Cyprus offers several permanent residence routes for third-country nationals. These include the expedited investment procedure under Regulation 6(2) of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations and the ordinary Category F procedure for applicants who have sufficient secured income from abroad.
The expedited Permanent Residence Programme enables qualifying third-country nationals and eligible family members to obtain a Cyprus Immigration Permit by making an approved investment and satisfying the applicable financial and eligibility requirements.
The Migration Department’s estimated examination period is approximately two months from the submission of a complete application. This is an administrative estimate and not a guaranteed approval period.
The applicant may purchase a new house or apartment directly from a development company. The property must constitute a first sale and have a market value of at least €300,000 plus VAT. Up to two residential units may be purchased, and they do not have to be acquired from the same developer, provided that their combined value satisfies the required threshold.
The contract of sale must be deposited with the Department of Lands and Surveys. Upon submission of the residence application, official receipts must evidence payment of at least €300,000, excluding VAT.
The applicant may purchase offices, shops, hotels, related developments or a combination of commercial properties with a total value of at least €300,000. Qualifying commercial real estate may be acquired through a resale.
The applicant may make an initial investment of at least €300,000 in the share capital of a newly incorporated Cyprus company or an increase of at least €300,000 in the share capital of an existing Cyprus company. The company must be based and operating in Cyprus, have a proven physical presence in the Republic and employ at least five persons.
The applicant may invest at least €300,000 in units of a Cyprus Alternative Investment Fund, Alternative Investment Fund with Limited Number of Persons or Registered Alternative Investment Fund. The fund’s investments must be held in the Republic of Cyprus.
The investment funds must originate from abroad, must not result from domestic borrowing and must be transferred through traceable banking channels. The funds may originate from the applicant’s bank account or the bank account of the applicant’s spouse, provided that the spouse is included in the application.
The funds may also be transferred from a company bank account where the applicant and/or spouse are the sole shareholders, subject to the applicable documentary and beneficial-ownership requirements.
The qualifying investment must be maintained for as long as the Immigration Permit is held. Disposal of the investment without its immediate replacement by another qualifying investment of the same or a higher value may result in cancellation of the permit.
The principal applicant must demonstrate secured annual income of at least €50,000. The required income is increased by €15,000 for the spouse and by €10,000 for each dependent child. The spouse’s income may be taken into account when calculating the total amount.
Where the applicant selects the new residential-property investment under Category (A), the required income must derive from abroad. It may include salaries, pensions, dividends, interest on bank deposits, rental income and other properly documented sources.
The income should ordinarily be evidenced by a tax return from the applicant’s country of tax residence or by official confirmation from an independent certified accountant.
Where the investment falls within Categories (B), (C) or (D), all or part of the required income may derive from activities within Cyprus, provided that it is lawful and properly documented.
The application may be submitted to the Migration Department personally or through a duly authorised representative. The government application fee is €500, together with an Alien Registration Certificate fee of €70 for each person included in the application who does not already hold an ARC.
Foreign documents must be in Greek or English or accompanied by an official translation. They must also be properly certified, legalised or apostilled, depending on the country of issue.
Where all requirements are met and no criminal-record, public-order or public-security concerns arise, the application is submitted for examination and decision to the Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection. The estimated examination period is approximately two months from submission of a complete application.
Permanent residence does not lead automatically to Cyprus citizenship. Under the ordinary naturalisation route currently in force, an applicant must generally have accumulated at least seven years of lawful residence during the relevant preceding ten-year period, followed by twelve months of lawful and continuous residence immediately before the application. Absences not exceeding 90 days in total during the final twelve-month period do not interrupt continuity.
Applicants must also satisfy the requirements concerning good character, knowledge of Greek at B1 level, knowledge of the contemporary political and social reality of Cyprus, suitable accommodation, stable financial resources and an intention to reside in the Republic.
Category F is available to persons who have fully and freely at their disposal secured annual income from abroad which is sufficient to provide a reasonable standard of living in Cyprus without engaging in any business, trade, profession or employment in the Republic.
Under Regulation 5 of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations, qualifying third-country nationals may apply for permanent residence under Category F without making the €300,000 investment required by the expedited procedure.
Category F is commonly used by retired persons and applicants receiving pensions or other secured income from abroad. A property purchase is not compulsory, and suitable rented accommodation may be accepted.
The published minimum secured annual income is €9,568.17 for the principal applicant, increased by €4,613.22 for each dependent person. The Immigration Control Board may require a higher amount depending on the applicant’s family circumstances, accommodation, resources and anticipated cost of living.
Qualifying income may include foreign pensions, dividends, interest on deposits, rental income and similar secured sources. Applicants must provide adequate financial evidence, including relevant bank statements and proof of regular foreign income. The published Category F criteria do not prescribe a universal fixed bank deposit of €15,000 or €20,000.
A Category F application may cover the applicant’s spouse and dependent children under the age of 18. The applicant and dependants are not permitted to undertake employment, business, trade or professional activity in Cyprus.
For Category F applications submitted on or after 1 September 2026, the Migration Department requires original blood-test results issued abroad confirming that the applicant and dependants do not suffer from Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV or syphilis. An original chest X-ray for tuberculosis screening, issued in the country of origin or last country of lawful residence, is also required.
The medical documents must be properly certified or legalised unless an applicable bilateral agreement provides otherwise. The examinations do not have to be submitted again where the applicant already holds a Cyprus temporary residence permit, the same examinations were previously filed and the results remain in the administrative file.
Category F is not examined under the two-month expedited investment procedure. The Migration Department does not publish a fixed examination period for Category F applications, and processing may be considerably longer depending on the circumstances and completeness of each application.
Submission of a Category F application does not itself confer a right to remain in Cyprus while the application is pending. The applicant must maintain a separate lawful immigration status until approval.
The residence right is of unlimited validity for an adult holder, although the physical residence card must ordinarily be replaced after ten years. The permit may cease to be valid if the holder fails to establish residence in Cyprus within one year after approval while residing abroad, acquires permanent residence in another country or remains outside Cyprus for a continuous period of two years.
British citizens who were lawfully resident in Cyprus before the end of the Brexit transition period may be protected under the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement and may fall under a different residence regime. British citizens moving to Cyprus after that date are generally treated as third-country nationals.
Category F may be appropriate for persons wishing to retire in Cyprus and support themselves through savings, pensions or other secured income from abroad, as well as for UK nationals wishing to move to Cyprus after Brexit.
The applicable immigration requirements and administrative practices may change. Each application must be assessed individually by reference to the rules and documentary requirements in force at the time of submission.
