the contract to be registered at the Land Registry within one month with its taxes and fees paid, and the application to be made within the same period. Therefore, in practice, the Land Registry registration document and stamp duty receipt are also added to the file.

How to obtain a criminal record

The criminal record is obtained from the competent authority of the country where the buyer is a citizen or resides, and according to the Ministry of Interior list it must be original. For Turkish citizens, this document is the judicial record; in other countries, documents such as a "police certificate" issued by police or justice authorities are used.

In Turkey, a judicial record can be obtained with a barcode via e-Devlet or from judicial record offices at courthouses. The main question is which format the file in the TRNC accepts as "original". While some lawyers consider the barcoded printout obtained from e-Devlet sufficient, others request a wet-signed or stamped document. Before obtaining the document, ask your lawyer which format they require; this one question will prevent you from having to obtain the document twice.

The date of the document is also important. The official list does not state a validity period; however, in practice, a recently dated document is requested and most lawyers work with a document obtained within the last few months. Confirm the accepted period with your lawyer as of October 2026. If you obtain the document long before the contract, it may become outdated; if you obtain it too late, you may not meet the one-month deadline.

• Turkish citizens: Judicial record; e-Devlet or courthouse judicial record office.
• Those living in the United Kingdom: Police certificate; by application to the relevant police records unit, allowing for a period of several weeks.
• Other countries: The country’s official criminal record document; translation and certification requirements should be clarified with the lawyer.
• Those who have lived in more than one country: Ask your lawyer which country’s document should be obtained; the document of the country where you reside may be requested.

Apostille, translation and notary certification

Turkish documents issued in Turkey generally do not require translation in the TRNC; documents issued in languages other than Turkish and English usually require translation and certification. Which certification, namely apostille, consular certification or sworn translation, will be accepted varies depending on the country where the document was issued.

The power of attorney is the most sensitive part of this subject. A power of attorney issued by a notary in Turkey is widely used for Land Registry and Ministry of Interior procedures in the TRNC. However, the authority to apply for purchase permission, register the contract at the Land Registry, pay taxes and fees, and receive the title deed transfer must each be written separately in the power of attorney. A power of attorney with missing authorities may be rejected at the Land Registry office and cause the one-month period to be wasted.

The safest method is to request the power of attorney text ready-made from your lawyer in the TRNC and use this text at the notary. We covered the entire remote purchase process and the risks of a power of attorney separately in our article Buying a home in Cyprus by power of attorney.

Police investigation and security review

The security review, known as the police investigation, is the inquiry conducted by TRNC authorities regarding the buyer and the immovable property after the application is made; at this stage, the buyer is usually not asked for an additional document or interview. The review is the longest and least predictable part of the permit process.

At this stage, the buyer’s criminal history, TRNC entry-exit and residence records, and the property’s proximity to military zones are assessed. The most important thing you can do is ensure that the information you provide in the file is consistent. If the spelling of the name in the passport, the address on the information form and the identity details in the criminal record do not match, the file may be prolonged by correspondence.

If you have previously experienced an overstay, penalty or any other issue in the TRNC, tell your lawyer from the outset. Hidden information will come to light during the review in any case; if it is known in advance, at least the risk can be assessed at the contract stage. We explained what can be done if the review ends negatively in our article If the Council of Ministers permit is rejected.

Document preparation schedule: sample plan

Starting to prepare the documents before signing the contract is the only reliable way to pass the one-month registration and application period comfortably. The plan below has been prepared for a buyer living in Turkey who will sign a contract on 1 December 2026 for an apartment worth £140.000.

1. 3 weeks before signing: Meet with the lawyer, learn the power of attorney text and the required criminal record format.
2. 2 weeks before signing: Issue the power of attorney at a notary in Turkey, obtain the criminal record in the format requested by the lawyer.
3. 1 week before signing: Prepare the passport photocopy and information form; request the title deed (koçan) photocopy and marked site plan from the seller.
4. Signing day (1 December): The contract is signed; stamp duty is calculated as 0.5% of the contract price, i.e. £700.
5. Within the first two weeks: Stamp duty is paid, and the contract is registered at the district Land Registry office.
6. No later than 31 December 2026: The purchase permission application is made to the Ministry of Interior with all documents and the application receipt is obtained.

In this plan, the last day of the one-month period falls around 31 December 2026; take into account the days when public offices are closed due to the New Year holiday. We reviewed how the period is counted and what happens if it is missed in our article on registering the contract at the Land Registry and the 1-month rule.

Most common document mistakes

The most common mistakes in Council of Ministers permit documents are inconsistencies in name spelling, a power of attorney with missing authorities, failure to state the share ratio in the petition, and a criminal record being a photocopy or old-dated. Most of these do not lead to outright rejection of the file, but they can delay it for weeks.

• Name discrepancy: Even small differences such as "Gul" in the passport and "Gül" on the form may require correspondence.
• Passport about to expire: If your passport is renewed while the application is ongoing, notify your lawyer of the new passport details.
• Share ratio: If you are buying together with your spouse, each of your shares, for example half and half, must be clearly written in the petition.
• Unmarked site plan: If the plan does not show which independent unit is being purchased in the project, the file may be returned.
• Photocopy criminal record: The list clearly states that an original is required.
• Illegible photocopies: The official list requires all photocopies to be legible.

The documents required throughout the entire purchase process, namely before the contract, for title deed transfer and afterwards, are included in our article Documents required to buy a home in Cyprus. For the general operation and timeframes of the permit process, you can see our TRNC Council of Ministers permit guide. The Akol Global after-sales team also prepares its buyers’ files for application by checking them against this list.

Frequently asked questions

Which documents are required for the Council of Ministers permit?

According to the Ministry of Interior list, a petition (Annex 1–Annex 3 depending on whether it is an apartment, house or land), information form (Annex 4, Annex 5), passport or ID photocopy, title deed (koçan) photocopy, site plan with the area marked, original criminal record from your own country, contract photocopy if any, and stamp duty stamp for applications by power of attorney are required. In practice, the contract registered at the Land Registry and the stamp duty receipt are also added.

Is the e-Devlet criminal record obtained from Turkey accepted?

The official list requires the criminal record to be original; practices can vary from lawyer to lawyer as to whether a barcoded printout obtained from e-Devlet meets this condition. While some lawyers consider the barcoded document sufficient, others request a wet-signed document from the courthouse. Before obtaining the document, ask your lawyer which format they require.

How long is a criminal record valid?

The Ministry of Interior list does not include a written validity period for the criminal record. However, in practice, a recently dated document is requested and most lawyers work with a document obtained within the last few months. Obtaining the document a few weeks before signing the contract is a balanced approach in terms of both preventing it from becoming outdated and meeting the one-month deadline.

Is an apostille required for the documents?

Turkish documents issued in Turkey generally do not require translation or additional certification in the TRNC. For documents issued in other countries, whether an apostille, consular certification or sworn translation is required varies depending on the country from which the document comes. To avoid unnecessary expense and loss of time, clarify the type of certification with your lawyer in the TRNC before obtaining the document.

Do I need to be in the TRNC for the application?

No, the application can be made by your lawyer with a power of attorney. In this case, according to the official list, a stamp duty stamp is added to the application. The power of attorney must separately state the authorities to apply for purchase permission, register the contract at the Land Registry, pay taxes and fees, and receive the title deed transfer; have your lawyer check the text before going to the notary.

If you would like to review your documents together before the contract, contact us through our contact page.

This article is for informational purposes only; it does not replace legal, tax or financial advice. Last updated: October 2026.