What is the procedure for foreign citizens to acquire permission from the Ministry of Interiors to take possession of TRNC Title deeds? How long does this procedure take?

This is a process that would normally be included in the legal fee at the beginning of the conveyancing process. Your lawyer will submit a form with your personal details, a CRB check to be provided by you from your country of residence, a copy of the title deeds relevant to your purchase, a copy of the site plan and a photocopy of your passport to the Interior Ministry.

Once these have been submitted your lawyer will be given a reference number for this application. This number is needed in order to make any future enquiries in relation to this application.

In considering your application the Interior Ministry will take into account the following: whether your property purchase is within the specified land requirements, and whether or not it is near any forbidden military zones.

It can take approximately one and a half years for the results of this application to be released to your lawyer.