Updated: December 13, 2024
A Cyprus business visa is a residency available to employees and owners of international companies registered in Cyprus with the migration department. Its legal basis is Regulation 5 of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations. It is also known as “Permanent Residency with the right to work.”
Cyprus category C visa is available for owners of international companies of foreign interests who have an amount of approximately € 260,000 invested as capital for the company.
It also has to be shown that such an employee would not negatively affect Cyprus’s economy.
Cyprus category E visa is available for persons who have been offered permanent employment in Cyprus in a company of foreign interests.
Also, such employment shall not create unfair local competition.
Duration
Type C and E Cyprus residency permits are unlimited and will be valid for as long as the holder continues to be employed or the company’s owner.
Category C and E rules for family members
Spouses and children up to 18 years old can also receive permanent residency. The spouse's residency will be unlimited, provided the principal applicant retains the residence permit. Regarding the children, it will be valid until they are 18 years old.
Visa-free travel
Cyprus business or startup visas and permits do not allow visa-free travel to other countries.
Please note that criminal records, marriage, and children’s birth certificates should be translated into English. They must also be certified by the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (or Embassy), which will issue them, and the Cyprus Embassy.
Duly certified and stamped: signatures must be verified by a certifying officer or muhtar and stamped at the Tax Office.
The application for a residency permit is filed by the applicant’s lawyer at the Civil Registry and Migration Department in Nicosia. The applicant does not need to be present.
Following submission, the applicants will be called for an interview. It will be a primary interview, and some general information will be asked about them.
The procedure for a Cyprus permanent residency with the right to work is estimated to take around 12 - 18 months. The lawyer collects the Cyprus residency cards on approval.
The fees of the migration department are as follows:
| Applicant / applicants’ spouse / children under 18 | € 500 for all € 70 for each person for registration |
Our team of lawyers will be happy to assist with all the procedures for a Cyprus business visa.
We will guide you in all the processes below:
How do I get a business visa for Cyprus?
There are two types of residence permits for business persons in Cyprus. Category C allows you to live permanently as self-employed, but you need a capital of € 260,000 for approval.
Category E is a permanent residence permit for employees of companies. Your employer will apply for the visa and satisfy the labour market test for this type of residence permit. The employer must show that they cannot find a suitable person for the post among the local workforce.
If by business visa you mean the “investor visa”, you can get it by satisfying certain income (€ 50,000 annually) and investment (€ 300,000 in property or shares) criteria and holding a clean criminal record. The income amount increases for family members.
What are the different types of visas for Cyprus?
If you mean the permanent residence types suitable for business, the Category C and Category E permits are described in question 1 above.
If you mean visas (short-term entry permits), the categories that suit business entrepreneurs are the short-stay Category C visa for up to 90 days that can be extended for another 90, the long-stay Category D visa for up to a year, and the multiple entry Category C visa which lasts for five years and covers visits of not more than three months in any half year.
There is also the airport transit visa for people who need a visa to come to Cyprus and have to pass through the international transit area of the airport; also, the visa is issued at the border for emergencies.
As for residence permits, there are temporary and permanent residence permits, covering several types of situations, such as workers, students, researchers and artists.
How much does a Cyprus business visa cost?
The Category C and Category E permanent residence permits cost € 500, including the applicant and members of their family (spouse and underage children). Registration at the Civil Registry and Migration Department (for the Aliens’ Registration Certificate, ARC) the fee is € 70,00 per person.
What is a business visitor visa for Cyprus?
The business visitor visa for Cyprus includes visa types suitable for entrepreneurs who visit the island on business. You apply to the nearest Cyprus Diplomatic Mission or consulate with an invitation letter from your associate(s) in Cyprus and a valid passport.
The categories of visas suitable for visitor entrepreneurs in Cyprus are the short-stay Category C for 90 days in six months, the long-stay Category D visa for up to a year and a Category C multiple entry visa for multiple visits not exceeding 90 days in a period of five years.
The first type (Category C for 90 days) can be extended for another 90 days in another six months. For the list of visas and necessary documents, go to https://mfa.gov.cy/visa-information.html.
George K. Konstantinou
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