If you want to move permanently to Cyprus, the Brexit transition ends in just five months. Although much remains unclear about our future relationship, who would want to risk missing out on the island’s amazing weather, landscape and lifestyle? To protect your right to work, to an upgraded pension each year and subsidised healthcare, you should obtain residency in Cyprus before 2021. Here is how.
If successful, your immediate family have the right to be employed or self-employed in Cyprus.
There are several avenues for gaining residency in Cyprus: the traditional application and the golden visa scheme.
Find homes in Cyprus via our property portal.
Cyprus residence and work permit for EU citizens
If you intend on staying in Cyprus for more than three months (and / or take up employment) you will need to:
- Apply for an Alien Registration Certificate (ARC), at the local Immigration Branch of the Police, within eight days of your arrival – to gain a certificate you’ll need to prove that you have secured employment or have the financial means to support yourself without working.
- Obtain a social insurance number.
- Apply for a residence permit with the Civil Registration and Migration Department within three months.
You will need to provide the following documents when applying for a residence permit:
- Valid passport or identity card.
- Document of Engagement of Employment (forming part of the application) – this must be stamped by the Labour Department.
Application forms can be obtained from the Civil Registry and Migration Department, Ministry of Interior and the local Immigration Branch of the Police. You are able to commence employment while your application is being processed.
If successful, your immediate family have the right to be employed or self-employed in Cyprus. Your residence permit will be reviewed two years from the date of issue.
Luxury homes in Cyprus: all this and a visa too? (kirill_makarov / Shutterstock.com)
Golden visas
After the country nearly went bankrupt in 2013, the Cypriot government introduced the Golden Visa scheme to cash in on residential property revenue.
This enables foreign nationals to gain permanent residency or citizenship through investment in bricks and mortar; a very appealing prospect when you consider that property prices on the island are on the up, making a home here a sound investment.
Golden Visa scheme for permanent residency:
- Investment in a new-build property equal to or above €300,000 (£257,000)
- Simple and fast process
- Visit required once every two years to maintain residency
- Full family residency granted (grandparents, parents and dependent children)
- Investment into new property only
- Travel throughout the EU
- Extends to family and dependants under the age of 25
- Visit once every two years to maintain its validity
Golden Visa scheme for citizenship:
- Invest €2 million in residential property on the island
- No residency requirements
- Become full EU citizen
- Simple and fast process (European passport in two months)
- Full family citizenship granted (children up to 28)
It is worth noting that the Cypriot authorities have begun tightening the Golden Visa for citizenship vetting procedures. As a result the number of passports granted to wealthy foreigners has been capped at 700 a year. The move came following claims the Cypriot passport is essentially up for sale.
