DLS
The Department of Lands and Surveys, the government department that keeps the Cyprus Land Registry, registers sales and mortgages and issues title deeds.
Updated 12 Oct 2026How it works
The Department of Lands and Surveys (Τμήμα Κτηματολογίου και Χωρομετρίας) is part of the Ministry of Interior. It is the government service responsible for property rights and their registration, transfers and mortgages, surveying and mapping, property valuation, including the general valuation, and the management of state land (DLS).
It works through its headquarters in Nicosia and six District Land Offices, one for each district. Because their records remain in the occupied areas, the Keryneia and Ammochostos offices operate temporarily in Nicosia and Paralimni (DLS offices).
For buyers, the main DLS services are:
- deposit of sale contracts;
- registration of transfers and mortgages;
- search certificates and copies of title deeds;
- new title deeds, for example for each flat in a building.
Many services are on the DLS Portal, where you sign in with CY Login. The portal also has a transfer fee calculator. The DLS call centre is 17100, or +357 22804900 from abroad.
Why it matters when you buy
You become the owner only when the DLS registers the transfer in your name. Until then, your protection comes from depositing the sale contract at the District Land Office within six months of signing.
In 2026 the DLS stopped informing buyers about mortgages and other encumbrances when a contract is lodged. Checks must therefore be made before you sign, using a search certificate.