Filenews 8 July 2025
The deadline for the submission of an application to the Urban Amnesty Plan for the legalization of small-scale urban planning arbitrariness, with the aim of securing final approval and the issuance of a title deed, has been completed on 23 June 2025.
Within the framework of the Plan, a total of 2,841 applications were submitted concerning various types of irregularities, such as additions and conversions with an increase in the building coefficient and small-scale urban planning arbitrariness, such as pergolas, covered terraces, reduced distance from the border, exceeding the coverage percentage, the maximum permitted height, the number of floors of main and auxiliary buildings, etc.
The largest percentage of applications submitted concern the legalization of urban planning irregularities in residential units (2,495 applications – 88%). This is followed by commercial developments with 155 applications (5.5%), office developments with 57 applications (2%), entertainment developments with 55 applications (1.9%), industrial developments with 44 applications (1.5%), tourism developments with ten applications (0.4%), agricultural and livestock developments with ten applications (0.4%), education developments with eight applications (0.3%) and health developments with seven applications (0.2%).
Geographically, the largest number of applications was submitted to the Nicosia District Government Organisation (1,049 applications – 37%). In the remaining Districts, 770 applications (27%) were submitted to the Limassol EDA, 519 applications (18.3%) to the Paphos EDA, 328 applications (11.5%) to the Larnaca EDA and 175 applications (6.2%) to the Famagusta EDA.
At the same time, the revenues from the compensation provided for in the Urban Amnesty Plan were interlinked with the State's housing policy and, in particular, with the effort to increase affordable housing options. Therefore, the money is deposited by the applicants, whose application is approved, to the Special Affordable Housing Fund of the Cyprus Land Development Organization for the implementation of the Organization's affordable housing production programs. According to the data from the applications, it is estimated that the minimum amount that will flow into the Special Fund of the COAG will exceed €5.3 million.
Applications are currently being examined by the District Local Government Organizations and the applicants who are approved, are informed about the next steps they must follow to ensure the final approval of their premises.
