The Larnaca District Local Government Organisation (EOA Larnaca) has recorded a double nationwide first place in the field of licensing, reporting the highest permit-processing rates in Cyprus for both planning permits and Category I building permits during July 2026.
Specifically, during July, 267 planning permits were completed compared with 256 new applications submitted, resulting in a processing rate of 104%, the highest performance among all District Local Government Organisations in Cyprus.
Performance was even stronger in Category I building permits, where 420 permits were completed compared with 339 new applications, producing a processing rate of 124%, also the highest rate nationwide.
EOA Larnaca said performance was also positive in Category II planning permits, where 142 permits were completed against 133 new applications, resulting in a processing rate of nearly 107%.
For Category II building permits, 114 permits were completed compared with 138 new applications, with the processing rate reaching 83%.
According to EOA Larnaca, the fact that in three of the four individual categories the number of applications processed exceeded the number of new applications received is a clear indication of the organisation's increased productivity and its efforts to manage workloads more effectively.
"The double nationwide first place in Category I is particularly significant, as it concerns a large part of daily licensing activity and translates into faster service for citizens, consultants and professionals."
The organisation stressed that improving performance figures is not an end in itself.
"The objective is for better numbers to translate into less waiting time, greater speed and better service. The effort being made by the Licensing Directorate and the organisation's staff is continuous and focuses on further accelerating the examination of applications, addressing pending cases and creating a modern and efficient licensing system."
Property market
In a separate development, results from the RICS Cyprus Property Price Index with KPMG in Cyprus for the second quarter of 2026 indicate that Larnaca is also gaining momentum in the property market and in demand for holiday homes and apartments.
According to the official results, apartments recorded the strongest overall performance in Larnaca during the second quarter of 2026, while positive growth was also recorded across the other districts.
Houses also posted broad-based growth, with Larnaca and Paphos leading the market, while the Famagusta district recorded a marginal increase.
Office properties registered the largest increase in Larnaca, followed by moderate gains in Limassol and Paphos.
Nicosia recorded a slight increase in office values, while there was no change in the Famagusta district.
Strong growth was also recorded in warehouse properties, particularly in Larnaca, followed by Paphos.
During the second quarter of 2026, Larnaca recorded the strongest quarterly increase in:
- Holiday apartments: 3.85%
- Holiday homes: 3.10%
By contrast, the Famagusta district recorded the lowest increase in holiday apartment values, at 0.63%.
