Cyprus Insights/Legal & Tax Insights
Cyprus Residency for Non-EU Citizens: Which Permit Fits Your Case (2026)
If your passport is not from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, Cyprus treats you as a third-country national, and the permit you can get depends on whether you will live on income from abroad, invest, or work for a Cypriot employer. This page maps the routes on the Migration Department's own criteria (pages dated 29 December 2025 and 2 January 2026, read on 5 November 2026) and sends you to the full guides. An earlier version of this page described children “under 25”, a 0% rate on dividends and interest, named insurers with prices and a right to stay after a visa expires; those statements do not match the official sources and have been removed.
Cyprus residency options for non-EU citizens: five routes compared
| Route | Who it fits | Official test | Work in Cyprus | Official time and fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor permit (commonly called the pink slip) | People living on income from abroad, retirees, people testing a move | Regulation 14: for holidays, touring or investigating the possibility of residing in Cyprus; the Department's page names no euro income figure | No economic activity | One year, renewable; usually decided within four months if the documents are sufficient; €70, plus €70 for a first registration |
| Category F | People with a secured income from abroad and no business in Cyprus | At least €9,568 a year for the applicant and €4,613 for each dependant; no business, trade or profession in Cyprus | No | The Department states no processing time; €500 for all persons in the application, plus €70 for an Aliens Registration Certificate where needed |
| Investor permit, Regulation 6(2) | Buyers of a new-build house or flat from a developer, or other qualifying investments | At least €300,000 plus VAT and a secured income of at least €50,000 (+€15,000 spouse, +€10,000 per minor child) | No employment; director of the investee company is the exception | About two months for a complete file; €500, plus €70 per person for the registration certificate; residence right of unlimited validity |
| Long-term resident | People with five years of lawful, continuous residence | Five years with a valid permit; absences shorter than six consecutive months and no more than 10 months in total | Rights set by the status | 6 to 12 months; €30; card valid for five years |
| Digital nomad visa | Remote employees and freelancers whose clients are outside Cyprus | €3,500 net a month, with supplements for family members | No work for Cyprus-based employers or clients | One year, renewable; see the dedicated guide |
Each route has its own guide: the permanent residency guide for the investor permit with a worked family example, the digital nomad visa guide, and, for British citizens, moving to Cyprus from the UK. Work permits tied to an employer are a separate procedure with the Migration Department.
Documents for the Cyprus investor residence permit
- Application form MIP2 with the Department's checklist, all supporting documents officially translated and certified.
- Proof of the investment: the sale contract deposited at the Department of Lands and Surveys or the title deed, with payment receipts of at least €300,000 excluding VAT, and evidence that the money came from abroad and not from borrowing in Cyprus.
- Proof of income: a tax return from the country where you are tax resident, or a certificate from an independent certified accountant, for at least €50,000 a year plus the family supplements.
- A health insurance certificate covering inpatient and outpatient care for the applicant and dependants.
- A clean criminal record certificate for the applicant and spouse from the country of origin and, if different, the country of residence.
- A statement that you do not intend to take up employment in Cyprus, apart from acting as a director of the company in which you invested.
Family members on a Cyprus residence permit
The investor permit covers the spouse and children under 18. Unmarried children aged 18 to 25 who study at a tertiary institution abroad and depend on the applicant file their own application, and the parents show a further €10,000 of annual income for each such child. Adding a family member to an approved permit costs €50 per person, plus €70 where an Aliens Registration Certificate is needed. If the investor's permit is cancelled, the permits of the spouse and children are cancelled with it.
How long Cyprus residence permits take, and whether you can stay while you wait
The Department states about two months for a complete investor application and usually under four months for a visitor permit; it states no time for Category F, and law firms report queues of 12 to 24 months for it. The Department also writes that submitting an application does not give the applicant any right to remain in or enter Cyprus without a valid residence permit or visa, so stay legally while the file is examined. If an application is rejected, you receive a letter with the reasons. The visitor permit is explained step by step in the pink slip guide.
Cyprus residence permit and Cyprus citizenship
A residence permit does not start or shorten the citizenship clock. The investment route to a Cypriot passport has been closed since 1 November 2020; what remains is naturalisation by residence, described in Cyprus citizenship after the investor programme closed. Tax residence is a third, separate status: see tax residency in Cyprus.
New-build projects that can fit the €300,000 investor permit
Studio · ApartmentPlus 82
Larnaca · Downtown
Studio · ApartmentEden Golf
Paphos · Geroskipou
ApartmentZoia
Limassol · Polemidia
Apartment · StudioGolf Valley
Limassol · Asomatos
VillaAmore Hills
Paphos · Konia
VillaZanatzia
Limassol · Souni-Zanatzia
VillaPlaton Villas
Larnaca · Agios Theodoros
Villa · Apartment · StudioAvalon Valley
Paphos · Empa
VillaAquamarine Coastal Villas
Paphos · Geroskipou
Questions about Cyprus residency for non-EU citizens
Only as a separate application, and only if they are an unmarried tertiary student abroad who depends on you financially; you then show €10,000 of extra annual income for that child. Children under 18 are covered by the parent's permit.
No employment. You make a statement that you will not take up employment, with one exception: acting as a director of the company in which you invested. Dividends from Cypriot companies do not count against you.
If you live abroad when the permit is granted you must take up residence in Cyprus within one year, and the permit lapses if you acquire permanent residence abroad or are absent from Cyprus for two years.
No. Tax residence follows the 183-day rule or the 60-day rule, which are separate from the immigration status.
Yes: Category F on a secured income from abroad, the visitor permit, the digital nomad visa, and long-term resident status after five years of lawful residence. Category F is explained in our Category F guide.
Check a new-build against the “first sale by a developer” and “at least €300,000 excluding VAT” conditions before you reserve it. Send us your city and budget and we will name matching projects, currently shown under villas eligible for the Cyprus residency permit; the legal review stays with an independent lawyer.
Free PDF guide · PDF, English
Permanent Residence in Cyprus through Property (Category 6.2): Requirements, Process and Costs (2026)
What the rules require today, who qualifies, and what health cover and tax come with it.
What is inside
- Category 6.2 requirements at a glance (as of October 2026)
- Who qualifies: the investment, the applicant and the family
- Application process for Category 6.2, step by step
- Costs to budget for a Category 6.2 purchase
