Cyprus to fast-track construction permits to boost housing
Cyprus has revamped its planning and building permit system, cutting approval times to just 40 working days for small-scale developments, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou announced this week. The initiative is part of a broader strategy
Cyprus has revamped its planning and building permit system, cutting approval times to just 40 working days for small-scale developments, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou announced this week.
The initiative is part of a broader strategy to eliminate delays and modernise housing construction processes.
The reforms target low-risk “Category A” developments, which include up to two residential units.
“The package of 22 measures of the plan to simplify the licensing procedure includes changing the way of examining planning and building applications in order to achieve a shortening of the time of issuing the permit,” Ioannou said.
Planning certificates will now be issued within 20 working days, with building permits granted within another 20 days.
Applications must be submitted using a special checklist form, shifting responsibility to private designers to ensure compliance.
“In this context, actions have been launched to introduce a ‘fast-track’ procedure for the examination of planning and building applications and the issuing of planning or building certificates, which upgrades the role of the private designer by introducing the concept of self-checking,” Ioannou added.
Under the new system, permits are issued automatically if no decision is reached within the 20-day timeframe.
Auditors and building control officers will carry out on-site inspections in three stages to ensure compliance and address irregularities.
This marks a shift from reliance on paper-based reviews to real-time checks at construction sites.
The Ippodamos digital platform, operational since October 2, has already processed 147 planning applications for Category A developments.
Of these, 63 were approved, 13 rejected, and 71 remain under review. Building permits for Category A will follow the same streamlined process from January 2025, once system updates are complete.
Ioannou said that “we are announcing the extension of this measure to building permits for low-risk Category A developments”.
“The measure is expected to be implemented around the end of January, when the adjustments to the Ippodamos system will be completed,” he added.
By March 2025, the process will expand to medium-risk “Category B” projects, covering up to 12 residential units or apartment blocks with a maximum of 20 apartments and four storeys.
Applications for these developments will require 80 working days in total for planning and building permits, with stricter checks at all stages.
Ioannou emphasised that designers now bear full responsibility for correct submissions, and that any irregularities will be reported during inspections.
“What we are essentially doing through our actions is to reduce the time required to obtain the necessary permits to start construction work on a dwelling to just 40 working days,” he said.
The reforms also aim to clear 5,000 pending applications for building permits, provided designers finalise the required documentation.
The new licensing system, combining automated approvals with precise on-site inspections, seeks to prevent past abuses and improve efficiency across Cyprus’ construction sector.
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