Planning permission

General Information

Obtaining a planning permission is always required before commencing any development. According to Article 20 of the Town Planning and Spatial Planning Law, development is defined as: “The execution of construction, engineering, mining, or other works within, on, over and under immovable property, or the execution of any substantial change in the use of a building or other property.”

In the event of uncertainty regarding whether a planning permission is required for a particular type of development, an ΕΑ9 application may be submitted to the Planning Authority for determination. Additionally, if a property owner wishes to obtain the opinions and/or clarifications of the Planning Authority regarding a planned development and how the Planning Authority will address it in the event of a planning application being submitted, they may submit a Request for the Preliminary Opinions (EA8) of the Town Planning Authority pursuant to Article 25(8) of the Law, which are binding for a period of one (1) year.

Planning zones and development plans

For certain types of development specified in the General and Special Development Decrees, it is not necessary to submit an application for a planning permission, as it is deemed to have been granted. It should be noted, however, that obtaining a building permission prior to the commencement of any construction/building works remains necessary under the provisions of the relevant legislation the Streets and Buildings Regulation Law (Cap. 96), with exceptions included in the relevant Exemption Decrees and in the Streets and Buildings Regulation Law.

In addition to the above applications, and in addition to applications for Building Development / Change of Use (EA15) and Land Division and/or Road Construction (EA2), it is possible to submit an application for Mining / Quarrying Development (EA3), an application for Approval of Renewal of a Temporary Planning Permit (EA6), an application for Issuance of a Copy of Registration in the Register (EA7), an application for a Planning Permit by Exception (EA10) in cases where the proposed development does not comply with the provisions of the applicable Development Plan, and an application for Extension of the Validity of a Planning Permit (EA11). It is also possible to submit an application for the reissuance of an expired permit, which is reviewed pursuant to a special Circular of the Minister of the Interior, and such applications are submitted using Form EA15.

The application procedure

Applications for planning permission must be submitted by the owner or their authorized representative to the competent Town Planning Authority in accordance with the applicable Delegation of Powers Decree. Applications are submitted electronically via the “IPPODAMOS” system and must be accompanied by all relevant plans and documents necessary for their review :

architectural plans and a spatial/site plan signed by the responsible designer.
signature form signed by the owner(s) or their authorized representative
consent from the mortgagee if the property is mortgaged.
Certificate of Incorporation from the Registrar of Companies
Copy of the Company’s Certificate of Directors and Secretary– If there is more than one Director, a letter is required listing the names of the Directors authorized to sign applications.
Proof of submission of an application to the Department of Lands and Surveys for the issuance of an External Boundary Certificate (with the exception of applications for registered plots)
Correspondence regarding consultations with the competent Departments/Agencies.
Certificate of Professional Status as a Designer

In some cases, an application for a planning permission must be accompanied by specialized studies, such as an Environmental Impact Assessment, Special Ecological Assessment Study, Information Report, Traffic Study, Commercial Impact Assessment Study, Techno-economic Study, Feasibility Study, etc.

After the application has been preliminarily reviewed by the Receiving Officer for completeness, and after any issues regarding the attached plans and documents have been resolved by the project designer/consultant, the Receiving Officer calculates the relevant fees in accordance with the Town and Spatial Planning (Fees) Regulations and the Town and Spatial Planning (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations, and these are paid electronically by the applicant.

In certain cases described in Regulation 3(4) of the Town Planning and Spatial Planning (Fees) Regulations, it is possible that fees may not be paid; however, in cases where, upon examination of the application, it is found that an amount less than the prescribed amount has been collected, the Town Planning Authority shall notify the applicant, and its decision shall not be communicated until the outstanding amount has been settled. Fees shall be refunded only in the cases described in Regulation 3(2) of the aforementioned Regulations.

Evaluation of applications

The Town Planning Authority evaluates the development for which an application is submitted in accordance with the provisions of the current Development Plan, and takes into account any other factors relevant to the application. In many cases, the Planning Authority has no discretion and is therefore required to deny a permit if the basic provisions of the Development Plan are not strictly followed.

According to the relevant Regulations, if the Town Planning Authority fails to reach a decision regarding any application within three months of its submission due to the need to resolve various issues related to development, or to gather information necessary for making the decision, the applicant may be asked to agree to an extension of the deadline.

The urban planning permit granted by the Town Planning Authority is valid for the three-year period specified by law from the date of its issuance, unless another period is specified in the permit, as may result from the specific conditions of the development, and as provided for in Article 28(3) of the Law.

Further information regarding development licensing can be obtained from the Town Planning Control Manual (Revised 1/2025), which is available on the website of the Department of Town Planning and Housing.