26.10.2024
CITIZENSHIP
RESIDENCE PERMIT
PERMANENT RESIDENCE
Cyprus Citizenship: the Fastest Way to an EU Passport in 2024
We explain the legal routes available to qualified professionals, entrepreneurs and investors
Advantages of a Cypriot passport
Freedom of movement across the 27 EU countries and stays of up to 90 days in any six-month period in any Schengen country.
The full list of visa-free destinations for Cypriot passport holders includes 178 countries.
The full list of visa-free destinations for Cypriot passport holders includes 178 countries.
Citizens of Cyprus enjoy all the benefits of living in the European Union:
An attractive tax system. Cyprus has the lowest corporate income tax rate in the EU — 12.5%.
The tax rate on dividends and property ownership is zero. Residents can avoid double taxation thanks to Cyprus’s tax treaties with 68 countries.
The tax rate on dividends and property ownership is zero. Residents can avoid double taxation thanks to Cyprus’s tax treaties with 68 countries.
Business opportunities. EU membership gives international companies and startups registered in Cyprus access to the European market and simplifies trade with other countries.
Cyprus applies English common law. It provides a stable and predictable environment for international trade and investment.
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Access to healthcare
Citizens of Cyprus are entitled to high-quality medical services in both public and private institutions. The national healthcare system provides a high standard of care for all residents.
Education
Most educational institutions offer programs in English, making them accessible to international students. Cypriot students can also continue their studies at any university in the EU.
Safety and stability
A stable political and economic environment makes Cyprus a safe place to live and work. Transparent legislation gives citizens confidence and security.
A Cypriot passport can be obtained without giving up your previous citizenship.
Family members can obtain a passport together with the main applicant, provided the legal requirements on time spent on the island are met.
A Cypriot passport can be obtained without giving up your previous citizenship.
Family members can obtain a passport together with the main applicant, provided the legal requirements on time spent on the island are met.
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Cyprus passport: find out the details
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How an IT specialist can become a Cypriot citizen in just 4 years
In April 2024, Cyprus amended its citizenship law. Holders of a Cyprus work visa can now apply for a passport after 4 years of residence on the island. The processing time has also changed — it is now limited by law to 8 months.
The basic requirements for the applicant have not changed:
- no more than 90 days of absence from Cyprus in the 12 months before the date of application;
- legal residence in Cyprus for at least 7 years;
- no criminal record in the country of residence and in Cyprus;
- knowledge of Greek at B1 level;
- sufficient knowledge of Cyprus’s political and social realities;
- suitable housing and a stable, regular income;
- sufficient funds to live in Cyprus (€24,000 per year for the applicant, +15% for a spouse, +10% for each child);
- intention to continue living in the Republic of Cyprus (an interview is conducted)
Which employers meet the criteria of the law:
- foreign companies with their own separate offices in Cyprus (not private residences or mass-registration addresses)
- Cypriot shipping companies
- Cypriot high-tech and/or innovative companies
- Cypriot pharmaceutical companies
- Cypriot companies working in biogenetics and biotechnology
- companies registered in the Register of Foreign Companies of the Department of Registrar and Migration.
The amendments to the Citizenship Law came into force very recently, so enforcement practice has not yet taken shape. The tightest bottleneck may be compliance with the processing deadline, which is now limited by law to 8 months. The Cyprus Immigration Service is already struggling to process a large volume of applications.
For highly qualified employees, the required period of legal residence in Cyprus has been reduced from 7 to 3 or 4 years, depending on the level of Greek (B1 or A2 respectively)
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How to get permanent residence and citizenship of Cyprus through investment
Since 2020 it has not been possible to directly “buy” a Cypriot passport. For wealthy individuals ready to invest €300,000 in the Cypriot economy, there is an investor permanent residence program. Investor status simplifies the process of obtaining a Cypriot passport: you can apply for citizenship after 5 years of residence. On general grounds — no earlier than after 7 years.
- Real estate investment. The main requirement of the program is the purchase of residential or commercial property worth at least €300,000 + VAT. Only new-build property from a Cypriot developer qualifies. Purchasing shares of companies or units of investment funds registered in Cyprus is also allowed.
- Proof of financial standing. The applicant must prove a stable income sufficient to support their family in Cyprus. An income of €50,000 per year for the main applicant, €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 for each child is considered sufficient.
- No criminal record. The applicant must provide a certificate of no criminal record from their country of residence.
- Residence in Cyprus. Permanent residence is issued for an unlimited period. To apply for citizenship, you need to have lived on the island for 5 of the 7 years preceding the application. This means you do not have to live on the island permanently unless you want to obtain Cypriot citizenship as soon as possible.
Conditions for obtaining permanent residence. The investor must buy property and also prove that they have the means to live in Cyprus and no problems with the law.
The advantage of permanent residence status is that it requires almost no effort to maintain. To avoid losing it, it is enough to visit Cyprus for at least 1 day once every 2 years.
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What is citizenship of Cyprus by naturalization
Naturalization means citizenship based on having lived in Cyprus for a sufficiently long time. The law sets this period at no less than 7 years, with the last 12 months being continuous presence in Cyprus.
The applicant must also meet a number of conditions:
- Legal residence: Before applying for a passport, you must live in Cyprus on legal grounds — under a residence permit or permanent residence.
- No criminal record: You must provide a certificate of no criminal record from Cyprus and from the country of previous residence.
- Financial stability: You must prove an income sufficient to support yourself and your family in Cyprus. This can be a salary, business income or other sources of income.
- Knowledge of Greek: When you apply, an interview on general knowledge of Cypriot realities is held, which requires a basic level of Greek.
- Good reputation: The applicant must be a law-abiding resident, refrain from public statements against the Republic of Cyprus, and have no serious administrative offences.
Here are the main types of visas (residence permits) for temporary stay in Cyprus:
- Visitor visa. Issued for 1 year with the option to extend, if you have savings or a regular income outside Cyprus. Working in Cyprus as a visitor is not allowed.
- Work visa. Issued for the term of the contract with an employer. It can be extended on the basis of a new contract or a change of status. So-called companies with foreign participation are entitled to hire foreign nationals under a simplified procedure.
- Student visa. Allows international students admitted to Cypriot educational institutions to live and study on the island. It also gives the right to work legally up to 20 hours per week.
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How to get Cyprus citizenship through marriage
Marriage to a Cypriot citizen is one of the fastest ways to obtain citizenship.
Before applying for a passport, it is enough to have been married to a Cypriot citizen for 3 years, of which the couple must have been on the island for the last 2 years before applying. Throughout this period, the foreign national must have a legal basis for living in Cyprus, for example a visitor visa.
If the marriage has lasted more than 5 years and the spouses have a child, the applicant is not even required to reside in Cyprus.
The immigration service’s loyal and flexible approach applies only to genuine married couples. Officials carefully track cases of sham marriages, up to sudden home visits to the spouses and questioning of neighbours. If suspicions are confirmed, the foreigner is deported and the Cypriot citizen faces criminal prosecution.
The genuineness of the marriage is confirmed by a “Statement of harmonious living” signed by an official of the district administration office or a diplomatic mission. The statement is part of the document package when applying for citizenship by marriage.
Before applying for a passport, it is enough to have been married to a Cypriot citizen for 3 years, of which the couple must have been on the island for the last 2 years before applying. Throughout this period, the foreign national must have a legal basis for living in Cyprus, for example a visitor visa.
If the marriage has lasted more than 5 years and the spouses have a child, the applicant is not even required to reside in Cyprus.
The immigration service’s loyal and flexible approach applies only to genuine married couples. Officials carefully track cases of sham marriages, up to sudden home visits to the spouses and questioning of neighbours. If suspicions are confirmed, the foreigner is deported and the Cypriot citizen faces criminal prosecution.
The genuineness of the marriage is confirmed by a “Statement of harmonious living” signed by an official of the district administration office or a diplomatic mission. The statement is part of the document package when applying for citizenship by marriage.
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Why Cyprus citizenship may be refused
The reasons for refusal can be divided into 2 groups: attempts to deceive the state and various mistakes when submitting documents.
In the first case, refusals are linked to providing false information about the applicant.
If a person worked in the civil service or was a top manager in a state-owned company, this alone is not grounds for refusing citizenship; rather, it is a reason for closer scrutiny.
But if a former PEP (politically exposed person) concealed this information in the application, that automatically settles the matter against them.
If the applicant has a criminal record or is subject to personal EU or US sanctions, they will most likely also be refused.
If a person worked in the civil service or was a top manager in a state-owned company, this alone is not grounds for refusing citizenship; rather, it is a reason for closer scrutiny.
But if a former PEP (politically exposed person) concealed this information in the application, that automatically settles the matter against them.
If the applicant has a criminal record or is subject to personal EU or US sanctions, they will most likely also be refused.
A more common case is refusal because of formal violations.
This can be a missing apostille on a document, an expired criminal record certificate, or incorrectly counted days of stay in Cyprus.
This can be a missing apostille on a document, an expired criminal record certificate, or incorrectly counted days of stay in Cyprus.
From the outside such mistakes look naive, but in practice they are easier to make than it seems. For example, a gap of a couple of weeks between work visas is easy to overlook, because during those days the applicant never left Cyprus. But from the immigration service’s point of view, those days do not count towards the period of legal stay on the island. Over several years, quite a lot of such “ambiguous” days can accumulate.
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A minor inaccuracy in preparing the document package will not lead to a final refusal, of course, but it can greatly delay the passport procedure.
A case can sit “under review” for 2–3 years and end in refusal because of an insignificant mistake, after which a repeat application is required.
To avoid this, many applicants use the services of immigration lawyers. Full support of the case by an experienced attorney eliminates mistakes and helps you get your passport within a reasonable time.
A case can sit “under review” for 2–3 years and end in refusal because of an insignificant mistake, after which a repeat application is required.
To avoid this, many applicants use the services of immigration lawyers. Full support of the case by an experienced attorney eliminates mistakes and helps you get your passport within a reasonable time.
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