How Many Homes Can Foreigners Buy in the TRNC?

Short answer: Under decree no. 89/2026, foreigners can buy a maximum of 3 apartment units or 2 villas within a residential complex in Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Turkish citizens, due to reciprocity, can buy up to 6 apartments or 3 villas. In addition, a detached house on land not exceeding 3,300 m² or a plot of up to 1,338 m² for a single dwelling may be acquired. Every purchase is subject to Council of Ministers permission.

This article is for buyers asking “can I buy one more on top of the apartments I already have?”, “will my entitlement increase if I buy in my spouse’s name?” or “what happens if I exceed the limit?” We answer the question of how many homes foreigners can buy in the TRNC not with a single number, but together with the property type, nationality, family situation and project quota, using calculation examples.

How many homes can foreigners buy in the TRNC? Summary table

The answer to how many homes foreigners can buy in the TRNC varies according to the type of property purchased and the buyer’s nationality. Decree having the force of law no. 89/2026, published in the Official Gazette on 7 August 2026, sets the limits as follows.

The decree states the apartment and villa limits with the conjunction “or”. In other words, the legal text regulates whether a foreigner may buy 3 apartments or 2 villas; news summaries are not clear on how a mixed portfolio such as “2 apartments plus 1 villa” will be counted. If you are planning a mixed purchase, ask your lawyer this question in writing and keep the answer in your file. This information is valid as of October 2026; confirm with your lawyer before any transaction.

We also explained how the rules reached this point, together with the differences from 63/2026, in our article what the 89/2026 decree changed.

Apartment, villa, detached house: how is the count made?

What determines the count is not what the listing says, but the nature of the property in the land registry and the approved project. A unit described as a “villa” by the sales office may be a duplex registered as an apartment unit in the title deed; or a building marketed as a “semi-detached villa” within a complex may not fall under the decree’s definition of a “two-storey detached villa”.

This distinction matters in practice. For a buyer in the other-foreigner category, if the two-villa entitlement is already full, a third “villa” may count against the apartment entitlement if it is in fact an apartment; the opposite is also possible. Therefore, ask for the following documents before making a reservation:

• The definition of the unit in the approved architectural project (apartment, villa, duplex).
• If condominium servitude has been established, the nature of the unit in the title deed.
• The zoning status of the parcel and the total number of units in the project.

A detached house and a plot, however, are separate categories. A detached house is a single house on land not exceeding 3,300 m², and the decree prohibits building a second dwelling or apartment building on this land. For the specific rules on buying land, see our article on foreigners buying land in the TRNC.

The difference between Turkish citizens and other foreigners

Turkish citizens are considered foreigners in the TRNC, but thanks to the principle of reciprocity, they have twice the apartment entitlement and one additional villa entitlement compared with other foreigners. The decree grants this right to citizens of countries that recognize the TRNC and grant the same right to TRNC citizens in their own country; in practice, that country is Turkey.

In dual citizenship, the outcome depends not on which passport you use for the purchase, but on which citizenships you hold:

• TRNC + any citizenship: The purchase is made as a TRNC citizen; Council of Ministers permission and numerical limits do not apply.
• Turkey + another country (e.g. Germany): Applying as a Turkish citizen generally provides broader rights. The identity under which you apply should remain consistent in all subsequent purchases.
• Only third-country citizenship (e.g. the United Kingdom, Russia, Iran): The limit of 3 apartments or 2 villas applies.

Spouses and children: whose entitlement is counted?

The acquisition entitlement is personal; however, buying in the name of your spouse or child does not automatically double the entitlement. As of October 2026, published news summaries do not clearly state whether spouses can use fully independent entitlements from each other, or whether an apartment purchased jointly (50/50) will count as one unit from each spouse’s entitlement. Instead of making assumptions on this point, obtain a written opinion based on the text of the decree.

There are two definite rules. First, more than half of the residences on the same parcel cannot be sold to first-degree relatives or in-laws (relatives by marriage). In other words, a family accumulating a large number of apartments on the same parcel in the names of different individuals may fall foul of this rule. Second, the person’s previous records are checked in applications; properties registered in your family’s names may also appear in the file.

There are two separate situations when buying in a child’s name. An adult child is a separate real person and makes their own application; however, if you are effectively paying the price and the purpose is to exceed your own limit, this structure may be interpreted as a “trust purchase in someone else’s name”. A purchase in the name of a minor child requires additional legal steps such as custody, signing authority and future sale permission; in practice, it is rarely recommended.

The most common mistake we see in files handled by the Akol Global after-sales team is that the family considers “which apartment will be in whose name” after the purchase. This decision must be made before the contract is signed, because the contract is registered at the land registry within one month and changing the name later is not easy.

According to information reported in the press, irregular trust and front-person structures are subject to an administrative fine ranging from 10 to 20 times the monthly minimum wage. If your entitlement is full, the solution is not to use someone else’s name, but the legal options explained below.

Project quota: the 80% and half-parcel rule

Even if you still have personal entitlement, you cannot buy if the foreign buyer quota in your chosen project is full. In a project within a zoning area, a maximum of 80% of the units can be sold to foreigners, and more than half of the residences on a parcel cannot go to buyers of the same nationality.

In our main guide, we gave an example based on a single nationality; here, let us add the family dimension. In a single-parcel block with 24 residences, a maximum of 19 residences (24 × 80% = 19.2) can be sold to foreigners. A maximum of 12 residences can go to buyers of the same nationality. If buyers who are relatives of each other are also included within these 12, for example if three siblings and their spouses want to be in the same block, the quota fills up faster than expected. If you are investing as a family, it is more realistic to consider blocks on different parcels or different projects.

The current status of the quota is known by the sales office. For the general framework on quotas and the permission process, you can review our TRNC Council of Ministers permission guide.

What happens if you exceed the limit?

Council of Ministers permission will not be granted for a purchase that exceeds the limit, and the title deed cannot be transferred into your name. However, the 2026 regulation defines several routes to avoid making the situation completely deadlocked.

Example calculation: fourth apartment

A British citizen buyer has three apartments in Long Beach with title deeds issued and wants to sign a contract worth 140,000 £ for a fourth apartment. Since this buyer’s apartment entitlement is full, they cannot obtain ownership permission for the fourth apartment. The only legal option is a usage certificate: the title deed remains with the seller, and the buyer uses the home for 10 years. Because payment of the title deed transfer fees is required, if for example a rate of 6% is applied, 8,400 £ is paid, or if 9% is applied, 12,600 £ is paid; but ownership is not obtained in return.

If the same buyer were a Turkish citizen, the fourth apartment would fall within the entitlement of 6 units and would enter the normal permission process. We discussed the pros and cons of the usage certificate in detail in our article what is the TRNC usage certificate.

The idea of exceeding the limit by establishing a company is also frequently asked. Because a company with a foreign shareholder is considered foreign, this route does not remove the numerical limit. For large-scale investments, there is a separate investment route of at least 10 million euros, and build-and-sell residential projects do not fall within this scope.

Calculate your entitlement before buying: 6 steps

To calculate your acquisition entitlement correctly, you need to evaluate your existing records, pending contracts and the status of your family members together. Follow this order:

1. List your registered properties: Write down all properties with title deeds issued in your name by type (apartment, villa, detached house, plot).
2. Add pending contracts: Contracts whose permission has not yet been issued but which are registered at the land registry also count against your entitlement.
3. Clarify your nationality: Determine whether you will apply as a Turkish citizen or another foreigner; if you have dual citizenship, choose with your lawyer.
4. Prepare the family table: Note the purchases registered or planned in the name of your spouse and children; check the half-parcel rule.
5. Verify the nature of the unit: Confirm from the approved project whether the property you will buy will be counted as an apartment or a villa.
6. Ask about the project quota: Request the status of the foreign buyer and nationality quota from the sales office in writing.

Once this check is complete, you can sign the contract and enter the one-month registration period. You can review our completed and ongoing developments on the Akol Global projects page, and ask our sales team about the unit type and quota status in projects such as Dolce Vita Resort in İskele. The official authority for the legal framework is the TRNC Ministry of Interior.

Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum number of apartments a foreigner can buy in the TRNC?

Under decree no. 89/2026, citizens of countries other than Turkey can buy a maximum of 3 apartment units. Citizens of countries that recognize the TRNC and grant the same right to TRNC citizens, meaning in practice Turkish citizens, can buy up to 6 apartments. Each purchase is subject to separate Council of Ministers permission, and the limits are valid as of October 2026.

Can I buy an additional apartment in my spouse’s name?

The acquisition entitlement is personal, but news summaries are not clear on whether spouses can use completely independent entitlements or how a joint purchase will be counted. In addition, more than half of the residences on the same parcel cannot be sold to first-degree relatives or in-laws. If you are planning a purchase in your spouse’s name, obtain a written legal opinion based on the text of the decree.

How many villas can Turkish citizens buy in the TRNC?

Turkish citizens can buy a maximum of 3 two-storey villas within a residential complex or mass housing project; for other foreigners, this limit is 2. In addition, a detached house on land not exceeding 3,300 m² may also be acquired. Make sure to check the title deed status of the unit presented as a “villa” in the sale, because the count is made according to the definition in the title deed and the project.

I exceeded the limit; can I buy the fourth home?

Ownership permission is not granted for purchases exceeding the limit. In this situation, the 2026 regulation provides the option of a 10-year usage certificate, provided that title deed transfer fees are paid; this certificate does not grant ownership, but only the right to use and benefit. For contracts made before the decree, registration can be made by paying an additional fee of 1% with notification during the transition period, and 3% afterward.

If I have dual citizenship, which limit applies?

If you have TRNC citizenship, the purchase is made as a TRNC citizen, and the numerical limit and Council of Ministers permission do not apply. If you are a citizen of Turkey and another country, applying as a Turkish citizen generally provides broader rights such as 6 apartments or 3 villas. Keep the identity under which you apply consistent in all subsequent purchases.

Can I exceed the numerical limit by setting up a company?

No. A company with a foreign shareholder, even if the shareholding is small, is considered foreign and is limited by the rights of real persons. The legal route outside the numerical limit is an investment of at least 10 million euros in areas such as tourism, education or health; build-and-sell residential projects do not fall within this scope.

If you are unsure about any point when calculating your entitlement, write to us through our contact page; we can review together which purchase is possible based on your existing records.

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