CONTENT
course content
Dates and times
22/04/2026 16:00 - 19:15
23/04/2026 16:00 - 18:00
24/04/2026 16:00 - 18:00
27/04/2026 16:00 - 18:00
29/04/2026 16:00 - 18:00
30/04/2026 16:00 - 18:00
04/05/2026 16:00 - 18:00
06/05/2026 16:00 - 18:30
Course content
Module 1: Analysing the Deal from the Start – Client Intent, Transaction Strategy, and Early Risk Control
- Key early decisions: aligning client goals (residence, investment, PR, development) with the right transaction structure
- Understanding property categories (residential, commercial, mixed-use) and their implications in practice
- Buyer profiles: EU, non-EU, corporate entities – legal limitations, permission requirements, and tax impacts
- Strategic structuring: title purchase, or share acquisition – choosing the right approach
- Reservation agreements: when to use them, key terms to include, and how to manage legal risk
- Strategic red flags: dual listings, unlicensed agents, promises without documentation, price discrepancies
- What to ask and request up front: key paperwork and verbal commitments that must be documented
- Clauses and protections to pre-agree: cooling-off periods, proof of ownership, disclosure obligations
Module 2: Legal Due Diligence – Land Registry, Title, and Planning Compliance
- Step-by-step due diligence: sequencing searches, document review, and site visits
- How to verify legal ownership and conduct an effective Land Registry search
- Common encumbrances: mortgages, liens, memos, prior sale contracts – and what each means for the buyer
- Reviewing planning zones and density; reading building and division permits
- The importance of the Certificate of Final Approval and how its absence affects title issuance
- Practical checklist of what to request from the seller and at which stage
- Buyer due diligence in practice: how to interpret findings and advise clients on risk
- Common problems: pending permits, shared titles, undocumented alterations – and how to respond
- Clauses in the sale agreement that respond to red flags: retention clauses, seller undertakings, indemnities
Module 3: Registering and Protecting the Buyer – Filing, Declarations, and Legal Impact
- Practical steps from contract signing to registration at the Land Registry
- Stamp duty: how to calculate it, how and where to pay, what documents are needed to file
- Land Registry filing process: what must be submitted, who signs, how to avoid rejections
- The legal effect of lodging the contract – buyer protection through specific performance
- Navigating the 2023 reforms: Type A and C declarations, when they apply, and practical issues with banks
- Understanding and obtaining the seller’s Search Certificate: what to check before filing
- Consequences of failing to file or delays in filing – court cases, buyer remedies, loss of legal standing
- Common errors and omissions in the filing process – and how to fix them fast
- Contractual clauses that support the filing process and ensure seller cooperation
Module 4: Taxation in Real Estate Transactions – Practical Impact on the Deal
- How tax obligations arise at each stage of the transaction: reservation, contract, filing, completion, post-transfer
- What the buyer must pay: transfer fees, stamp duty, VAT (including misclassification risks under 5% rule)
- What the seller is responsible for: Capital Gains Tax, tax clearance certificates, municipal charges
- Transfer fees: calculation brackets, VAT interaction, exemptions and how they impact deal structure
- Capital Gains Tax: seller-side obligation, how it's calculated, what counts as allowable deductions, and common missteps
- VAT on new properties: understanding the 19% vs 5% threshold, new rules post-2023, and how to check eligibility
- Stamp duty: payment deadlines, common declaration errors, and buyer risks
- Tax planning around completion: preparing for clearance, holding back funds, or conditioning transfer
- Clauses in the agreement dealing with tax allocation: who pays what, proof of payment, and fallback remedies
Module 5: Completion and Title Transfer – Timeline, Risks, and Legal Coordination
- Countdown to completion: what must be ready 48–24 hours before the appointment (tax clearance, Search Certificate, mortgage payoff arrangements)
- Who attends the Land Registry and what happens: buyer, seller, lawyers, lender representatives – what is signed, checked, and lodged
- Required documentation: updated ID, power of attorney (if relevant), tax receipts, and utility confirmations
- Handling mortgage discharge: pre-coordination with banks, bank letters, and funds flow to release encumbrance
- Payment mechanics: use of cashier’s cheques, stakeholder accounts, and timing of balance settlement
- Delivery of vacant possession: risk of dispute and how to manage it contractually and logistically
- What happens if something goes wrong on the day: seller doesn’t show, clearance is missing, documents are wrong
- Contract clauses that protect the parties: fallback clauses, penalty clauses, buyer protections and stakeholder provisions
Module 6: Permanent Residency by Investment – Legal Strategy, Compliance, and Transactional Execution
- Recognising PR-motivated buyers early: client intake questions, risk profiling, and pre-screening for eligibility
- Requirements under Reg. 6(2): minimum investment (€300,000 + VAT), qualifying new property, full payment from foreign funds, and financial thresholds
- Documentation checklist: sale agreement, proof of payment, title or contract filed at Land Registry, proof of income from abroad, health insurance, clean criminal record
- Immigration filing procedure: how and where to submit, required timing, and how to coordinate submission with transaction progress
- Legal impact of PR goals on property selection: VAT considerations, off-plan risks, suitability for long-term use
- Mortgage restrictions: full purchase price must be paid without local financing – legal structuring implications
- Contractual clauses to protect PR applicants: intended use declarations, early delivery guarantees, fallback provisions if PR is rejected
- Common causes of rejection and how to avoid them
Module 7: Handling Complex and Non-Standard Transactions – Real-Life Structures and Execution Risks
- Working with developer-led projects: how to advise when titles are not yet issued, when delivery is phased, and what documents to demand before allowing the deal to proceed
- Buying land for future development: how to interpret zoning and building density
- Using Cyprus companies in property transactions - how to structure shareholding and control, and what to verify in the company’s records
- Foreclosures and judicial sales: understanding auction procedure, risks of limited due diligence, and practical issues in acquiring distressed assets
- Key clauses for high-risk or complex deals: staged payments, delivery of title, penalty clauses, buyer withdrawal rights, and risk allocation
- Advanced due diligence: what professionals should check that buyers often overlook (e.g. title layering, planning risks, residual developer obligations)
suitable for
This course is suitable for:
- Lawyers
- In-house legal teams
- Conveyancers
- Real estate professionals
- Compliance officers
- Corporate service providers involved in property transactions in Cyprus
