The new pool law in Cyprus: who it covers
The law was passed on 10 July 2025 and is about running pools. It sorts them into three types. A private pool at a house, or one shared by up to five homes, used by the owners, their families and guests, falls outside it. There is no operating permit to get and no lifeguard to hire. Fines under the law go up to €2,000.
So the 8×4 m pool behind a family house in Ypsonas, or the shared pool of four townhouses in Oroklini, carries on as before under this law. What it still needs is the building permits, which are a separate matter and come further down this page. Our source for the law is a law firm’s summary and a property portal’s guide; if your case is unusual, check the details with your lawyer.
Holiday lets and the pool law
A villa let to holidaymakers counts as Type 3. It does not need an operating permit; the owner has to notify the local authority (the municipality or community council). A villa in Protaras let by the week, or a house in Peyia on a booking site for the summer, is the typical Type 3 pool. If you let a villa and have not sent the notification, that is the one thing the law asks of you.
Pool fence rules in Cyprus
The two sources read the fence question a little differently. The law firm says a fence or a secure cover is expected for a pool that stands unused or holds stagnant water. The property portal says a fence is advised, and in some cases required. We found no exact specification for the height or type of fence.
In practice the pools this touches are the empty ones: a holiday home in Pissouri closed from November to April, or a villa bought as an investment and left with a half-full pool. A secure cover answers both readings and cuts evaporation as well; a fence suits a pool that stays open with children around. If you need a firm answer for your house, ask the municipality.
Pool depth and the safety standard
People ask whether Cyprus law sets a pool depth. We have no source that gives depth rules for private pools, so we will not quote any. The 2025 law refers to the European standard CYS EN 15288-2. If depth or safety equipment matters for your plans (a holiday let, a pool shared by several homes), the owner checks with the municipality, and the pool builder designs to what it says.
Planning and building permits for a new pool
A pool counts as building work on the plot. A new one generally needs planning permission and then a building permit, the same as an extension to the house. If you are building the house now, put the pool in the house drawings so the permits cover it from the start.
The owner is the applicant. In practice the architect or civil engineer prepares the drawings and submits them, and some pool builders handle the paperwork as part of the job. Adding a pool to an existing house, say in Strovolos or Germasogeia, may need an extra permit (a property portal calls it a cover permit), and that can take up to about 12 months.
Permit for a new pool
Time quoted: 4–12 weeks
Who says so: A Limassol pool builder
From start to a finished pool, permit included
Time quoted: 3–5 months
Who says so: The same builder
Pool added to an existing house (cover permit)
Time quoted: up to about 12 months
Who says so: A property portal’s guide
| Stage | Time quoted | Who says so |
|---|---|---|
| Permit for a new pool | 4–12 weeks | A Limassol pool builder |
| From start to a finished pool, permit included | 3–5 months | The same builder |
| Pool added to an existing house (cover permit) | up to about 12 months | A property portal’s guide |
These figures come from the trade; we did not find official times from a government source. Work back from the date you want to swim: for a pool ready in June, a request the autumn before is not too early.
A pool without a permit
Many people hope a small, prefab or above-ground pool needs no permit. We found no government source that confirms such an exemption, so ask your architect before you rely on one. A law firm’s 2025 guide says a pool without a permit can hold up the title deeds, a bank loan on the house and a later sale. When you sell a villa in Kissonerga, the buyer or the buyer’s bank will ask for the permits, and a pool that is not on them becomes a problem at the worst moment.
The permits and the holiday-let notification are the owner’s to arrange, directly or through an architect or builder. Pisina Mou passes your request to a pool company and does not handle permits.
Who does what
You, or your architect or builder on your behalf, apply for the permits, and the pool company builds to them. On Pisina Mou you describe the pool in the form and pick a time for a site visit; the request goes to a local pool company that works in your area, the builder measures and gives you a quote. Ask it then whether the permit drawings are in its price and how long it expects the whole job to take.