Wealth & Estate
Cyprus Trusts & Estate Planning
Cyprus International Trusts, succession planning and asset protection.
What we do
We establish and administer Cyprus International Trusts, and act as trustee. A trust separates who owns an asset from who benefits from it, which is what lets succession take effect without probate in every country an asset sits in, and lets one structure hold interests that would otherwise be spread across several names.
The Cyprus International Trust suits wealth arriving from outside Cyprus. It carries strong statutory protection against foreign forced heirship rules, and the conditions are the point rather than the small print: the settlor and the beneficiaries must not have been Cyprus tax resident in the year before it is established, and at least one trustee must be resident here throughout.
What you get
- A trust deed drafted for the family and the assets, rather than adapted from a precedent
- Registration with the Cyprus trust register
- A licensed trustee, resident in Cyprus as the law requires
- The register of trust assets, kept current as assets move in and out
- Annual trust register confirmation and the annual trustee review and minute
- Supplemental deeds where the terms need to change
- Trust accounts where they are required
How it works
A trust is a relationship rather than an entity, so what decides whether it holds is the quality of the deed and the conduct of the trustee. A deed drafted loosely, or a trustee who does what the settlor asks without exercising judgement, is the arrangement a court unpicks.
That is why the trustee role sits with the firm rather than beside it. We ask to understand the family and the assets before accepting an appointment, and the decisions taken each year are minuted as they are taken.
Timing matters more than most people expect. Assets transferred into a Cyprus International Trust are beyond the reach of a settlor's creditors after two years, and the residence conditions are tested in the year before the trust is established, so both point the same way: earlier is materially better than later.
Working with us
Four steps, and the first one is a conversation
A call
The family, the assets, and where everyone is resident. No charge for it.
A proposal in writing
A written price before anything begins: what setting the trust up costs, and what running it costs each year.
You accept
Engagement letter signed, then onboarding. Neither takes long.
The trust is established
Deed executed, assets settled, registration completed, and the first trustee review scheduled.
What follows
Trusts are administered rather than filed and forgotten. Each year brings a trustee review and minute, the trust register confirmation, and the asset register brought up to date.
Where the trust holds shares in a Cyprus company, that company keeps its own calendar: corporate administration for the registers and filings. Where the family is moving as well as settling assets, relocation and non-dom status are planned alongside, because the residence conditions above are tested at the point the trust is established.
Common questions
Who can settle a Cyprus International Trust?
Someone who was not Cyprus tax resident in the calendar year before it is established, and the beneficiaries must satisfy the same condition. At least one trustee must be resident in Cyprus for the whole life of the trust. Those conditions are what the vehicle is built around: it exists for wealth arriving from elsewhere.
Does a trust protect assets from claims?
Against foreign forced heirship rules, substantially, which is one of the strongest features of the Cyprus regime. Against a settlor's creditors, the statute sets a two year window: a transfer into the trust can be challenged within two years of it being made, and not afterwards. A trust settled with the intention of defeating a claim already in existence is a different matter and is set aside.
Can the settlor keep control?
Some, and not all. Powers can be reserved and a protector can be appointed, but a trustee who simply executes instructions is not exercising the discretion a trust depends on, and an arrangement that looks like the settlor's property in someone else's name tends to be treated as exactly that.
Can we move to Cyprus after the trust is set up?
Yes. The residence conditions are tested in the calendar year before the trust is established, and nothing stops the settlor or a beneficiary becoming Cyprus tax resident afterwards. It does change the tax position of the person who moves, which is why relocation and the trust are usually planned in that order rather than the reverse.
Is the trust taxed in Cyprus?
Income and gains of a Cyprus International Trust are outside the Cyprus charge where the beneficiaries are not Cyprus tax resident. Where a beneficiary is resident here, income attributable to them comes into charge. The position of each beneficiary is assessed individually.
| Vehicle | Cyprus International Trust |
|---|---|
| Typical purposes | Succession planning, asset protection, consolidating family holdings |
| Trustee services | A regulated activity requiring a licence in Cyprus |
| Key parties | Settlor, trustee, beneficiaries and, where appointed, a protector |
| Cross-border dimension | Forced heirship, reporting and recognition rules in each relevant jurisdiction |
| Ongoing requirements | Trustee records, accounts, distributions and beneficiary reporting |
Also in Wealth & Estate
- Cyprus Non-Dom Tax ResidencyNon-domiciled status, the 60-day and 183-day tests, and the resulting dividend position.
- Founder RelocationPersonal relocation to Cyprus aligned with the corporate structure and the exit plan.
- Family Office ServicesConsolidated administration, reporting and governance for private wealth.
Find out whether Cyprus fits your plans
It starts with three questions: where your revenue comes from, what you own, and where you are tax resident. From there, the conversation is about what you are building and where you want to take it. After the call, you receive a written proposal covering the recommended structure, the implementation roadmap, and a fixed fee quote.