Cyprus Inheritance Tax and Gift Tax: No Estate Tax, the Land Registry Fees, the Heir's Capital Gains Base and the Succession Rules for Foreign Owners

Cyprus has no inheritance tax, no estate duty and no gift tax: the estate duty law was repealed for everyone who died on or after 1 January 2000 (Law 74(I)/2000). What remains are fees and one later tax. A child who inherits as a lawful heir pays no Land Registry fee; a gift between spouses or between relatives up to the third degree pays 0.01% of the property's value at 1 January 2013; a will that leaves property to someone who is not a lawful heir pays 3 per 1,000 of that value. Capital gains tax does not arise on the transfer; the heir takes over the deceased's original acquisition value as the base: an apartment bought for €400,000 and sold by the child for €480,000 produces €10,000 of capital gains tax after the €30,000 lifetime exemption, plus a €1,920 levy. Where the Cyprus rules apply, a spouse and children keep three quarters of the estate however the will is written, and a foreign national can choose the law of their own nationality in a will under EU Regulation 650/2012 (sources read on 9 November 2026).

Cyprus inheritance tax and gift tax: none for deaths since 1 January 2000

The Estate Duty Law was repealed by Law 74(I)/2000, published in the Official Gazette of 16 June 2000. Section 2 repeals it for persons who died on or after 1 January 2000 and keeps it for earlier deaths. The date that counts is the date of death, so the estate of a person who died in 2026 owes no Cypriot inheritance tax, whether the heir lives in Cyprus or abroad and whether the property is an apartment, a villa or land.

Cyprus has no separate gift tax either. PwC's Worldwide Tax Summaries for Cyprus, last reviewed on 4 August 2026, describe gifts only through two rules: a list of gifts that are exempt from capital gains tax, and a reduced Land Registry fee on free transfers. Both are set out below. The older overview of taxes on real estate in Cyprus mentions inheritance in one section; this guide covers each step in detail.

Taxes and fees on inherited property in Cyprus at a glance

Stamp duty is absent from the table because the Stamp Duty Laws were repealed from 1 January 2026, and the annual immovable property tax was abolished on 1 January 2017; both are covered near the end of this guide.

Gift tax and Land Registry fees: what each relationship pays on a transfer

The Department of Lands and Surveys charges its registration fee to the person in whose name the property is registered. The rates sit in the Table to the Department of Lands and Surveys (Fees and Charges) Law, Cap. 219, and in the department's published fee leaflet. For free transfers the fee is calculated on the value of the property at 1 January 2013, which can differ widely from today's market value. Chambers' Private Wealth 2026 guide describes these 2013 values as a general government valuation that does not represent market value and is available online.

The 2013 value in the example is an assumption for the arithmetic; the real value for a given apartment is on the Land Registry record. The rate of 0.01% is the figure in the text of Cap. 219 (one in ten thousand) and in the department's leaflet. PwC's summary gives 0.1% for the same category, so a buyer who sees both figures should rely on the law and ask the Land Registry for the exact charge before the transfer.

Cap. 219 and the Capital Gains Tax Law use the term relatives up to the third degree of kindred and the texts read for this guide give no list of them, so a lawyer should confirm any borderline relationship, such as a step-child or an unmarried partner, before a gift is signed. For the general scale of transfer fees on purchases see the cost of buying property in Cyprus.

Capital gains tax on inherited property and gifts: which base value the heir takes

Capital gains tax is 20% on the gain from selling Cyprus immovable property (PwC, reviewed 4 August 2026). Article 10 of the Capital Gains Tax Law 52/1980, in the consolidated text on the Cyprus Bar Association's cylaw.org, defines a disposal to include a gift of property, and then excludes from it a transfer on death, a gift from a parent to a child, a gift between spouses, a gift between persons related up to the third degree, and a gift from a foster parent to a foster child. A gift to a family company is also excluded when the shareholders remain members of the donor's family for five years. Nothing is taxed at the moment of an excluded transfer.

The same article decides what the new owner takes over. For a transfer on death, the value of the property is its value at the time the deceased acquired it (the original or the inflation-adjusted acquisition value), or its value on 1 January 1980, whichever of those dates is the later. If the deceased acquired the property before 14 July 1974, the heir may choose the value on 14 July 1974. For a gift, the base is the donor's original or adjusted acquisition value, whichever is lower, again with the 1 January 1980 and 14 July 1974 rules, and in a chain of gifts the first donor counts. In plain terms, the heir or donee inherits the history of the property: the gain that built up during the previous owner's life is taxed when the new owner sells.

The lifetime exemptions of Article 5 apply to the heir as to any seller. In the current text the general exemption is €30,000 of gain, and a main residence that the owner has used for at least five years exclusively as a home is exempt up to €150,000 of gain; a person is entitled to one of the two, whichever is larger (Article 5(2)). The amounts apply from 1 January 2026; PwC records the earlier amounts as €85,430 for a main residence and €17,086 for the general exemption. The seller also pays a levy of 0.4% on the sale proceeds, which PwC dates from 22 February 2021.

Worked example: inherited property worth €400,000, Land Registry fees and the heir's later sale

Assumptions: a UK resident buys a new-build apartment for €400,000 in total, VAT included, so no transfer fee is payable on the purchase. The owner dies and the apartment passes to the owner's child, who is a lawful heir. The apartment is worth €440,000 at the date of death. Three years later the child sells it for €480,000. The child has not used any lifetime exemption, and selling costs are ignored.

1. Cyprus inheritance tax: €0, because the owner died after 1 January 2000.
2. Land Registry fee on registering the title to the child as a lawful heir: €0. Filing the probate order against the property costs €10. The same transfer to a person who is not a relative, treated as a gift of a €440,000 property, would cost 3% × €85,000 = €2,550, plus 5% × €85,000 = €4,250, plus 8% × €270,000 = €21,600, which is €28,400 at the statutory scale and €14,200 after the 50% reduction.
3. Probate costs: the only official figure found is the €10 filing fee. The court fee under Appendix D of the Court Fees Order and the lawyer's fee are not stated on a page read for this guide; the lawyer's fee is agreed with the lawyer.
4. The child's base value: €400,000, the deceased's acquisition value, even though the apartment was worth €440,000 at death.
5. Gain on the later sale: €480,000 − €400,000 = €80,000, before inflation adjustment of the cost and selling costs, which lower it. Of that gain, €440,000 − €400,000 = €40,000 built up while the parent owned the apartment.
6. Capital gains tax: (€80,000 − €30,000 lifetime exemption) × 20% = €50,000 × 20% = €10,000. The exemption is assumed unused and deducted from the gain.
7. Levy on the sale proceeds: 0.4% × €480,000 = €1,920. Total paid by the child at the sale: €10,000 + €1,920 = €11,920.
8. If the child had used the apartment as a main residence for at least five years before selling, the €150,000 exemption exceeds the €80,000 gain and no capital gains tax is due; the €1,920 levy remains.

The buyer of the apartment pays the transfer fees on the sale or VAT on a new unit, as set out in the guide to taxes on real estate. A lawyer who handles probate and the title transfer together keeps the paperwork in one place; see how to choose a property lawyer in Cyprus.

Cyprus inheritance law: forced shares and intestacy under the Wills and Succession Law

Succession in Cyprus is governed mainly by the Wills and Succession Law, Cap. 195, and the Administration of Estates Law, Cap. 189 (European e-Justice portal, Cyprus page updated 2 April 2024; Legal 500 articles by Cypriot law firms). Cap. 195 reserves a statutory portion of the net estate for the spouse, the children and the parents, and the testator can dispose freely of only the remainder.

On a net estate of €400,000 with a spouse and two children, the testator can leave €100,000 freely and €300,000 goes to the family under the statutory portion. A will that conflicts with the reserved portion is invalid only to that extent and the rest stands (Frangos Law, Legal 500, 8 August 2025). Natural children are entitled to a share equal to the spouse's.

With no will, children and their descendants take equal shares after debts (Legal 500, E. Tzioni & Associates, 9 December 2021). Where there are no children, the spouse takes one half when the deceased leaves parents, brothers or sisters or other relatives up to the third degree, three quarters when the nearest relatives are in the fourth degree, and the whole estate when there are none (Legal 500, 2021; European e-Justice portal). Joint wills are not provided for in Cyprus.

Until 2015, section 42 of Cap. 195 let a person whose father was born in the UK or a Commonwealth country dispose of the estate freely. Law 96(I)/2015 repealed it for deaths on or after 3 July 2015, so the persons it covered now fall under the same rules as everyone else unless they use the choice of law described next.

Succession for foreign owners: EU Regulation 650/2012, habitual residence and choice of law in a will

Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 applies to deaths on or after 17 August 2015 (Article 83). Recitals 82 and 83 name the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark as the states that are not bound by it; the European e-Justice portal confirms that only Denmark and Ireland do not take part, and Chambers' Private Wealth 2026 chapter states that Cyprus is bound by the Regulation. Article 20 makes the Regulation apply to any law it designates, whether or not that is the law of an EU member state.

• General rule (Article 21): the law of the State where the deceased had the habitual residence at the time of death governs the succession as a whole, which includes immovable property in Cyprus. A person who lives in Cyprus at death is therefore under Cypriot law, forced shares included; a person who lives in France at death with an apartment in Cyprus is under French law for the whole estate.
• Choice of law (Article 22): a person may choose the law of the State whose nationality they hold at the time of choosing or at death. The choice must be express in a will or follow clearly from its terms. A British, German or Polish national living in Cyprus can use the choice to apply the national law, including its rules on freedom of testation. A Cypriot law firm (A. Danos & Associates, Legal 500, 23 September 2025) states that a properly made choice lets foreign nationals avoid the Cypriot forced shares even for assets in Cyprus; the firm gives this as its general position and does not analyse it in detail.
• Third countries (Article 34): when the Regulation points to the law of a non-EU country, such as the habitual residence of a UK resident, it applies that country's rules including its private international law, to the extent they refer back to the law of an EU member state. For a Cyprus apartment owned by a UK resident the result depends on those rules and on any choice of law, which makes it a question for lawyers in both countries.
• Special rules on property (Article 30): where the law of the country in which immovable property is located has special rules that restrict succession for economic, family or social reasons and apply regardless of the governing law, those rules apply. A lawyer checks whether any Cypriot rule of that kind touches the apartment.

The same Legal 500 article of 23 September 2025 says Cyprus has not opted in to the Regulation. The Regulation's own recitals, the e-Justice portal and the Chambers chapter contradict that, and this guide follows them.

Making a will for Cyprus property and recognition of a will made abroad

A will in Cyprus must be in writing, signed at its end by the testator in the presence of two witnesses who are present at the same time and who sign in the testator's presence and in each other's; every sheet of a multi-page will is signed or initialled; the testator must be over 18 and of sound mind; a person who benefits under the will cannot act as a witness, and a gift to a witness is void (Legal 500, E. Tzioni & Associates, 2021; European e-Justice portal). Depositing the will at the District Court Registry is advisable and is not required for validity.

A will is not invalid merely because it was made outside Cyprus (A. Danos & Associates, Legal 500, 20 August 2026). Article 27 of Regulation 650/2012 treats a written will as valid in form if it complies with the law of the place where it was made, of a State whose nationality the testator held, of a State where the testator was domiciled or habitually resident, or, for immovable property, of the State where the property lies. A will that follows the formalities of the place where it was signed, such as a UK will with two witnesses, therefore meets the form test of Article 27(1)(a). The same firm advises examining the original documents and any other wills, because a later general revocation clause can unintentionally revoke an earlier will, which matters for an owner who signs one will abroad and another in Cyprus.

Probate and administration after a death in Cyprus: steps, documents and timing

A will has no effect until it has been admitted to probate (Rightax), and with no will the heirs apply for letters of administration. The European e-Justice portal lists the steps that follow.

1. File the application at the District Court of the deceased's last domicile, with sworn statements from the administrator or executor, a death and inheritance certificate from the head of the municipality or community, and the heirs' consent.
2. The Probate Registry passes the application to the Tax Department, which approves it before the court order is issued (Legal 500, E. Tzioni & Associates, 2021).
3. The court issues the concession deed naming the administrator or executor, and an inventory is registered.
4. Debts, including tax, are paid from the estate. Heirs are not personally liable for the deceased's debts.
5. The estate is distributed, the heirs sign a waiver declaration confirming receipt, and final accounts are registered; the registry then releases the executor.
6. The order is filed at the Department of Lands and Surveys, which registers the title to the heirs (€10 filing fee; no registration fee for a lawful heir).

On timing, one Cypriot firm wrote in 2021 that a grant usually takes no more than three months when no beneficiary objects. A. Danos & Associates wrote in August 2026 that there is no meaningful single timetable, that cross-border estates often take longer, and that a personal representative must file accounts within two years of the grant (section 45 of Cap. 189). Plan on several months, and longer for an estate with foreign documents.

A grant made abroad is not enough on its own: presenting a foreign grant to the Land Registry or a bank without a further procedure does not work. Under the Probates (Re-sealing) Law, Cap. 192, a qualifying foreign grant can be re-sealed by the District Court on application, and the re-sealing rules require proof that the fee under Appendix D of the Court Fees Order has been paid and, where the fee paid is below the maximum, an undertaking to pay any shortfall. Foreign public documents may need an apostille and a translation.

Statement of assets for the Tax Department: reporting inherited property after a death

The executor, administrator or heirs submit a statement of the deceased's assets and liabilities to the Tax Department within six months of the date of death, and the deceased's tax affairs normally need to be settled before the administration can be completed (Rightax, last updated 13 September 2026; Cyprus Tax Hub, 5 September 2026). The deceased must have a Cyprus tax identification number; if there is none, registration comes first, as in the guide to the Cyprus tax ID number for foreigners. Applications go to a District Office of the Tax Department in person or by post, not online.

The e-Justice portal lists a certificate that real estate and capital gains tax liabilities are settled among the documents for the transfer. The statement has no tax attached to it, since there is no inheritance tax, and it keeps the record of the property's acquisition cost that the heir needs for capital gains tax at the later sale. An heir who keeps the purchase contract, the transfer fee receipts and the title deed saves time later; the guide on what a title deed is explains the document.

Home-country inheritance tax on a Cyprus property: UK and German examples

No Cypriot tax means no Cypriot tax credit, and the home country may tax the same estate. A treaty between Cyprus and a home country that covers estates was not found on an official page for this guide, so a foreign owner should assume that the home country's own rules apply in full.

• United Kingdom: Inheritance Tax is 40% on the part of an estate above the £325,000 threshold (GOV.UK). Since 6 April 2025 overseas assets are in scope when the person is a long-term UK resident, meaning UK resident for 10 of the previous 20 tax years, and the status can last for up to 10 tax years after leaving: 3 years after 10 to 13 years of UK residence, 4 years after 14 years, 5 years after 15 years (GOV.UK, published 6 April 2025). A Cyprus apartment owned by a person in that position can fall within UK Inheritance Tax.
• Germany: under section 2 of the Inheritance and Gift Tax Act, tax applies to the whole inheritance when the deceased or the heir lives in Germany, or is a German national who has not lived abroad continuously for more than five years without a German home. Section 19 sets rates from 7% to 50% by tax class and amount.

Other countries have their own rules. A buyer should ask a tax adviser in the home country about the tax on a foreign property before signing, as part of the same planning as the Cyprus tax residency rules.

Stamp duty, annual property tax and the 0.4% levy after a succession

Stamp duty: Law 239(I)/2025 repealed the Stamp Duty Laws from 1 January 2026. Documents signed by at least one party up to 31 December 2025 stay under the old law (KPMG, January 2026). A will, a gift deed or a sale contract signed in 2026 or later carries no stamp duty.

Annual property tax: PwC records that the immovable property tax was abolished from 1 January 2017. Municipal charges remain, as they do for any owner.

Levy of 0.4%: PwC describes it as a levy on the sale proceeds of Cyprus immovable property, paid by the seller, applying since 22 February 2021 and, from 18 November 2022, also to sales of shares in companies that hold such property. It arises at the heir's sale, which is why the example above includes it.

The heir's own income tax and the rest of the personal tax position follow the heir's residence; the Cyprus tax for individuals guide gives the rates.

Cyprus inheritance tax and gift tax: questions people ask

Sources, all read on 9 November 2026. Law 74(I)/2000 (Official Gazette No. 3413, 16 June 2000), repealing estate duty for deaths from 1 January 2000. Capital Gains Tax Law 52/1980, Articles 5 and 10, consolidated text on cylaw.org (Cyprus Bar Association), including amendments to 242(I)/2025. Department of Lands and Surveys (Fees and Charges) Law, Cap. 219, Table Chapter 3 and sections 7 and 10, on cylaw.org; Department of Lands and Surveys fee leaflet (2022 version on its portal) and fees page. Probates (Re-sealing) Procedure Rules, rule 15, on cylaw.org. Cyprus Tax Hub, Cyprus inheritance tax guide (5 September 2026), for cross-checking only. PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, Cyprus individual taxes, last reviewed 4 August 2026. Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 as published on legislation.gov.uk (recitals 82 and 83, Articles 20, 21, 22, 27, 30, 34, 83). European e-Justice portal, Cyprus succession pages (updated 2 April 2024) and the EU succession page. Legal 500 articles by Frangos Law (8 August 2025), E. Tzioni & Associates (9 December 2021) and A. Danos & Associates (23 September 2025 and 20 August 2026). Chambers Private Wealth 2026, Cyprus. KPMG TaxNewsFlash on the repeal of stamp duty, January 2026. Rightax, Cyprus inheritance tax, updated 13 September 2026. GOV.UK: Inheritance Tax, and Inheritance Tax if you are a long-term UK resident (6 April 2025). German Inheritance and Gift Tax Act, sections 2 and 19, on gesetze-im-internet.de. The fee examples use an assumed 2013 value and an assumed market value that are marked as assumptions. The Court Fees Order amount for probate and the Tax Department's own page on the statement of assets were not confirmed. This guide is general information and not tax advice; a licensed tax adviser should confirm your own position. Cyprus VIP Estates assists investors in choosing new developments; legal and immigration advice comes from licensed professionals.