About North Cyprus

Nokta makes no apology for starting with this positive extract from a UK web-site:

“Those who travel to Cyprus regularly will, in the main, be familiar with the southern part of this island, split as it is between the Greek southern sector and the Turkish northern sector. The border is a political and cultural division, which in turn has led to a completely different feel; that of time itself.

North Cyprus has remained immune to the fast and ever-changing fashions that have seen its southern neighbour become a somewhat homogenous ‘tourist destination’ where the native cuisine has been replaced by generic world-famous fast-food franchises; indigenous arts and craft markets replaced by malls awash with branded items available the world over. Where local café, restaurant and bar nightlife has been swamped by ‘theme’ pubs and night clubs. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but some say it has lost the very ‘soul’ that first drew visitors to these delightful shores.

North Cyprus invites you to rediscover the real ‘Cyprus feeling’ that first attracted the curious traveller to this island paradise. It’s as if time has stood still; a calmer, more genuine experience being the reward for its recent isolation. The magnificent, undisturbed landscape remains a haven for unique flora and fauna and in the towns and villages life continues at a pace so much more suitable to utter, unbridled relaxation.”

Some may claim that this idyllic picture is just that – an idyllic picture. But we believe it is based upon genuine sentiment and a love for a place on this earth that really is special for those who know it. There are very real and significant differences between North Cyprus and the rest of the island and, indeed, much of modern-day Western Europe. For most, these are felt to be the real benefits that stem from a slower pace of life and lower dependence upon competing for the demands from the massive numbers of tourist that can be the norm elsewhere.

Nonetheless, whilst vast areas of North Cyprus remain relatively untouched by tourism and modernization, there is a substantial amount of development that has been taking place over recent years in order to meet the needs of a relatively small, but growing number of foreign visitors and residents. Such ‘more developed’ areas tend to sit in ‘pockets’, with by far the largest being in and around Kyrenia, where today there are many villas, apartments, restaurants and hotels to be seen when travelling East or West out of the town.

Furthermore, there has also been a ‘developing infrastructure’ within North Cyprus that has seen vastly improving and growing facilities, such as schools, universities and hospitals and other modern well equipped medical & dental facilities, alongside improving roads, water supplies and other utilities.

There are also modern banking facilities, with some banks affiliated with well- known UK and overseas banks. Some would argue that the best attraction of North Cyprus is that its currency is the Turkish Lira and that the exchange rate is VERY good for most other currencies, but we leave that for you to decide.

North Cyprus is different, but at the same time it is gradually changing. It is a place of contrasts with modern facilities alongside an ‘old fashioned’ way of life and an intrinsic scenic beauty. We have for example, a luxury golf course just a few miles away from a world heritage site. But North Cyprus is above all a very peaceful, friendly and safe place. However, there is only one way to fully understand North Cyprus – come and see for it yourself!

Visit North Cyprus – Help from Nokta

If you are thinking about visiting North Cyprus, we can help:

Flights: You can easily book flights direct to North Cyprus (the flights touch-down in Turkey on-route). Flights from the UK can currently be booked on-line via Pegasus, Turkish Airlines or Atlas. Alternatively, you can fly into South Cyprus – for example to Larnaca if you prefer and then a taxi can be booked to cross the border – please ask us and we can arrange this for you if you wish.

Accommodation: There are endless possibilities – all grades of hotels, villas and apartments to rent – and all can be explored and booked on-line. We can provide you with recommendations and/or make a booking for you, if you let us know your requirements.

Viewing trip: In addition to arranging your airport transfers and accommodation, we can put together a schedule of property viewings that meet your interests over a half day or full day and agree the scale and timing of this in advance of your visit. What’s more, we will refund the costs of the airport transfers and three nights hotel accommodation for two people against the total cost of your trip, if you decide you wish to proceed with any property purchase though Nokta and pay the initial deposit. Please ask for more information about this support package and how we would work with you to ensure we will meet your needs and objectives.

Property Buying Guide

If you decide to purchase a property in North Cyprus you should appoint a solicitor to act on your behalf at an early stage. There are many well qualified independent solicitors based in the country and as the law in North Cyprus is based upon British Law, many are trained and became qualified in the UK. We regard the appointment of a solicitor as the most important step in the entire process. We advise that you meet with the solicitor and satisfy yourself of their suitability to act on your behalf – including the ‘written and spoken English communication skills’ of the solicitor and any office support staff that may be used to communicate with you if your main language is English. If you have any doubts, you should meet with more than one firm of solicitor(s) to make the right choice.

Your solicitor will explain every step of the procedure for property purchase as well as act on your behalf, including through a Power of Attorney, when you are not in the country. Critically, your solicitor will carry out certain checks upon the safety of the property title and also that there are no mortgages or other claims against it that could impact the future value or ownership rights of the property.

The following are the key purchase procedure steps and costs that you will normally encounter as a property buyer:

Payment of an initial ‘property holding’ deposit (can vary but often £3000, or -3%).
Checks made by solicitor, including upon Title Deeds.
Contracts of Sale drawn up and payment of ‘full’ deposit – usually 25%.
Completion date is agreed and full payment scheduled to enable property purchase and contracts registered at Land Registry.
Application made to Council of Ministers for Permission to Purchase.
Following Permission to Buy – A Transfer fee of 3% is also payable @ 6%, but only 3% on first purchase in North Cyprus.
VAT is payable by the buyer – currently 5%.
*Note the payment of the full purchase price and completion of the property sale via legal contract exchange commonly takes place at an earlier stage than the full transfer of title deed. This is due to the time-frame for permission to purchase coming through – this can often be as long as 5 months. However, this does not prevent the new owner re-selling the property in the meantime should it become necessary to do so.