Cyprus Permanent Residency

Cyprus permanent residency

Cyprus Permanent Residency is a legal status that entitles Non-EU citizens and qualifying dependents to enter and stay as permanent residents in Cyprus with no limitations. It does not expire; therefore, the holder does not need to renew it. It is also known as a Cyprus immigration permit or unlimited residency.

To obtain a Permanent Residency permit in Cyprus with the fast-track option, the applicant must invest at least €300,000 in real estate. This residency can cover the whole family and does not expire.

A holder of such a permit can apply for Cyprus citizenship after five years of residing in the country.

The legal basis of the permanent residence scheme is Regulation 5 and 6(2) of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations.

Permanent residence programs

A PR in Cyprus is divided into several main categories.

Permanent residency by investment

“Cyprus residency by buying a property” type of permits is for investors who purchase property in Cyprus and have sufficient income from abroad:

• Category 6.2 Fast Track Permanent Residency can be obtained by investing at least €300.000 (plus VAT) in a brand-new house or apartment in Cyprus.
• Permanent Residency Category F requires an investment in real estate of at least €100.000 (plus VAT) and annual income from abroad which covers living expenses while residing in Cyprus, without working or doing business. The required yearly income starts from €9568 for one applicant plus €4613 for each dependent person.

Here is an example of the Cyprus permanent resident card obtained through investment:

Residency with the right to work

This type of permits is for owners and employees of companies of foreign interests:

• Category C: Investors who work for their own company provided they bring from abroad a capital of about €260,000 which will be used for their company activities in Cyprus.
• Category E: Persons who have been offered permanent employment.

To find out more about this type of permits read about Employment Visas.

Other types of permanent residency in Cyprus

Permanent Residence by 5 years of stay

Non-EU citizens who had resided legally and continuously in Cyprus for five years before the filing of the application and had for the entire prementioned period valid Cyprus temporary residence card are entitled to apply for the so-called long-term residence permit.

Permanent Residency for EU citizens

This type of residency can be applied by European Union citizens and their family members also Citizens of EU, after 5 years of continuous legal residence in Cyprus.

Permanent Residency by marriage to Cypriot

Applicants married to Cypriot Citizen, their minor children from a previous marriage and also parents of the Cypriot citizen or parents-in-law are allowed to apply for residency permit with an unlimited duration which entitles them to residency rights. Read more about PR by marriage.

Fast-track procedure for obtaining a PR

Requirements for Cyprus permanent residency by investment

The following criteria apply to investors looking for Cyprus residency:

• The investor must buy a new house or apartment or any of the combinations mentioned below, from a development company for the minimum amount of €300.000 plus VAT (VAT is 19% or 5% for the first property bought for own use).
• The investor must register his sales agreement at the Land Registry and pay at least €200.000 plus VAT to be able to apply. The payment must be made in the bank account of the seller in Cyprus, and the money should be transferred from abroad.

The delivery date does not matter, so properties under construction can be included.

The property can be bought in the name of a company in which the absolute owner or ultimate beneficiary will be the investor or his/her spouse. The investor may buy up to two properties provided the total sales price is as mention above and can be any of the following combinations:

• Two residential properties (houses or apartments)
• Residential property and a shop (up to 100 sq.m)
• Residential property and office (up to 250 sq.m)

If the investor wishes to sell the property, he must replace it with another of the equal or higher value and to follow all the conditions mentioned above.

Annual Income

The investor, together with his/her spouse, must prove yearly income from abroad of minimum €30.000, which is increased by €5.000 for each dependent (spouse and children). It is also increased by €8.000 for each dependent parent or parent-in-law and provided this is satisfied they can also apply and get the permanent residence permit.

It can be any income and usually includes salaries, pensions, dividends, fixed deposits, rents etc.

Family members

The Permanent Residency permit covers the spouse and children up to 18 years old.

Also, children between 18 and 25 years old can apply provided they fulfil the following:

• Financially dependent on the investor
• Unmarried
• University students abroad with a minimum of six months remaining study period from the date of the submission of the application
• To prove additional annual income of €5.000 for each

The PR is kept by the children for life even if they exceed the age of 25 or do not continue to fulfil the above (unmarried, financially dependent, students).

However, their future spouse or child cannot be added as dependents on their PR. If children want to study at the University of Cyprus, they must apply for a temporary residence permit as students. When they finish their studies regardless of their age, they will be able to apply for PR with the only condition of the extra annual income of €5000.

Parents & Parents in law

The parents and parents-in-law of investor can also get PR without buying additional property. The only requirement is to show an additional annual income of €8.000 for every such parent. And to provide the application documents as mentioned in the list below.

Other conditions

Applicants must also comply with the below:

• Provide a clean criminal record from their country of residence
• Should not be regarded as a danger to the public order/security of Cyprus

Permanent Residency in Cyprus Category F

To be eligible for this type of permit, the applicant mainly needs to show:

Cyprus permanent residency category F is flexible and does not have a strict requirement of property purchase. However, it is recommended to buy a property in Cyprus of any amount. It can even be a resale property. The money for the purchase does not need to be transferred from abroad.

The applicant must show a yearly income of at least €9568 for one applicant plus €4613 for each dependent person. This income must be from abroad and can be from salaries, pensions, stock shares, rents.

The applicant should deposit in his bank account in Cyprus an amount of approximately €15.000 to €20.000, which is not pledged it is a simple deposit, the money can be used after applying.

Only children up to the age of 18 years old can apply as a dependent, and their permanent residency will be valid until they become 18 years old. The parents of the applicants cannot apply as dependents.

It is also possible to apply for the PR category F with a rented property. However, the application could be declined by the Migration department. Based on our experience, we recommend applying after purchasing a property.

Conditions and restrictions of the permanent residency program

• The holder must visit Cyprus once every two years or the residency permit would be cancelled automatically.
• The holders are not allowed to work in Cyprus. However, they can be shareholders in a Cypriot company, which can do business in Cyprus or abroad, and receive dividend income from this company.
• Cypriot permanent residence permit does not give any visa-free travel to any other countries or European Union member states, as it is only for Cyprus.

Category F only

• The processing time at the moment cannot be estimated (updated – November 2022)
• The children of the applicant will lose it once they become 18 years old

How to get a permanent residence permit

To obtain a permanent residency permit in Cyprus, the applicant needs to apply with the following required documents:

• Copy of valid passport of the applicant, spouse and children
• Curriculum Vitae for the applicant
• Marriage Certificate duly certified (official and certified translation)
• Children’s Birth Certificates duly certified (official and certified translation)
• Original Criminal Record Certificate (Issued from the country of residence and submitted with an official and certified translation)
• Documents to prove annual income from abroad
• Title of ownership or contract of sale of property in Cyprus
• Bank Swift for the payment of the purchase price & receipts of payment
• Category F only: Original Letter from a bank in Cyprus OR Bank Statement to show the balance of €15.000 – €20.000

Please note that Criminal Record Certificate, marriage & children birth certificates should be translated in English and be certified by the Ministry of foreign affairs (or Embassy) of the country that will issue them. And also by the Cyprus Embassy of that Country, or bear the APOSTILLE stamp.

Application procedure

The application to obtain a permanent residency can be submitted by the lawyer of the investor who does not need to be present at the submission. Those applications are only provided at the Civil Registry and Migration Department at Nicosia, not at district immigration units of each city.

After the submission, the applicants are required to give a photo and fingertips so that on approval, the residency cards can be issued. This can be done at any time before the final approval at any migration district unit in any city.

Below are the addresses of each city’s immigration unit.

Agamemnonos 6, Engomi, 2411 Nicosia

Franglinou Rousvelt 223, Zakaki, Building ¨D. Nikolaou¨, 2nd floor, 3046 Limassol

Piale Piasha 75, 6027 Larnaka

Eleftheriou Venizelou & Kaningos 22, 2 nd floor, 8021 Pafos

Eleftherias 83, Tatolos Bld, Derynia Plaza, 1st floor, 5380 Derynia

On approval, the lawyer will collect the PR cards.

Processing time

The fast-track Cyprus residency by investment is obtained in about two months. On approval, the lawyer can collect the cards on behalf of the investors.

As of November 2022, the processing time for the examination of the application under category F at the moment can not be estimated. The applications are submitted normally but not processed until further notice by the immigration department.

Cyprus government fees

The cost of the fast track permanent residency program is €300.000, and it does not include the following fees:

Applicant / applicants’ spouse / children under 18

€70 for each person for registration

Adult children & parents (each)

€70 for registration

The fees are the same for Category F permits.

Benefits

• Permanent residency in Cyprus is valid for life.
• The whole family and parents can apply to get a residence permit.
• A Permanent resident of Cyprus after completing five years (total of 1825 days) of legal stay in Cyprus is entitled to apply for Cyprus Citizenship. This is the naturalisation scheme based on years of residence (M127).
• Residency card is obtained within two months through the fast-track process.
• PR holder might be eligible to apply for becoming Cyprus Tax resident with the advantage of being exempt for worldwide dividend and passive interest income and from the profit of the sale of securities.
• PR holder benefits by the newly established General Healthcare system and is entitled to free healthcare.
• PR Category F is a flexible procedure which allows the holder to get a permanent residency in a European country with a minimal investment.

Our services

Our team of immigration lawyers in Limassol Cyprus is ready to advise and prepare any the above permanent residency applications. We will support you through all the procedure from initial property purchase, advice on required documents, preparation and submission of the immigration permit applications, collection of the PR cards.

Contact us to receive a free personal consultation and learn about our competitive fee services.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Cyprus alien card? Does it give any rights?

It is merely a registration certificate, is not considered a valid permit and does not grant any right to stay.

How to get permanent residency in Cyprus after the study?

According to Cyprus immigration rules, the only way is to follow either of the residency by investment programs.

Cyprus Permanent Residency

The procedure through which a person can obtain Cyprus permanent residency is regulated under the rules of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations. Once a foreigner has obtained the permanent residence permit, then he or she will not be required to renew the document, as it does not have an expiration date, as it is the case of the temporary residence permit.

The formalities for obtaining a Cyprus residence permit can vary based on the nationality of the applicant, who can be a natural person relocating to Cyprus or a businessman starting a company here or investing in real estate properties.

Read below a number of questions about residency in Cyprus presented by our team. We also discuss the possibility to apply for citizenship by investment in Cyprus in this article. If you would like to move to another EU country, for example immigrating to Estonia, we can put you in contact with our partners – LawyersEstonia.com.

Table of Contents

Is the permanent residence permit necessary for EU citizens in 2022?

Citizens of the European Union (EU) who are moving to Cyprus on a long-term basis will need to apply for a permanent residence permit if they want to obtain residency in Cyprus. Although they do not have to comply with other immigration requirements upon their arrival, such as obtaining a visa or applying for a short-term residence permit, they do have to complete specific legal obligations for Cyprus permanent residence, which can be presented by our team of lawyers. In case you are interested in obtaining a permanent residence permit in Spain, we can put you in contat with our local partners.

Temporary residence permit validity

– the application form;
– the identity document and travel documents of the applicant;
– documents attesting the living arrangements in Cyprus;
– a bank statement showing that the applicant has sufficient financial funds to live here;
– a valid health insurance.

Yes, but it depends on the permit the foreigner has.

The application for permanent residency has to be done after five years of uninterrupted stay in Cyprus. According to the Civil Registry and Migration Department, the right to Cyprus permanent residence can be lost, even in the case of EU citizens, but only in the situation in which they are absent from this country for a period longer than two consecutive years. After becoming a permanent resident, the foreign citizen may also request the issuance of the Cypriot citizenship, in given conditions.

The right to Cyprus permanent residency is available for persons who are employed in a company or are self-employed, persons who have worked here and who have reached the retirement age, persons who have worked in this country for at least two consecutive years and who are unable to work due to permanent incapacity as a consequence of a work accident and other categories of persons; our team of Cyprus immigration lawyers can present more details on the employment regulations addressed to foreign citizens. If you would like to move to Portugal and obtain residency, we recommend our partners who are experts in immigration matters such as residency, citizenship, investment visas – Immigrate-Portugal.com.

This represents one of the ways in which a person, from the EU or from outside the community, can obtain permanent residence permit in Cyprus. This is also the most common procedure applied by natural persons. The other option of attaining Cyprus permanent residency is through investment, an option which grants a set of advantages, including a fast completion of the procedure. Investors can receive information on the investment program from our Cyprus immigration lawyers.

Non-EU nationals can also apply for a permanent residence license if they can prove that they can provide for themselves and their families and if they have lived for 5 consecutive years in Cyprus. Permanent residence permits in Cyprus have categories and requirements exist for each category as follows:

– the first category is for people that have a bank account in a Cypriot bank, a real estate purchase contract and annual income of at least 9,600 EUR for each member of the family;
– the second category is for investors interested in setting up a companies in Cyprus;
– the third category is also for investors, but for those wanting to open a business division. These investors will have to inject a minimum capital of 255,000 EUR;
– the fourth category is for employees.

The following documents must be submitted in order to receive a permanent residence permit in Cyprus:

– passport;
– copy after the property acquisition contract;
– copy after the payments to the seller of the property;
– a copy after a bank statement;
– documents proving incomes;
– four passport-size photographs
– a guarantee letter from the bank in Cyprus.

If you need support in applying for a residence permit for Cyprus in 2022, our immigration lawyers are at your service.

What are the advantages of permanent residence through investment in Cyprus?

Foreign investors can acquire permanent residence permit in Cyprus much faster compared to the procedure presented above. Provided that they will purchase a property in Cyprus, they will be able to obtain Cyprus permanent residence permit for themselves and their family (spouse, children with an age of up 25 years old and even parents). The entire process can be completed in a period of two months, the following being necessary:

• purchase a residential property in Cyprus that has a value of at least EUR 300,000;
• this value does not include value added tax, which can be charged at rates of 5% or 19%;
• when the purchase is made, the foreigner has to pay EUR 200,000 as an initial deposit;
• the person must also open a bank account at a local bank in which he must have a deposit of at least EUR 30,000, for minimum 3 years; we can give you more details about this condition for obtaining a Cyprus residence permit;
• the person must have an income of at least EUR 30,000 per year, from foreign sources;
• this sum will increase by EUR 5,000 per each dependent brought to Cyprus;
• the sum will increase by EUR 8,000 per each family member, if the family member is a spouse or parent.

Once these financial aspects are secured and the purchase was made, the person can apply for Cyprus permanent residency with the Civil Registry and Migration Department. The application sent to the institution will be further analyzed by the Ministry of Interior, which will provide an answer in a period of two months. After the institutions will provide their answer, which is, in most of the cases, a positive one, the applicant and his or her family are required to visit the country in a period of one year since the approval was made in order to receive the Cypriot residence permit. This can also provide the right to apply for the Cypriot citizenship, if the person wants to become a citizen of this country.

It is worth knowing that this type of program does not require relocating to Cyprus, but it is advised to visit the country for a short period of time every two years, as an absence longer than two years from the country can lead to the revocation of the Cyprus permanent residency.

Besides the conditions that we have presented above, foreigners who want to obtain a Cyprus residence permit in 2022 have to know that additional requirements became applicable starting with 24th March 2021. The new rules aim at those who will apply for a permanent residence permit through investments and you can address to our immigration lawyer in Cyprus for in-depth advice on each of the conditions imposed by the Cypriot authorities.

For those seeking to invest in Cyprus in 2022, there is also the possibility of starting a local business or purchasing shares in a company already registered here. There are specific conditions for the issuance of the residence permit by investment, among which we mention hiring 5 employees.

Below, you can watch a short video on Cyprus permanent residency procedure:

Cyprus permanent residency through the F Category

Category F represents one of the legal pathways through which a person can obtain a permanent residency in this country. The minimum requirements are different that the ones for other legal pathways presented in this article, and they impose much lower thresholds and very flexible options for the foreigner.

Those moving to Cyprus applying for a permanent residence permit through the F category will not need to purchase a property, but if they want to do so, it will be an advantage for their relocation and an advantage during the process of Cyprus immigration.

In the case in which persons applying for this category will want to purchase a property, they should know that there aren’t any minimum requirements as to the price of the property, it can be a resale property as well, of any type and price. The applicants will not have to prove that the money they have purchased the property with are from foreign sources, as it can be the case of other programs.

However, when relocating to Cyprus under this residence permit program, the foreigners will still need to provide evidence on having a minimum level of income. In this particular case, the requirement is to have at least EUR 9,568 for the person who applies for residency. If the person will arrive here with other family members who are considered dependents to the applicant, additional financial resources have to be proven.

For each dependent of the applicant, evidence on having EUR 4,613 is required. This income has to be from any type of foreign sourced income, such as salaries, pensions, income obtained from the rental of overseas properties, stocks, shares owned in a company and other types of incomes.

During the application, the foreigner must also open a bank account at a Cypriot commercial bank; if you need assistance on the procedure, our immigration lawyer in Cyprus can provide legal advice on the documents that are required by all local banks. The bank account must be opened for the purpose of depositing an initial amount that can vary from EUR 15,000 to EUR 20,000.

This is a part of the immigration application process, as the authorities will need to make sure that the applicant has sufficient funds, besides the yearly income that we have mentioned above. After the immigration formalities are completed and the Cyprus permanent residence is issued, the person can easily use the respective money in accordance with his or her own wishes.

Under this program, the foreigner can bring in Cyprus dependent persons, who are generally children with an age below 18 years old. The children will receive the Cyprus permanent residency, which will be valid until they reach 18 years old. Please mind that when moving to Cyprus under this program, the parents of the applicant can’t be considered dependents and thus, will not be able to relocate here as permanent residents under this particular program.

However, the parents of a foreigner can relocate to Cyprus and become permanent residents, but under other circumstances; our immigration lawyer in Cyprus can provide more details on the visa options and residence requirements available for elderly persons. It is also worth knowing that you can participate in the F Category program when renting a local property.

Still, you should mind that in this case, the opportunity to receive the Cypriot residence permit will be diminished, as the local institutions will favor those who have purchased a property here, not only because this shows an important investment in the local society and economy, but because it shows a certain level of commitment to Cyprus, which can’t be easily proven by those who simply rent a property.

For this category, it is necessary to know that the applications for Cyprus permanent residency can be completed in a period of 18 months. It is also very important to remember that if you have dependent children, after the age of 18 years old, they will lose the right to a residence permit in Cyprus obtained under this program, and will have to apply for a different program, provided that they want to maintain their residency here.

We invite you to request more details on the Cypriot residence permit through the F Category residence permit from our immigration lawyer; our team can advise on other aspects that you should mind when arriving here under this program and can provide consultancy services on other residency programs that can be of use for you or other family members.

Persons interested in relocating to Cyprus can contact our team of lawyers for more details on the steps involved in the issuance of the permanent residency permit. Please mind that the Cyprus permanent residence permit issued for investment purposes can be obtained without the presence of the applicant in this country; the legal representatives appointed by the person can handle the entire procedure.

Housing, Visa and residence permit procedure

The staff at the International Service department are specialists in Dutch immigration procedures. They will help you and your family with the applications for visas, residence permits and work permits.

There are different types of resident permits, and the University of Twente will determine which type is required. In order to obtain a residence permit for work, you will have to meet several criteria. Different criteria apply to each type of residence permit.

Housing at the UT

For housing information, please see www.utwente.nl/housing.

EU/EEC citizens

EU/EEC citizens are citizens from the following countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark (excluding the Faroe Islands and Greenland), Germany, Estonia, Finland, France (including French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion), Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira), Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain (including the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands), the Czech Republic, Sweden.

The following countries are member states of the European Economic Area (EEA): Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland. Citizens of Switzerland are also considered to be EU citizens.

Non-EU/EEC citizens

For citizens from outside the EU/EEC, both the purpose of your to the University of Twente and the duration of your stay are relevant.

PURPOSE OF stay: STUDENT

Will you be registered as a student at the University of Twente? Please contact the Student Services Contact Centre for more information.

PURPOSE OF sTay: INTERN

Are you registered as a student at an educational institution outside the Netherlands and is the internship a mandatory part of your study programme required for completing the curriculum? Or did you finish your Master less than 2 years ago? In that case, the International Service Team can file an application for a working permit and an entry visa for the duration of your internship. There is a max of 1 year.

If your stay will be for less than three months, then you will need to apply to the embassy in your home country for a short-stay visa yourself. The International Service Team will apply for the working permit.

PURPOSE OF stay: STAFF MEMBER (DOCTORAL DEGREE CANDIDATE / RESEARCHER)

Maximum stay of three months
For a stay of less than three months, you will need to apply for a short-stay visa yourself. Certain nationalities are exempt from the visa requirement. Go to: Nationals of the following countries need a Schengen visa for a stay up to 90 days in the Netherlands.

Stays exceeding three months
The International Service Team will handle the Entry and Residence (TEV) procedure for stays exceeding three months.

PURPOSE OF STAY: GUEST STAFF MEMBER

Maximum stay of three months
For a stay of less than three months, you will need to apply for a short-stay visa yourself. Certain nationalities are exempt from the visa requirement. Go to: Nationals of the following countries need a Schengen visa for a stay up to 90 days in the Netherlands.

Stays exceeding three months
The International Service Team will handle the Entry and Residence (TEV) procedure for stays exceeding three months.

PURPOSE OF stay: RESIDENCE OF FAMILY MEMBERS

For more information on procedures relating to family members, go to Family

Costs will be made for the visa and residence permit applications. For more information, go to the Overview of Costs of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service. If the International Service Team applies for the application at the Immigration office, they will pay the fees for you and your family members. Unless you are entitled to the 30% rule.

Tuberculosis test

In the case of staying in the Netherlands for more than three months, you will need to take a tuberculosis test. It is possible that after the first TB test appointment you will receive a new invitation to undergo a TB test every 6 months. These extra tests are not mandatory. It is an advice from the Health Center for certain nationalities. To clarify: the first TB test is mandatory to obtain your Dutch residence permit and any following appointments are just an advice and have no influence on your Dutch residency. This test is not compulsory if you are from one of the following countries:

Standard income

The Immigration and Naturalisation Service checks whether the applicant has sufficient resources when an application for an Authorization for Temporary Stay and a residence permit are submitted. These standard amounts are based on the Minimum Wage and Minimum Holiday Allowance Act and the Work and Social Assistance Act. These amounts change in January and July of each year. Required amounts income requirement | Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)

Legalisation of documents

Documents that are official and legally valid abroad are not automatically official and legally valid in the Netherlands. The authorities in the country that has issued the document often need to stamp and sign the document first. This is called legalisation. See this list: Legalisation of foreign documents for use in the Netherlands.

Evaluation of qualifications

Qualifications obtained from educational institutions outside the Netherlands must be evaluated. This must be done with a view to entry into the labour market. The evaluation provides information to employers, educational institutions and the holder of the qualification, and is intended to determine whether the educational level required for the work to be performed has been met. The evaluation of qualifications usually takes place upon admission to the University. The Admission Office by International Office performs the evaluation.

If you travel abroad for work or study, many countries will ask for the legalization of qualifications obtained from a Dutch educational institution as part of evaluation procedures. Legalization means that a document is issued by an authorized person and that the signature placed on the document is in fact the signatories. This allows foreign authorities to be certain that the document is legally valid. For more information on this topic, go to The Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education.

For ideas, comments or changes to this page, please email webteam-hr@utwente.nl

Source https://gk-lawfirm.com/practice-areas/immigration-law/cyprus-permanent-residency/

Source https://immigration-cyprus.co/cyprus-permanent-residency/

Source https://www.utwente.nl/en/service-portal/internationalisation-foreign-affairs/international-staff-and-guests/housing-visa-and-residence-permit-procedure