The Cyprus Ombudswoman, Maria Stylianou-Lottides, is calling for a change in the country’s property law to make it fairer for everyone, especially when it comes to how men and women are treated.
In a report released this week, she highlighted problems with the Acquisition of Immovable Property (Aliens) Law [Cap. 109], saying that it treats people differently based on gender, which goes against the idea of equal treatment under the law.
A complaint was sent to her office in March 2024, claiming that the property law unfairly favours:
- Foreign Cypriots whose fathers were born in Cyprus, but not those whose mothers
- Foreign women married to Cypriot men, but not foreign men married to Cypriot women.
This means that people in very similar situations are treated differently, simply because of whether the Cypriot parent is the mother or the father, or whether the Cypriot spouse is a man or a woman.
As it currently stands, the property law also makes it harder for foreigners to buy property in Cyprus without special permission from the government, unless they fall into one of the exempt categories. But these exemptions don’t apply equally to everyone, and that’s where the issue lies.
The Ministry of the Interior has said it is aware of the problem and is working with legal experts to review the law. A new proposal has already been submitted by MP Nikos Georgiou, but there’s no clear timeline for when changes might happen.
The Ombudswoman has now officially asked the Ministry and the Attorney General to speed up this process. She wants the definition of “foreign Cypriot” updated so that it no longer depends on whether someone’s connection to Cyprus is through their mother or father — and to make sure that both husbands and wives of Cypriots are treated equally.
In short, she’s asking for a fairer system that respects everyone’s right to equal treatment, regardless of their gender.
