In an address to the educational seminar of the Pancyprian Association of Land Development and Building Entrepreneurs, Cyprus's Interior Minister, Konstantinos Ioannou, announced a significant reduction in the time required for examining and issuing property titles. Previously, this process could take anywhere from one to three years; now, it is expected to average just three months.

Minister Ioannou emphasized that creating conditions conducive to development has been a top priority and a declared commitment of the government since June 2023. This objective has involved amending and simplifying procedures in both the Department of Land and Surveys and the Department of Town Planning and Housing. He noted, "We are advancing through a series of measures to simplify the state's urban and spatial planning, making citizen services more direct and enhancing development prospects."

Recognizing the significant delays that often occurred in the property title issuance process, the government aims to establish more flexible and faster procedures. "Our goal is to eliminate unnecessary delays and inconvenience for citizens," Ioannou stated.

One of the key changes being promoted to improve and expedite the property title issuance process is the new procedure for applications involving the subdivision of plots for the creation of new property titles. Implemented from January 2nd of the current year, this change represents a substantial stride forward.

The new process, as explained by the Interior Minister, requires pre-determined external boundary demarcation and cadastral work for development, along with the submission of all necessary documents. This ensures that applications are now fully and correctly completed, facilitating quicker evaluation without the need for constant submission of new information by applicants. Additionally, the pre-completion of external boundary demarcation before plot subdivision ensures future development occurs within the actual boundaries of the plot, preventing encroachments on neighboring properties—a common issue in the past.

Furthermore, the Minister revealed that the Department of Land and Surveys has recently adopted the system of private licensed surveyors as the sole option for conducting the necessary cadastral work for subdivision. This allows citizens to directly engage a private surveyor of their choice for these tasks, relieving department staff to focus on other duties and reducing significant delays previously observed.

Finally, he underscored that these regulations substantially reduce the total time for application processing and title issuance by the Department of Land and Surveys. "On average, the time for examining and issuing titles has been reduced to three months, a significant decrease from the previous one to three years," Ioannou concluded.