If you own or manage a swimming pool in Cyprus, recent changes to the swimming pool laws and regulations, passed by Parliament on 10 July 2025, may directly affect you.
According to the government, the old law “made compliance either impossible or economically unviable, especially in small or large private developments with jointly owned or shared swimming pools.”
The ministry added that rapid residential growth in recent years has amplified the need for reform, noting that “the modernisation of the legal framework was the only way out.”
Whether you are a property owner in a residential complex, a holiday rental operator, a hotelier, or simply the owner of a private villa pool, the new law applies to you in some form.
These new rules introduce three clearly defined categories of swimming pools and outline specific compliance requirements for each.
In this post, I will break down what the new swimming pool laws & regulations mean for property owners, hotels, holiday rentals, and private residences.
New swimming pool categories explained
Under the 2025 legislation, swimming pools are now classified into three types:
Type 1 pools – public and high-risk pools
These pools fall under the most stringent regulations due to their high volume of users. This includes:
- Recreational swimming pools
- Public-access pools
- Water parks
These are intended for general public use.
Type 2 pools – business-related pools
These pools support a primary business function and are also classified as public use pools. Examples include:
- Hotel pools (including shared swim-up pools)
- Pools at campsites
- Spa pools and hydrotherapy facilities
- Club swimming pools
Type 3 pools – private and shared-use pools
These include all other pools, including those in self-catering accommodations, except:
- Type 1 swimming pools;
- Type 2 swimming pools;
- Pools intended for private use serving up to five (5) residential units;
Relaxed rules for Type 3 pools
If your property has a Type 3 pool, and it serves more than five residential units, the following changes apply under the new law:
- No requirement for a lifeguard
- No need to apply for a swimming pool operating permit
- Occasional inspections only, mostly during summer
Where can I access the new swimming pool law?
The official 2025 law is available online in Greek: Click here and for the 2025 Regulations in Greek: Click here.
My unofficial English translation of the new law and regulations is also available for reference: View or download for viewing here
Disclaimer: My translations are for general guidance and should not be treated as legal advice.
New safety rules for ALL pools
To improve safety and prevent environmental and health hazards, the new law requires:
- All unused or non-operational pools to be fenced off and fitted with a secure safety cover
- If rainwater or stagnant water accumulates in a pool, the owner must drain it to:
- Prevent mosquito breeding
- Avoid risks to children, animals, and others
This applies to all Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3 swimming pool.
Key points of the 2025 swimming pool regulations
| Pool Type |
Use |
Requirements |
| Type 1 |
Public & High-Risk |
Full compliance, lifeguards, permits, regular inspections |
| Type 2 |
Business/Commercial |
Public use rules apply, inspections required |
| Type 3 |
Private or Shared (more than 5 residential units) |
No permit, no lifeguard, occasional checks only |
Need help understanding the new swimming pool law?
If you’re unsure how the new 2025 swimming pool law affects your property, I recommend seeking professional legal advice or consulting local authorities.
The twenty year swimming pool saga
Efforts to get a more sensible approach to managing swimming pools were on-going for two decades:
In November 2005 Lakis Tofarides, the then Chairman of the Land and Building Developers Association, suggested the following measures should be taken to alleviate the situation.
“The swimming pools in apartment buildings and complexes to be considered private (not public) because the residents and their guests use them. At the same time, residents, in proportion to the number of persons living on the building/complex, could be trained as lifeguards. This means that if there are large families on the building, the number of persons to be trained would be decided accordingly”.
“As far as public pools are concerned, the number of supervisory staff needed (lifeguards, etc.) should be reduced”.
In June 2007, Denis O’Hare, Linda LeBlanc and I met with the Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry, Dr Lazaros Savvides, and discussed the problems of the swimming pool laws with him.
In August 2008 it was reported that the Cyprus Government was looking to change the swimming pool laws. However, this was yet another vacuous announcement.
In September 2008 the European Committee for Standardization approved two standards relating to swimming pools:
Under these European Standards, which Cyprus could have adopted by March 2009 (but chose not to do so), complexes that share a pool for the use of the property owners, their families and guests are classed as a Type 3 swimming pool, making it subject to different standards than a public swimming pool and would therefore not require lifeguards, etc.
The standard defines ‘public’ pools as “open to everyone or to a defined group of users, not designated solely for the owner’s/proprietor’s/operator’s family and guests independently from paying an entrance fee.”
In 2011 Arlene McCarthy MEP questioned Cyprus swimming pool legal rulings in the European Commission after Paphos municipality took legal action against one of her constituents and others for not having a swimming pool licence for the pool in their holiday complex.
In 2012 a group of residents living at a complex in Kato Paphos had their passports confiscated temporarily for failing to comply with swimming pool regulations.
In January 2015 Phileleftheros reported that Interior Ministry is proposing a new law that would classify swimming pools into five different categories. A main concern is to ensure proper regulation to prevent accidental drownings.
The law will make a distinction between public and private swimming pools, and each category will have its own criteria for construction, operation and inspection.
In December 2016 Phileleftheros reported that an announcement from the Interior Ministry advised that a bill to amend the existing legal framework and regulation of swimming pools has been drafted and forwarded to the Attorney General for legal vetting.
However, during the vetting process it was identified that some of the provisions in the draft bill already existed the Streets and Buildings Law and Regulations; as a consequence, the draft bill was returned to the Interior Ministry for further work.
According to the ministry’s announcement, two pieces of legislation will cover:
- Issues concerning the design and construction of public and private swimming pools will be included in the relevant legislation under the Streets and Buildings law. (A working document will shortly be issued for public consultation.)
- Matters relating to the licensing of swimming pools will be included in separate legislation.
In 2018 a petition was launched calling on the Minister of Interior to change the law.
July 2025 a revised law (Law No. 137(I)/2025) was passed by parliament. Saga ends!
It’s taken 20 years for the government to finally change the law, which now takes a common-sense and practical approach and which is based on the EU regulation EN 15288-2: 2008 Swimming pools – Part 2: Safety Requirements for Swimming Pool Operation (English)
Have questions or insights? Please share your experience in the comments below.
