Do you need a lawyer in Cyprus, or is a contract check enough?
For most standard documents, a check is enough. You need full representation only when a matter is contested or high-stakes. Here is the quick decision guide.
- Reviewing a contract before you sign it, a rental, an employment offer, or a property reservation, a contract review is enough. Run the free AI check, then pay to see the issue list or add a Koufettas Law sign-off.
- A permit or relocation matter, a Yellow Slip, a Pink Slip, or a residence permit, is not legal work. Go to the permits hub or the immigration front door.
- A dispute, a court case, a property purchase, company formation, or a will, you want a lawyer. These route to full legal representation through a consultation with the same firm. No conflict; it is the right tier for the matter.
The wedge here is a published price and a free document check. Cyprus firms rarely publish a fee, so most people go in blind. Upload the contract, get an issue count free, and decide from there.
Contract review in Cyprus: what we check and how it works
Contract review is a document check: an AI reads your contract against common Cyprus contract terms, flags the clauses that put you at risk, and suggests fixes. A Koufettas Law advocate can then review and sign off. These are the three contracts newcomers most often need checked.
- Rental or tenancy agreement. The deposit and its return conditions, the break clause, notice, and who pays for repairs. For an older property in a designated controlled area, whether the Rent Control Law (Cap. 86) applies, though it rarely covers foreign tenants, modern builds, or short furnished lets. Rent Control Law (Cap. 86) verified against cylaw.org and gov.cy on 2026-07-18.
- Employment contract. Notice period, probation, working hours, and whether the written statement of terms your employer must give you under the Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Law 25(I)/2023 is complete. Employment terms verified against the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance (mlsi.gov.cy) and Law 25(I)/2023 (cylaw.org) on 2026-07-18.
- Property sale or reservation contract. The reservation deposit, what you forfeit if you pull out, and the clauses a buyer signs before the conveyancing lawyer takes over. A property purchase itself is full legal work and routes to a consultation.
Here is how the flow runs:
- Sign up free. No card needed.
- Upload your contract at app.newtocyprus.com.
- Get a free AI check that returns an issue count: how many problems the AI found, before you pay anything.
- Pay to open the full issue list, the clause-by-clause detail, and suggested fixes, from €29.
- Add a Koufettas Law review if you want a licensed advocate to check the file and give a written sign-off.
One thing to be clear about: the AI flags issues, it never gives a verdict or an approval on your contract. On the reviewed tier, a Koufettas Law advocate owns any sign-off, not the software. If your contract is in a language other than Greek or English, you may also need a certified translation first, which we can order for you.
Certified and sworn translations in Cyprus (Law 45(I)/2019)
A certified translation in Cyprus is an official translation produced by a registered Sworn Translator, accepted by government offices, courts, and universities. Since 1 July 2019 it is governed by the Registration and Regulation of Sworn Translators Law 45(I)/2019, and three facts trip people up.
- Only registered Sworn Translators can certify. They are listed on the Council of Sworn Translators register, and the Press and Information Office (PIO) stopped providing the service on 1 July 2019. Verified against gov.cy and the High Commission of Cyprus (cyprusinuk.com) on 2026-07-18.
- Official translations go into Greek or Turkish only. Twenty-nine source languages pair with Greek or Turkish, and vice versa; there is no official certified translation into English. If a foreign authority wants an English target, ask them what they actually accept. Verified against gov.cy and cyprusinuk.com on 2026-07-18.
- Apostille comes first. The original document must be Apostille-stamped or MFA-certified before it is translated, not after. Verified against gov.cy/pio and cyprusinuk.com on 2026-07-18.
Registered Sworn Translators work in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, and the government-controlled part of Famagusta. Verified against gov.cy/pio and cyprusinuk.com on 2026-07-18.
Official translation fees are set per document type, not as one flat rate. An official translation of a secondary-school leaving certificate, for example, is €8, separate from any reseller fee or the Sworn Translator's own charge. Verified against gov.cy/pio and cyprusinuk.com on 2026-07-18. That is one document type, not a general price.
Our role is reseller only. We take your order and route it to a registered Sworn Translator; we do not produce the official certified translation ourselves. If the AI drafts a translation to help you read a document, it is labelled unofficial and is not accepted for official use. The translation add-on is priced separately from the translator's own fee and any Apostille fee.
How much does legal help cost in Cyprus?
Cyprus firms charge fixed or hourly fees and rarely publish a figure, so you usually cannot compare before you call. Fee practice quoted data-only from Cyprus firm published FAQs, 2026-07-18; no government rate exists for private legal fees. Our rungs are published, and government or translator fees are always shown separately.
| Rung | What it includes | Price | How to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free AI check | Upload a contract or document; the AI returns an issue count only | €0 | Check free |
| Self-serve | The full AI issue list and suggested fixes on your contract | €29-49 | Pay via Stripe |
| Reviewed(most popular) | Everything in self-serve, plus a Koufettas Law advocate review and written sign-off | €99-149 | Pay via Stripe |
| Certified translation (add-on) | We order a registered Sworn Translator certified translation (Law 45(I)/2019) | +€20-50 / doc | Order or Notify me |
| Full representation | Disputes, litigation, property purchase, company structuring | €500-2,000 | Consultation |
Live prices are shown at checkout; the ranges above are for planning. The translator's own fee, any Apostille fee, and other government costs are shown separately, never folded into one opaque number. The full-representation range is an illustrative planning figure for context, not a quoted market rate, because no Cyprus firm publishes one.
Self-serve legal help vs hiring a law firm
Self-serve covers standard contracts and translation ordering at a published price. A traditional firm covers everything, including the complex work self-serve does not touch. Here is the honest comparison.
| Self-serve or Reviewed (this page) | Traditional law firm (full representation) | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | €29-149 for contract review, plus €20-50 per document for translation | €500-2,000 (illustrative planning range) |
| Speed | Free AI check in minutes; reviewed sign-off within a set turnaround | Days to weeks, appointment-led |
| Scope | Standard rental, employment, and property-sale contract checks; certified-translation ordering | Full scope, including disputes, litigation, property purchase, company structuring |
| Who does the legal work | AI check plus a Koufettas Law advocate sign-off on the reviewed tier | A Koufettas Law advocate throughout |
| Price transparency | Published, read live from the catalog | Fixed or hourly, rarely published |
| Best for | Price-sensitive newcomers who need a document checked before signing | Complex, high-stakes, contested, or bespoke matters |
The anchor is 80 to 90 percent cheaper for a standard contract check, and still Koufettas-Law-backed. Self-serve is not a substitute for full representation on complex or contested matters; those route to a consultation with the same firm. The lawyer-cost column is a planning range for comparison only.
Who's behind this service: Koufettas Law
This service is operated by Koufettas Law, a licensed Cyprus law firm. Reviews and written sign-offs are performed by Harris Koufettas, advocate of the Cyprus Bar Association (R.N.4466), who also trains the AI. Advocates in Cyprus are regulated by the Cyprus Bar Association, and Koufettas is a member. Verified against cyprusbarassociation.org and law.gov.cy on 2026-07-18.
New to Cyprus is a portal and technology provider, not a law firm. The AI tier is not legal advice; only the reviewed tier carries a licensed advocate's sign-off, and the reviewer owns the verdict. The AI never declares your contract approved. Your documents are held under EU data residency with GDPR-compliant retention and post-fulfilment purge, and this service covers the Republic of Cyprus only. This is why there is no author byline: the trust comes from a disclosed operator and reviewer, not a persona. Read our editorial standards.
Is there free or low-cost legal help in Cyprus?
If you cannot afford any paid option, there is a free route worth checking first. Cyprus runs a means-tested legal-aid scheme, and the Justice for All programme offers free legal guidance to those who qualify. Verified against justiceforall.org.cy and cyprusbarassociation.org on 2026-07-18. Legal aid is aimed at specific case types and income levels, so check the criteria before you rely on it.
How to start
Three steps, all beginning with the free check.
- Sign up free at app.newtocyprus.com. No card needed.
- Upload your contract or document for a free AI check that returns an issue count.
- See the full report or add a Koufettas Law review, and pay through Stripe. The certified-translation add-on shows "Notify me" until it is live in your account.
Frequently asked questions
- How much do lawyers charge in Cyprus?
- Cyprus firms charge fixed or hourly fees and rarely publish a rate. Full representation is typically several hundred to a couple of thousand euros depending on the matter. Our contract review starts far lower, from €29 for the self-serve tier, and government or translator fees are always shown separately.
- Do I need a lawyer in Cyprus, or is a contract review enough?
- For signing a standard rental, employment, or purchase contract, a review is usually enough. Disputes, litigation, and property purchases need full representation, which we route to a consultation with the same firm.
- Who can produce an official certified translation in Cyprus?
- Only a registered Sworn Translator on the Council of Sworn Translators register, under Law 45(I)/2019. The Press and Information Office stopped providing the service on 1 July 2019. We order it for you as a reseller.
- Can I get a certified translation into English?
- Official certified translations are into Greek or Turkish only; foreign languages pair with Greek or Turkish. For an English target, ask the receiving authority what it actually accepts.
- Does my document need an apostille before translation?
- Yes. Originals must be Apostille-stamped or MFA-certified before a sworn translation, not after.
- Is this a law firm?
- No. New to Cyprus is a portal and technology provider. The legal service is operated by Koufettas Law (Harris Koufettas, advocate, Cyprus Bar R.N.4466), who performs reviews and sign-offs. The AI tier is not legal advice.
- Is there free legal help in Cyprus?
- Yes, for those who qualify. Cyprus runs a means-tested legal-aid scheme and the Justice for All programme offers free guidance. Check the criteria before relying on it.
Important to know
- New to Cyprus is not a law firm. The legal service is operated by Koufettas Law, the disclosed operator and reviewer.
- The AI tier is not legal advice. The AI flags issues in your documents; it never declares a contract approved.
- A Koufettas Law advocate owns the verdict. Harris Koufettas, advocate of the Cyprus Bar Association (R.N.4466), performs the review and sign-off on the reviewed tier.
- Refunds exclude government decisions and timing, and the acceptance of a translation by any receiving authority.
- Sworn translations are reseller only (Law 45(I)/2019); we route your order to a registered Sworn Translator, and AI drafts are unofficial.
- New to Cyprus is part of the DigiCare Insurance family, its disclosed parent company.
- This service covers the Republic of Cyprus only.
- Your documents are held under EU data residency with GDPR-compliant retention and post-fulfilment purge.
- This page is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your own case with the relevant authority or a qualified professional.
Last updated: 2026-07-18