Between January and October 2026, foreign buyers signed contracts to purchase 6,994 properties in Cyprus, accounting for 41.8% of all registered real estate purchase agreements. Citizens of the United Kingdom, Israel, Russia, Greece, and Lebanon remain the most active foreign buyers on the island, according to an analysis of statistics from the Cyprus Department of Land Resources and previously published data from the country’s Ministry of the Interior.
According to information from the Cyprus Department of Land and Surveying (DLS), 16,741 real estate purchase agreements were registered in the country from January through October, which is 13% more than during the same period in 2025.
In particular, buyers from countries outside the European Union signed contracts to purchase 4,684 properties, a 19% increase from the previous year. Citizens of other EU countries purchased an additional 2,310 properties under registered contracts, increasing the figure by approximately 18%.
Thus, buyers from third countries accounted for about 67% of all contracts related to foreign demand, while EU citizens accounted for 33%.
At the same time, the figure of 41.8% reflects the share of foreigners in registered contracts, not in completed transfers of ownership. From January through September 2026, foreigners obtained ownership of 3,433 out of 16,525 properties transferred to new owners, or 20.8%.
The difference is explained by the fact that the signing of a contract and the final registration of ownership may occur at different times, especially when purchasing real estate under construction.
The highest concentration of foreign demand is observed in the resort town of Paphos, where, over the first ten months of 2026, foreigners accounted for 2,319 contracts, or 68.7% of the total.
Limassol ranked second in terms of the number of foreign purchases, with 2,052 contracts, representing 38% of the local market.
In Larnaca, foreign buyers registered contracts for 1,745 properties, accounting for 47.5% of the market. In Famagusta, this figure stood at 341 properties, or 46.6%.
The capital city, Nicosia, showed the least dependence on foreign demand. Here, foreign buyers accounted for 537 contracts, or 15.1% of the total volume.
The growth in the number of contracts with foreign buyers is most noticeable in Larnaca, where the figure increased by 25.1% compared to January–October 2025. In Paphos, the increase was 21.1%, and in Limassol, 18.1%.
Detailed statistics on the citizenship of foreign buyers are not published in the DLS monthly reports. The agency divides buyers into only two categories: EU citizens and citizens of other countries.
At the same time, the Cypriot Ministry of the Interior previously provided Parliament with detailed data on the citizenship of foreigners purchasing real estate on the island. These data allow for identifying the main countries of origin of buyers and regional patterns of demand.
In particular, according to information presented to Parliament and published by the Cyprus Mail on October 24, 2025, between September 2024 and September 2025, the highest activity among specific national groups was recorded in the following regions.
In Limassol, Russian citizens led the way, purchasing 846 properties. Israelis took second place with 571 properties, and Greek citizens came in third with 261 properties.
In Paphos, British citizens purchased the most real estate—890 properties. They were followed by Israeli citizens with 683 properties and Russian citizens with 327.
In Larnaca, Israeli citizens were the largest buyers, purchasing 850 properties. Lebanese citizens bought 723 properties, and British citizens bought 302.
In Nicosia, Greek citizens took first place among foreign buyers with 403 properties, followed by Romanians with 112, Russians with 80, and Lebanese with 79.
In Famagusta, the largest group of foreign buyers was British, who purchased 220 properties.
Thus, the geography of foreign demand in Cyprus varies significantly by region. British buyers traditionally hold a strong position in Paphos and Famagusta; Russians in Limassol; Israelis and Lebanese in Larnaca; and Greeks in Nicosia.
These figures by citizenship pertain to the previous statistical period and cannot be used to accurately reflect the buyer composition for January–October 2026.
Ukrainian citizens are also represented among foreign investors in Cypriot real estate, primarily in the island’s coastal regions.
According to data from the Cypriot Ministry of the Interior presented to parliament in January 2025, Ukrainians were among the top ten most represented national groups of buyers in four coastal districts: Limassol, Paphos, Larnaca, and Famagusta.
In Limassol and Paphos, other notable groups of buyers included citizens of Russia, the United Kingdom, Israel, Greece, Romania, and China.
Separate data on applications by foreigners to purchase real estate in Nicosia for 2024 show that Ukrainian citizens accounted for 4% of such applications, the same as citizens of the United Kingdom.
The largest shares in this category were held by citizens of China and Lebanon—16% each—Russia—14%—Israel—10%—Syria—6%—and Egypt—5%.
At the same time, the share of applications does not equal the share of purchases actually completed. According to data from the Cypriot Ministry of the Interior on immigration permits for 2014–2025, 983 permits in this category were issued to Ukrainian citizens and their family members. By comparison, 10,100 permits were issued to Chinese citizens and their family members, 8,478 to Russian citizens, and 1,822 to Lebanese citizens.
These figures pertain to immigration permits, not the number of real estate transactions, and therefore cannot be used to directly assess the volume of purchases.
At present, it is impossible to determine the exact number of properties purchased by Ukrainians or Russians between January and October 2026 based on the publicly available monthly statistics from DLS.
The activity of foreign buyers is accompanied by a further increase in residential real estate prices.
According to data from the Central Bank of Cyprus, in the second quarter of 2026, the residential real estate price index rose by 8.5% year-over-year, following a 7.5% increase in the first quarter.
Apartment prices rose by 8.9%, while single-family home prices rose by 5.8%.
The highest annual price increases were recorded in Famagusta (10%), Larnaca (9.8%), and Paphos (9.6%). In Limassol, housing prices rose by 7.8%, and in Nicosia, by 5.7%.
According to the Central Bank’s assessment, the price increase is driven by high demand—particularly from foreigners—as well as rising construction costs.
At the same time, the volume of new construction is also increasing. From January through May 2026, the number of residential units covered by issued building permits rose by 63.7%, to 8,978. This may contribute to an expansion of the housing supply in the medium term.
In October 2026, 1,772 real estate purchase and sale contracts were registered in Cyprus, an 8% increase compared to October of last year. Over the first ten months, the total number of contracts reached 16,741, representing approximately 92% of the total for all of 2025. Limassol remains the largest regional market, with 5,406 contracts registered from January through October. In Larnaca, this figure stood at 3,674; in Nicosia, 3,556; in Paphos, 3,374; and in Famagusta, 731.
In monetary terms, for January–September 2026, the total declared value of completed real estate property transfers amounted to EUR3.46 billion, which is 7% more than a year earlier.
Limassol accounted for the largest share of the transaction value—EUR1.39 billion, or about 40% of the total. Transactions totaling EUR735 million were registered in Nicosia, EUR696 million in Paphos, EUR480 million in Larnaca, and EUR162 million in Famagusta.
Thus, the Cypriot real estate market in 2026 remains highly dependent on foreign demand, particularly in coastal regions. Meanwhile, the main groups of buyers from third countries remain investors from the United Kingdom, Israel, Russia, and Lebanon, while among EU citizens, buyers from Greece and Romania play a significant role.
