The Ministry of the Interior of Cyprus has announced the successful completion of the Urban Planning Amnesty Program.
The deadline to submit applications was June 23, 2025.
As part of a government initiative, the agency received 2,841 requests from residents of the island. Of these: 1,049 (37%) were in Nicosia, 770 (27%) in Limassol, 519 (18.3%) in Paphos, 328 (11.5%) in Larnaca, and 175 (6.2%) in the Free areas of Famagusta.
Most applications, 88% or 2,495, concerned the legalization of residential real estate. Commercial properties came in second with 155 applications (5.5%). These were followed by offices (2%), entertainment venues (1.9%), industrial buildings (1.5%), and tourist, agricultural, and educational facilities (1.1%).
District administrations are currently reviewing all applications. If approved, applicants will receive notifications indicating the next steps to obtain final urban planning permission and property rights.
As a reminder, the program covered a number of minor urban planning violations, including:
- Extensions and alterations that increase the built-up area;
- Pergolas and covered verandas;
- Reduced distance from the plot boundary;
- Exceeding the permissible percentage of built-up area;
- Noncompliance with building height and number of floors limits.
All amnesty contributions will be transferred to the Special Fund for Affordable Housing, which is managed by the Cyprus Land Development Organization (KOAG). According to preliminary estimates, the fund will receive more than €5.3 million, which will support housing programs for low-income citizens.