Company formation · Cyprus
Company formation in Cyprus, with the right advocate beside you
Cyprus is a mixed common-law and EU jurisdiction, and only registered advocates have rights of audience before its courts. Tell us what you are planning, and we will match you, free of charge, with a Cypriot advocate who handles company formation in Cyprus.
- Advocates registered with the Cyprus Bar Association
- First response usually within 24-48 hours
- Matching is free and without obligation
We are a matching service, not a law firm, and we do not provide legal advice.
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Company formation in Cyprus
Why setting up a company in Cyprus needs local legal knowledge
Setting up a Cypriot company looks straightforward on paper, but the detail sits in a genuinely mixed legal system. Cyprus inherited English law and still applies common law and equity under Article 188 of the Constitution, so contract and commercial matters follow English principles, with English case law treated as persuasive authority; at the same time, administrative law carries Greek influence and succession law is largely drawn from the Italian Civil Code. Since accession to the European Union in 2004, EU law has primacy in Cyprus. An advocate registered with the Cyprus Bar Association can explain how these layers affect your structure, your contracts and your exposure. Tell us what you want to build and we match you, free of charge, with a Cypriot advocate who handles company formation in Cyprus.
The local picture
How company formation works on the ground in Cyprus
Cypriot company work is shaped by a legal order that combines English common law with continental elements, sitting inside the European Union since 2004. The points below are the practical rules that affect founders, shareholders and any dispute that may follow.
A genuinely mixed legal system
Cyprus was a British colony until 1960, and its courts still apply the common law and equity retained under Article 188 of the Constitution. Contract, tort and commercial law follow English common law, English case law is treated as persuasive authority, administrative law reflects Greek influence, and succession law is largely drawn from the Italian Civil Code. Since 2004, EU law takes precedence.
Who may practise law in Cyprus
Anyone practising law in Cyprus must be enrolled in the Register of Advocates, kept by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, and hold an annual practising licence issued by the Cyprus Bar Council. Membership of the Cyprus Bar Association is mandatory. Advocates alone have rights of audience before the Cypriot courts, and lawyers admitted elsewhere cannot appear unless they qualify and register in Cyprus.
Where commercial disputes are heard
At first instance Cyprus has District Courts, the Commercial Court and the Admiralty Court, among others, and cases are heard by a single judge without a jury. The judicial reform of 1 July 2023 divided the former Supreme Court into a Supreme Constitutional Court and a seven-judge Supreme Court, and created a sixteen-judge Court of Appeal as the second-instance court.
Limitation periods worth diarising
Contractual claims arising from your company’s dealings are generally subject to a six-year limitation period, civil wrongs such as negligence or breach of statutory duty to three years, and any cause of action not otherwise provided for to ten years. Defamation claims carry a one-year period, and a mortgage or pledge may be enforced for twelve years, so early advice matters.
Court fees are stamp duties, not a percentage
Court fees in Cyprus are fixed stamp duties paid by affixing revenue stamps to each document filed, under Rules made by the Supreme Court: filing a writ of summons ranges from about €1.75 to about €450 depending on the value claimed, and fees accrue step by step. Costs generally follow the event, assessed by the registrar, while advocates’ fees are freely agreed.
If the company holds Cypriot property
Immovable property in Cyprus is governed by the Immovable Property (Tenure, Registration and Valuation) Law, Cap. 224, administered by the Department of Lands and Surveys. Registration is compulsory and the Title Deed is the key proof of ownership. A search certificate (Form N50) may be obtained, and a purchaser is strongly advised not to pay the full price before the Title Deed is transferred.
Key time limit — Commercial & Corporate Law
Breach of contract (general contractual claims) — 6 years. The period most often relevant to commercial agreements your company signs.
All country rules, periods and fee figures on this page come from official Cypriot and European Union sources – Cyprus government bodies, the Cyprus Bar Association, the e-Justice portal and the Supreme Court’s annual review – and each entry can be checked at the link shown.
- European Judicial Network (e-Justice) – National justice systems: Cyprus
- Cyprus Bar Association
- Business in Cyprus – Advocate / lawyer
- Limitation of Actions Law (CyLaw)
- Divorce Law (CyLaw)
- e-Justice – Legal aid in Cyprus
- e-Justice – Costs of proceedings in Cyprus
- Department of Lands and Surveys – Frequently asked questions
- Wills and Succession Law, Cap. 195 (CyLaw)
- Supreme Court of Cyprus – Annual Review 2024
Common concerns
What usually worries clients before they start
Founders arriving in Cyprus tend to raise the same three questions before they instruct anyone.
You are not sure which structure fits
Choosing between a local company, a branch or a holding arrangement depends on how you will trade, hold assets and bring in investors. Cypriot advocates advise on the structure and on the contracts that surround it, so you can decide with the full picture in front of you.
The legal system feels unfamiliar
Cyprus blends English common law with continental elements, and EU law has primacy following the 2004 accession. That mixture is an advantage once someone explains it, but it makes self-assembly risky if you are used to only one tradition.
Costs and fees are hard to predict
Court fees are fixed stamp duties rather than a percentage of a claim, advocates’ fees are agreed freely with you, and costs generally follow the event on a scale assessed by the registrar. A local advocate can set expectations before any work begins.
How we help
Matching you with the right Cypriot advocate
You describe the matter once; we compare it against advocates who actually work in this area.
Registered Cypriot advocates
We connect you with practitioners enrolled in the Register of Advocates and licensed by the Cyprus Bar Council, who are entitled to act before the Cypriot courts.
Fees explained before you commit
Fees for advocates in Cyprus are agreed freely between advocate and client, and court fees accrue as fixed stamp duties step by step. You can ask for that picture up front.
Comfortable in a mixed system
Your advocate works daily with common-law commercial principles, continental succession rules and directly applicable EU law, which is exactly what a cross-border structure needs.
Free, no-obligation matching
There is no charge to be introduced, and no obligation to instruct the advocate we suggest. You decide whether the fit is right for your plans.
Where we work
Cypriot and cross-border matters across Europe
Founders setting up in Cyprus frequently sit in, or trade with, other European countries. Our network covers the jurisdictions that appear most often alongside a Cypriot company.
Questions and answers
Company formation in Cyprus: what clients ask us
What does company formation in Cyprus involve legally?
It places your business inside Cypriot law, so the structure you choose, the contracts you sign and any later dispute are all governed by a mixed common-law and EU framework. Which documents and approvals are needed depends on your activity and circumstances, so we match you with a Cypriot advocate who advises on company formation in Cyprus directly.
Do I need a Cypriot advocate to set things up?
Anyone practising law in Cyprus must be enrolled in the Register of Advocates and hold a practising licence from the Cyprus Bar Council, and Bar Association membership is mandatory. Advocates are the only practitioners with rights of audience before the Cypriot courts, and lawyers admitted abroad cannot appear unless they qualify and register locally.
How do legal costs work in Cyprus?
Court fees are fixed stamp duties affixed to each document filed, not a percentage of the claim: filing a writ of summons runs from about €1.75 to about €450 depending on the value claimed. Advocates’ fees are freely agreed with you, and as a general rule the unsuccessful party pays the successful party’s costs on a scale assessed by the registrar.
How long do contractual claims take to prescribe?
General contractual claims, including most breaches of commercial agreements, are subject to a six-year limitation period. Civil wrongs such as negligence, nuisance or breach of statutory duty carry three years, defamation one year, enforcement of a mortgage or pledge twelve years, and any cause of action not otherwise provided for ten years.
What if the company owns property in Cyprus?
Immovable property falls under the Immovable Property (Tenure, Registration and Valuation) Law, Cap. 224, administered by the Department of Lands and Surveys. Registration is compulsory and the Title Deed is the key proof of ownership. A search certificate (Form N50) can be obtained, and it is strongly advised not to pay the full price before the Title Deed is transferred.
Is Cypriot law closer to English or to civil law?
Both, deliberately. Cyprus was a British colony until 1960 and its courts still apply the common law and equity retained under Article 188 of the Constitution, with English case law persuasive in contract, tort and commercial matters. Administrative law reflects Greek influence, succession law draws on the Italian Civil Code, and EU law has had primacy since 2004.
Next step
Tell us about your Cypriot company plans
Describe what you want to set up, where you and your partners are based, and whether property, contracts or EU-wide activity are involved. We will match you, free of charge, with a Cyprus-registered advocate who handles company formation in Cyprus and can take the matter from there.