Visa and residency options
If you’re a non-Cypriot who wishes to stay permanently in the country, you may need to obtain a visa.
If you’re from an EU or EEA country, you do not need a visa to live in Cyprus, but if you intend to work there, you will need a permit.
If you’re a non-EU or EEA resident, you will be classed as a third-country national and will be bound by the 90-day rule. This means that you cannot spend any longer than 90 days in every 180 in Cyprus.
Should you wish to outstay the 90-day rule, you will need to apply for a residency permit. There are two main types of permits, temporary and permanent.
Bear in mind that while Cyprus has similar rules, it is not one of the 28 European countries within the Schengen area. That has certain advantages.
H2 Temporary residency permits
Before you commit to the move, you may want some time to get a feel for the country to make sure it’s the right place for you. If this is the case, and you feel that the three months of the 90-day rule isn’t long enough, you can apply for a temporary residence visa for Cyprus.
A temporary residence permit, otherwise known as a “pink slip”, allows you, your spouse, and any dependents under the age of 18, to stay in the country for up to a year. If you get a pink slip for Cyprus, it’s important to note that you cannot leave the country for more than three months continuously, so bear this in mind if you plan on spending a lot of time back in your home country.
Requirements: To apply, you will need an adequate income from overseas to cover your living expenses in Cyprus, which is around €10,000 a year per adult and €5,000 a year per child. You will also need to provide all the essential documents detailed below.
You must also provide an original medical examination certificate for blood tests, to show you don’t suffer from hepatitis B and C, HIV or syphilis. You will also need to have a chest X-ray to show you’re clear from tuberculosis.
Cost: This type of visa for Cyprus costs €70 for each person covered by the visa and the renewal cost is the same.
Validity: While short term residence visas can be renewed annually, they do not act as working visas for Cyprus, so those looking to take out employment will need to become a permanent resident.
The application process takes around six months. However, applicants can reside in Cyprus until approved. Once your application has been approved, you’ll be issued a residence permit card.
H2 Permanent residence permits in Cyprus for non-EU/EEA citizens
To prepare for moving to the country, you will need to apply for permanent Cyprus residency. To do this, it’s vital that you prepare your (and your family’s) immigration papers. This can be done with the help of a lawyer, who can attend the immigration department with you and deal with things on your behalf.
There are a few different categories of permanent residence. The following are the most commonly applied for:
H3 Permanent residency with the right to work
There are a few different types of permanent residency permits with the right to work, but the two most common are:
Category C: For the self-employed and business owners. You must have enough capital (around €260,000) to sustain the business and the business should have no negative impact on the economy of Cyprus.
Category E: For those who have already been offered employment in Cyprus.
H3 Permanent residence by naturalisation
If you have lived in Cyprus with a temporary residence permit for at least five years, during which you did not leave the country for three months or more, you can be issued a permanent residence permit, which is valid for up to five years. Applicants must also have an open work contract with a duration of 18 months or more left, to qualify.
H3 Permanent residency by marriage
If you are moving to Cyprus because you are married to, or you plan to marry a Cypriot, you can apply for permanent residency.
H3 Permanent residency with a passive income
Known as a Category F permit, this residency permit is for people who don’t plan on working in Cyprus and have enough money to support themselves.
Requirements: Those who apply for this category of visa should have an income of around €24,000 a year which comes from outside of Cyprus. This could come from a range of sources, including employment abroad, pensions, shares and money from a rental property.
If you’re applying with a spouse, add 20% (€4,800) and if applying with dependents, you should add 15% (€3,600) per dependent. For example, if you have a spouse and two young children moving with you, the required income will increase to €38,800 (€€24,000 for you, plus €4,800 for your spouse and €5,000 per dependent).
On application, you will be required to prove that you have the sufficient funds to support yourself and your dependents in Cyprus by submitting a bank statement and proof of transfer. For the pink slip application, you must transfer at least €24,000 from abroad to a Cyprus bank account, which increases by 20% per spouse and 15% for each child.
H2 Cyprus golden visa scheme
Cyprus operates a residency by investment scheme more commonly referred to as the golden visa. The most common investment route for Cypriot investment is real estate.
The minimum economic investment into Cypriot real estate is €300,000 (excluding VAT), which is one of the lowest in Europe. If you purchase a property worth over €300,000 you can benefit from Cypriot permanent residency. However, it has to be a new build property and there are also income requirements too.
If the property is worth over €2,000,000, then you are automatically eligible for full citizenship.
After five years on a permanent residence permit, you can then apply for Cypriot citizenship.
There are additional routes to obtaining the golden visa, they include:
Other qualifying golden visa routes for foreign investors are as follows :
- Buy a commercial property: Invest at least €300,000 (excluding VAT) in a commercial property. This property cannot be resold.
- Invest in a share capital of a Cypriot company: Invest at least €300,000 in the share capital of a Cypriot company that generates revenue for at least five people.
- Invest in units of a Cypriot collective investment organisation: The investor must invest in units of a Cyprus Collective Investment Organisation. Those funds will be managed by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and professional fund managers.
H2 Digital-nomad visa
Please note, you cannot apply in 2024 as the cap of 500 digital nomad visas has already been met, however, there’s a chance that submission will reopen in 2025.
If you’re a non-EU or non-EEA citizen who would like to work for an overseas company but live in Cyprus, you might be interested in the digital nomad visa scheme. It was launched by the Council of Ministers to attract international talent from abroad. The scheme aims to grant 500 residence permits.
Requirements: It allows non-EU and non-EEA individuals to work remotely in Cyprus on a one-year residence permit, with the option to renew for another two years. The minimum income requirement for this scheme is €3,500 per month.
There are many benefits to this, which include right of residency for family members while your residence permit is valid. Also, if you spend more than 183 days in Cyprus, you’ll be considered a tax resident of Cyprus and it’s highly won’t have to pay tax in your home country due to Double Tax Treaties (DTTs), which exist between Cyprus and most EU countries, the UK and the USA.
To apply, you will need to enter Cyprus on a tourist visa (Temporary residency) and within three months of your arrival, you can submit an application for a residence permit. In the application, you will need to declare your type of employment (self-employed, employed overseas etc.) and prove your monthly net income.
This will be submitted alongside your essential documents for approval. If approved, you will be granted a residence permit card valid for one year. The card can be renewed for up to two years, but the renewal application must be submitted at least one month before expiry.
Please note: The processing time is usually between five and nine weeks.
H2 How to apply for residency in Cyprus
To apply for a Cyprus residency card/permit, you have to apply directly to the Civil Registry and Migrations Department in Cyprus or through an Allens and Immigration Brand of the Police, even if you are abroad.
If the application requires a property purchase, you will then choose a qualifying rental or property to purchase.
You will need to open a Cypriot bank account, prepare your essential documents (see below) and then attend an in-person appointment at your local Cyprus embassy/consulate or Immigration Unit.
You’ll be asked to pay the application fee in person at your appointment and then your biometric data will be taken before the application is submitted.
H2 Essential documents for residency applications
Regardless of what category residence permit you’re applying for, there is a number of documents you’ll need to submit with your application. They often include:
- The relevant application form, completed
- Employment contracts, if applicable
- Rental or sales agreement, if applicable
- Bank statement & proof of transfer, if applicable
- Bank guarantee
- Health Insurance
- Proof of income, if applicable
- Copy of your valid passport
- Marriage and birth certificate, if applicable
- School enrolment confirmation, if moving with children
Please note: For some applications, such as first-time pink slip applications, you must provide an original criminal record certificate legalised with an Apostille Stamp and translated into English from your country of residence.
You may also be asked to supply an original medical examination certificate, which will include blood tests and a chest X-Ray, which will be conducted in Cyprus before you submit your application. This is to check for no infectious diseases.