Cyprus wants to require public bodies to answer citizens' requests within 21 working days

The Cyprus Ministry of Justice has prepared a bill that revises the procedure for accessing information held by public bodies. The main change is that the deadline for responding to a request will be reduced to 21 working days from the date of the request.

If a department cannot prepare a response within that period, it will be able to extend it once by another 21 working days. Grounds for an extension may include a large volume of requested documents, the need to search old paper archives, the complexity of the request, or the need to coordinate with other state bodies. The applicant must be notified of the extension in writing before the original deadline expires, with the reason and the new response date.

The current procedure is set by the 2017 law on the right of access to public sector information. It allows 30 calendar days to consider a request, which in practice is about 20–22 working days. In some cases this period can be extended to 50 days.

If the department needs clarification or additional information from the applicant, the countdown starts again once it has been received. The current law also allows a fee to be charged for submitting a request in certain cases.

Besides the new deadline, the document introduces several organisational mechanisms for monitoring compliance with the right of access to information.

• Each government department will appoint a separate officer responsible for access to information.
• This officer will record incoming requests, responses provided, refusals and cases of missed deadlines, and collect data on the reasons for refusals and extensions and on applicants' complaints.
• On the basis of this data the department will prepare an annual report on requests and response times.

Citizens will be able to request documents, statistical data and other information about the activities of public bodies, but only information the department already holds. The body is not obliged to carry out additional research, organise surveys or prepare separate analytical reports at an applicant's request. If the information requested is regulated by another law or falls within the remit of another department, the applicant must be told where to apply.

The bill is currently at the public consultation stage, which will run until 5 November 2026. After the consultation ends, the document will be sent for a check of compliance with national and international law and then to parliament.

This means the mandatory 21-day response deadline is not yet in force: until the law is adopted, public bodies continue to follow the 2017 rules. If the bill is approved without significant changes, it will noticeably simplify obtaining official information from Cypriot departments, including for businesses, citizenship and residence applicants and their legal representatives.