Our resident writer in Cyprus, Helen, shares why obtaining citizenship felt important and beneficial to her. Plus, an insight into the process.
Thinking of becoming a citizen of Cyprus?
While it’s not everyone’s choice to become a Cyprus citizen, I felt it was a natural stepping stone that for me, crowned my being a long-term resident of Cyprus. Cyprus has always made me feel welcome, of course, from the very beginning, but I, and many of my British friends, always felt that little bit ‘foreign’.
It didn’t help that the government immigration department where I had to present myself at regular intervals was titled ‘Immigration and Aliens’. I felt whenever I made that journey to Nicosia that I should be wearing a mask that looked like the famous alien ET! I even had a bright pink “identity card” bearing the proud name ‘Alien’ at the top. So, I had to present this at passport control when I travelled and also even at my local post office to signify that I was the correct receiver of any parcel sent to me from the UK. I remember the familiar smile from the post office personnel (or any public service department) whenever I gave them my Alien card. After I had married my Cypriot husband, the visits to Nicosia immigration stopped, although as Cyprus uses a national identity card system, I still had to keep my Alien card as my identity proof.
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Advantages of having Cyprus Citizenship
For me, receiving Cyprus citizenship gave me that final sense of “belonging” here. Certainly, it does take a couple of years to adjust to the Cyprus culture and generally sort out your new life in the beginning, and so I think obtaining citizenship indicated that I had indeed managed that adjustment successfully. “Now you are really Cypriot!” my Cypriot family declared triumphantly. I always remember that – it was as if I was now a perfectly baked traditional Cypriot flaouna with my own Cypriot ID card! I was no longer an alien!
Here are some other advantages that I’ve discovered:
- The fact that Cyprus is in the EU. I think this is a very important advantage. Since Brexit, the UK is now labelled ‘a third country’ and those from the UK as ‘third country citizens’. My British friends who don’t have citizenship tell me that air travel for them can be difficult now with their British passports, and many questions are asked of them at European airports. With Cyprus being in the EU, I can use my Cypriot ID card or my new Cyprus passport much more easily.
- On a personal level, delivery charges for ordering items online remain much lower if I order them from an EU country.
- Your savings and finances are covered by EU-regulated banks when you are living in Cyprus.
- Cyprus citizenship allows you to feel more comfortable enjoying the calmness and the sunny Cyprus climate to the fullest because you feel at one with the Cypriots. Cypriots always appreciate your efforts to blend in with them and will befriend you and support you while you live here.
- Plus, Cyprus is one of the few countries where you can have dual citizenship so you can hold British and Cyprus citizenship simultaneously.
Getting Cyprus Citizenship
Cyprus has recently changed up the path to citizenship. Before you apply, you will need to be able to prove that you have legally continuously been living in the country for the past twelve months. Plus, you must have lived in the country for three to four years, dependent on how proficient you are in Greek.
Find out more about how Cyprus has changed the rules surrounding obtaining citizenship.
Golden visa
Thinking of going down the golden visa route? This property would be eligible: four-bedroom, Peyia, Paphos, €525,000.
Similar to Greece and Spain, Cyprus has a golden visa scheme. By investing €300,000 in real estate, or going a business route, you can gain permanent residency. Usually, obtaining a golden visa takes three months. It will enable you to travel freely through the Schengen Area. Plus, your spouse and dependents can be included on the visa. This can be a direct pathway to obtaining citizenship.
Browse through properties worth €300,000 or more on our property portal.
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