Can I install a home security camera in Cyprus?
It depends: yes for purely domestic use, but if it captures the street or neighbours, GDPR applies. Purely domestic CCTV is exempt (the GDPR "household exemption"), as long as cameras view only your own property. The exemption is lost if surveillance extends beyond your boundary — the street, sidewalk, neighbours' property or passers-by — then you become a data controller under Law 125(I)/2018. Footage retention must be limited. Where GDPR applies, a visible sign (purpose + contact number) is mandatory. In short: your own space yes, the street/neighbour no.
📋 The rules
- Purely domestic use: exempt (GDPR exemption)
- Capturing the street/neighbour: GDPR applies
- Limited retention of footage
- Where GDPR applies: visible sign
- Common areas (corridors, lifts): off-limits
🔓 Exceptions
- In apartment blocks the management committee is responsible
- Audio recording: treated more strictly than video
- The Commissioner can't enter private premises — go to the police
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The Commissioner can impose GDPR fines up to €10 million / 2% turnover (lower tier) and €20 million / 4% (serious) — the practical ceilings. A documented case: a doctor fined €1,500 for a camera in a shared waiting area that also captured the street without a legal basis. Improperly aimed cameras also expose owners to civil suits. Beware a myth: "it's my house, so I can point my camera anywhere, including the street and my neighbour's garden" — false; once it captures areas beyond your property and identifiable people, the exemption falls away, GDPR applies, and you can be fined and sued. Tip: point cameras only at your own space.
📎 Official sources
- Harris Kyriakides · CCTV on private property →
- dataprotection.gov.cy · Commissioner →
- gov.cy · data protection →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I install a camera at my house?
Yes, for purely domestic use. If the cameras monitor only your own property for personal security reasons, the GDPR household exemption applies. But once the image extends beyond your boundary, data-protection law applies.
Can I record the street or my neighbour?
Not freely. Once the camera captures the street, the sidewalk, the neighbour's property or passers-by, you lose the exemption and become a data controller under Law 125(I)/2018, with obligations and a risk of fines.
Do I need a sign?
Where GDPR applies, that is when the camera isn't covered by the household exemption, a legible sign is required, stating the purpose of the recording and a contact number for the operator.
What applies in an apartment block?
In an apartment block, the management committee is responsible for common-area cameras, not the individual resident. Some areas, such as corridors, toilets, lifts and lobbies, are off-limits even for a common camera.
How big are the fines?
The Commissioner can impose GDPR fines up to €10 million or 2% of turnover, and up to €20 million or 4% for serious breaches. In a documented case, a doctor was fined €1,500 for a camera that unlawfully captured the street.
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