Cyprus International Trust: Formation & Trustee Services
Protect family wealth, plan succession and structure international assets under Cyprus law. Our corporate and private-client team forms your trust, arranges a licensed Cyprus-resident trustee and administers it year after year.
Cyprus Bar Reg R.N.655 • Practising since 2010 • English-speaking team
Cyprus International Trust formation and trustee services
A Cyprus International Trust is a trust created by a non-resident settlor under the International Trusts Law of 1992 (Law 69(I)/1992, as amended, most recently by Law 240(I)/2025), with at least one trustee resident in Cyprus.
In plain terms: you transfer assets to a trustee, who holds and manages them for your chosen beneficiaries under the terms of a trust deed. Cyprus law then gives that arrangement strong statutory protection.
Koufettas Law handles the full process. We advise on whether a Cyprus International Trust fits your goals, draft the trust deed, provide or arrange a licensed Cyprus-resident trustee, register the trust with the regulator, and administer it for as long as it runs. You deal with one English-speaking team for the legal, regulatory and tax-registration work.
It is a well-established wealth-planning structure: families use it to protect assets, pass wealth down in a controlled way and hold international investments inside an EU jurisdiction.
If you hold assets in more than one country, or you want your family’s wealth managed under a stable, English-derived legal system, this structure deserves a serious look.
Who can set up a Cyprus International Trust?
Yes, setting up a trust in Cyprus is fully legal. The International Trusts Law sets three conditions for a trust to qualify as a Cyprus International Trust (Article 2, Law 69(I)/1992):
The three statutory conditions (Article 2)
The settlor (the person creating the trust) must not have been a Cyprus tax resident in the calendar year before the trust is created.
The beneficiaries must also be non-residents of Cyprus in that same year. Charities are the exception.
At least one trustee must be a resident of Cyprus for the entire life of the trust.
There is a useful nuance here. The residence test only looks at the year before creation. You and your beneficiaries can relocate to Cyprus the following year, and the trust remains valid. Many of our clients combine a trust with a planned move under the 183-day tax residency rule.
Most of our trust clients are international families, expats with assets spread across several countries, or family offices planning two or three generations ahead.
Not sure whether you qualify? Ask our team in a confidential consultation.
How much do you need to set up a Cyprus International Trust?
There is no statutory minimum. Cyprus law does not require any particular asset value before you can create an international trust. You can settle cash, shares, investment portfolios, real estate or other movable and immovable property.
Law 69(I)/1992 sets no floor
Cash, shares, portfolios, property
Abolished 1 January 2026
The better question is whether the benefits justify the cost. A trust involves professional setup fees and ongoing administration, so it makes commercial sense when there is meaningful wealth to protect: a business, an investment portfolio, family property in several countries, or an estate you want passed down in a controlled way.
A useful test: if losing the assets to a creditor claim or an inheritance dispute would genuinely hurt, the structure is worth pricing. If your situation is simpler, a Cyprus will may achieve your goals at lower cost, and we will tell you so. Honest scoping at the start saves money and frustration later.
How to set up a Cyprus International Trust: our process
Here is how trust formation works when you engage Koufettas Law:
We confirm your objectives, check the non-residency conditions, and recommend the right trust type. Remote onboarding is available: documents can be handled through a power of attorney, subject to identity verification.
We draft the deed around your goals: discretionary or fixed, revocable or irrevocable, with an optional protector and a letter of wishes to guide the trustee.
We provide or arrange a licensed, Cyprus-resident trustee, as the law requires.
Every Cyprus International Trust must be entered in the register of express trusts kept by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). We handle the filing.
We arrange tax registration for the trust and set up the anti-money-laundering checks and CRS/FATCA classification the trustee must maintain.
The full process typically takes around 30 to 40 days, depending on complexity. Since 1 January 2026, no stamp duty applies to trust deeds; the former €430 charge was abolished in the 2026 tax reform.
What’s included in our Cyprus trustee and administration services
Trust formation is only half the work. A trust needs year-round administration to stay valid and compliant. Here is what our engagement covers, and what sits outside it:
Trust deed drafting and execution.
Protector appointment and letter-of-wishes drafting.
Licensed Cyprus-resident trustee (provided or arranged).
CySEC express-trust register filing.
Ongoing trust administration and record-keeping.
Accounting support, CRS and FATCA reporting.
Tax registration for the trust.
Structuring a Cyprus company under the trust.
Independent tax advice in your home country.
Legal work on assets located outside Cyprus. Audit services, where required.
Many clients hold their operating or investment companies through the trust. Our team handles the Cyprus company formation side as well, and our accounting and financial services desk keeps the reporting current. One firm, one point of contact.
Who can act as your trustee, and is the trust confidential?
Not just anyone can act as your trustee. Anyone providing trustee services as a business in Cyprus must be approved as “fit and proper” and licensed and supervised by CySEC, the Cyprus financial regulator (under the Fiduciaries Law, Law 196(I)/2012). On top of that, at least one trustee of an international trust must be a Cyprus resident throughout.
On confidentiality, the honest answer has two parts
Koufettas Law provides or arranges a trustee who meets both requirements, so your assets sit with a regulated, accountable professional rather than an unregulated intermediary.
Cyprus trust law imposes strong confidentiality duties, and disclosure of trust information generally requires a court order.
At the same time, a register of express trusts does exist, kept by CySEC under EU anti-money-laundering rules (Law 188(I)/2007, implementing the Fifth AML Directive).
The key point: that register is closed to the general public. After the EU Court of Justice ruled against open public access to beneficial-ownership data (Case C-37/20), access is limited to competent authorities and applicants who prove a legitimate interest. Your trust is compliant and properly registered, yet it is not exposed to public searches.
Koufettas Law is a regulated Cyprus law firm, Cyprus Bar Reg R.N.655. Confidential treatment of your affairs is a professional obligation we take seriously.
How a Cyprus International Trust protects and is taxed
On protection: a Cyprus International Trust cannot be set aside unless a creditor proves to a Cyprus court that the trust was created with intent to defraud them, and any such claim must be brought within two years of the asset transfer (Article 3, Law 69(I)/1992).
The two headline benefits are asset protection and tax treatment, and both come straight from the statute.
On tax: where the beneficiaries are not Cyprus residents, foreign-source income and gains of the trust are exempt from Cyprus income tax, capital gains tax and defence contribution (Article 12). The wider picture is just as attractive:
The burden of proof sits on the creditor.
Future creditors, foreign judgments and forced-heirship claims under foreign succession law cannot reach properly settled trust assets.
No inheritance or estate tax in Cyprus.
The trust can run in perpetuity, across generations.
Stamp duty on trust deeds is now nil under the 2026 tax reform.
Beneficiaries who later move to Cyprus can often pair the trust with non-dom status under the 60-day rule.
Two honest caveats. Protection is strongest for assets held in Cyprus; courts abroad may not apply Cyprus law to assets in their own jurisdiction. And your tax position at home matters, so we recommend independent tax advice in your country of residence. For estate planning within Cyprus itself, see our guide to Cyprus wills.
Who will personally handle your trust?
Cyprus trusts hold the most sensitive details of your family and your assets. For that reason your matter is handled personally by the firm’s founder — it is not passed down to junior staff.
When you instruct us on a Cyprus International Trust, you deal directly with me — not an account manager and not a junior associate. The people who know your circumstances are the people advising you, and your information stays where it belongs.
Speak directly with the owner. Harris personally handles your consultation and your instructions; nothing is delegated to junior staff.
Kept strictly confidential. Details of your assets, family and structure stay with the advocate who is legally responsible for them.
Regulated and accountable. Advice comes from a Cyprus Bar regulated advocate (R.N.4466), answerable to you directly.
Working with Koufettas Law on your Cyprus trust
If you are looking for a Cyprus international trust lawyer, here is what working with us looks like. Koufettas Law is a full-service Cyprus law firm, registered with the Cyprus Bar Association under R.N.655. Trust formation sits within our private client practice, alongside company formation, tax residency planning, investor programs and wills.
On fees, our approach is simple
The cost depends on the trust type, the complexity of the assets, and whether you need ongoing trustee and administration services.
After an initial confidential consultation, you receive a written, fixed quote before any work begins.
No open-ended billing, no surprises.
Stamp duty no longer applies to trust deeds, which removes one historical cost from the equation.
That matters because a trust rarely stands alone: most clients are also relocating, restructuring a company, or planning succession, and our corporate and private-client team handles the whole picture under one roof. Read more about the firm here.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your circumstances determine what is right for you; we recommend independent tax advice in your country of residence.
Discuss your Cyprus International Trust in confidence
Confidential, English-speaking advice from a Cyprus Bar regulated law firm.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your circumstances determine what is right for you; we recommend independent tax advice in your country of residence.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no statutory minimum. Any cash, shares, movable or immovable property can be settled into the trust. The practical question is whether the asset-protection, succession and tax benefits justify the setup and administration costs, which is why the structure suits high-net-worth individuals, expats and family offices.
At least one trustee must be a Cyprus resident for the life of the trust (Article 2, Law 69(I)/1992). Anyone providing trustee services as a business must also be licensed and supervised by CySEC as “fit and proper” under Law 196(I)/2012. Koufettas Law provides or arranges a trustee who meets both requirements.
Typically around 30 to 40 days, depending on the complexity of the structure and the assets involved. That covers deed drafting, trustee appointment, asset transfer and registration with the CySEC express-trust register. We confirm a realistic timeline at engagement.
Fees depend on the trust type, asset complexity and whether you need ongoing trustee and administration services. Stamp duty on trust deeds is now nil, abolished on 1 January 2026. We provide a written, fixed quote after an initial confidential consultation.
A register of express trusts exists, kept by CySEC under EU anti-money-laundering law, but it is not open to the general public. Access is limited to competent authorities and applicants with a proven legitimate interest, following the EU Court of Justice ruling in Case C-37/20. Beyond the register, trust information is protected by statutory confidentiality and generally requires a court order to disclose.
A valid trust needs a precisely drafted deed and a licensed Cyprus-resident trustee. A defective deed, or powers reserved too broadly to the settlor, can render the trust void or open to challenge as a sham, exposing the very assets you wanted to protect. A regulated firm also handles CySEC registration, identity checks, tax registration and CRS/FATCA reporting in one engagement.
Generally no. The trust deed can be executed through a power of attorney and the paperwork handled remotely. Identity and source-of-funds verification is mandatory under anti-money-laundering rules, and we confirm the exact requirements when you engage us.