Cyprus immigration lawyers
Updated:
We are Cyprus immigration lawyers based in Limassol, and we take on applications in every district, including Nicosia, Larnaca, Paphos and Famagusta.
We advise on and handle all matters under Cyprus immigration law: the residency by investment program, immigration permits, permanent residence permits, employment rules, citizenship applications and visas.
Our lawyers plan the application, prepare it and run it to the permit. For the wider country guide rather than the legal procedure, read our guide to moving to Cyprus.
Our immigration services
George K. Konstantinou Law Firm supports individuals and their families moving to Cyprus in the following ways. The table below compares the main routes before the sections explain each one.
| Permit | Who it suits | Income or investment test | Right to work | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pink Slip | Non-EU nationals living in Cyprus on income from abroad | €24,000 a year, plus 20% for a spouse and 15% for each child | No employment in Cyprus | One year, renewable |
| Digital nomad visa | Remote workers employed abroad or serving clients outside Cyprus | €3,500 net a month, plus 20% for a spouse and 15% for each child | Only for the foreign employer or foreign clients | One year, renewable for up to two more |
| Yellow slip | EU, EEA and Swiss citizens staying longer than three months | Work or self-employment here, or sufficient resources plus sickness insurance | Yes | No expiry date on the right itself |
| Category F | People living on a secured income from outside Cyprus | €9,568 a year, plus €4,613 for each dependent | No employment in Cyprus | Unlimited residence right, card replaced after ten years |
| Residency by investment | Buyers of property or other qualifying Cyprus assets | €300,000 investment and €50,000 secured annual income | No employment in Cyprus | Unlimited residence right, card replaced after ten years |
| Business visa, Categories C and E | Self-employed people, and people holding a permanent job offer | Category C: capital of about €260,000 at the applicant's own disposal. Category E: none | Yes, in the trade, profession or post the permit covers | Unlimited residence right, card replaced after ten years |
| EU Blue Card | Highly qualified non-EU staff in ICT, research pharmacy and maritime employment | Gross salary of €43,632 a year | Yes, in the qualifying post | Tied to the employment contract, renewable |
| BFU work permit | Non-EU staff of a company on the Register of Foreign Interest Companies | The company invests €200,000. No test on the employee | Yes, for that employer | Tied to the employment contract, renewable |
| Long-term resident status | Third-country nationals after five years of lawful continuous residence | Stable resources and sickness insurance, with A2 Greek and the civics certificate | Yes | Permanent, with the card renewed |
Temporary residence permits
A Pink Slip (Temporary Residence Permit) is the easiest way to move to Cyprus. It requires secured income from abroad of €24,000 a year, or €2,000 a month, for a single applicant. The figure rises by 20% for a spouse and 15% for each child, so a couple needs €28,800 and a family of three €32,400.
Temporary residence applicants must have health insurance and a clean criminal record. The permit does not grant the right to work in Cyprus and is valid for one year, with the option to extend.
The Cyprus Digital Nomad visa allows non-EU and non-EEA nationals to live in Cyprus and work remotely, through telecommunications technology, for an employer registered abroad or as self-employed people serving clients outside Cyprus. It requires a stable net monthly income of at least €3,500 after taxes, increased by 20% for a spouse and 15% for each child. The permit is valid for one year and can be renewed for up to two more years.
Permanent residency permits
Cyprus residency by investment is the fast-track option for becoming a resident of Cyprus by investing €300,000. It requires a secured annual income of at least €50,000, rising by €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 for each dependent minor child. On the residential property route that income has to come from abroad, and on the other investment routes part of it can arise in Cyprus.
Once the permit is granted, the holder files evidence that the investment is still held every year, and a clean criminal record certificate every three years.
A Cyprus permanent residence permit has no expiry date, and the routes to it are separate instruments rather than one. Categories A to F of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations cover investors, self-employed applicants, people holding a permanent job offer, and people living on independent income.
Five years of lawful continuous residence leads instead to long-term resident status, an EU status with its own conditions. Marriage to a Cypriot runs on its own forms and its own timetable.
The Category F residence permit does not require investment and is suitable for individuals with a minimum yearly income of €9,568 for one applicant plus €4,613 for each additional dependent. Holders of this permit do not have the right to work in Cyprus.
The Migration Department publishes no target examination time for a Category F application. The nine month rule that covers employment and family reunification applications does not extend to Immigration Permits. A pending application confers no right to stay, so the applicant needs a temporary residence permit for the wait.
Yellow slip for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
The Yellow Slip (Registration Certificate) is available to citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland who want to stay, work or reside in Cyprus for longer than three months.
The right to work comes from EU free movement rather than from the certificate, which records a right the holder already has. Employment and self-employment are both open.
The right to stay beyond three months is conditional. You are either working or self-employed here, or you hold enough resources not to become a burden on the social assistance system, plus full sickness insurance cover in Cyprus.
Business immigration and work permits
A Cyprus business visa is the permanent residence route for people who run a business here or hold a permanent job offer. It is granted under Categories C and E of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations.
Category C covers self-employed work in a trade or profession and asks for capital of about €260,000 freely at the applicant's own disposal. Category E covers a permanent employment offer and carries no capital test.
Employing non-EU staff is a different scheme. A company joins the Register of Foreign Interest Companies through the Business Support Center on an initial investment of €200,000, and can then hire third-country nationals without a labour market check.
The residence right under Categories C and E has no time limit, for the holder and for adult dependents. The card itself expires ten years after issue and has to be replaced.
The right ends where the holder takes permanent residence abroad, or is absent from Cyprus for two years. It does not depend on staying in the job.
The EU Blue Card in Cyprus is a residence and work permit for highly qualified non-EU nationals. The minimum gross annual salary is €43,632, set by decree of the Minister of Labour and Social Insurance.
Cyprus restricts the card by sector. The decree covers information and communication technology, pharmacy for research purposes, and maritime employment other than captains and ship's crew. Nothing outside those sectors qualifies, whatever the salary or the qualification.
We handle work permits for third-country staff at companies of foreign interest, from the employment contract to the residence card.
Additional legal support
We help our clients with the following:
- Relocating their business to Cyprus
- Company formation
- Obtaining Cyprus tax residency
- Buying property in Cyprus for residency
- Retiring to Cyprus
- Moving to Cyprus after Brexit
- Obtaining Cyprus citizenship, a Cyprus passport or a spouse visa
Where do you apply in Cyprus?
People living outside the Nicosia district do not go to the Migration Department in Nicosia. They book an appointment with the District Unit of the Aliens and Immigration Service of the Cyprus Police in the district where they live, by email or through the call centre.
| District unit | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|
| Limassol | limetiseis@police.gov.cy | 25805650, 25805210 |
| Larnaca | larnacaetiseis@police.gov.cy | 24804223, 24804236 |
| Pafos | pafosetiseis@police.gov.cy | 26806222, 26806215 |
| Famagusta | famagustaetiseis@police.gov.cy | 23803286, 23803288 |
Book the appointment at least one month before your current residence permit or entry visa expires. Send one request per family rather than one per person, and expect a reply within five working days. First registration for an ARC number and renewals of the visitor permit are handled at the same unit.
Some categories are dealt with only at the department's headquarters, 90 Archbishop Makarios III Avenue in Nicosia. They include Immigration Permits, long-term resident status, companies of foreign interest, the EU Blue Card, the digital nomad visa, the start-up visa, intra-corporate transfers, shipping companies, and entry permit applications filed by educational institutions and research centres.
An applicant living outside the Nicosia district is served at headquarters only through an authorised representative whose professional office is in Nicosia.
How long does it take?
The Migration Department publishes an examination time for some permits and none at all for others.
- EU Blue Card: 90 days, or 30 days for long-term mobility from another member state.
- Visitor permit, the Pink Slip: usually decided before the four-month mark.
- Digital nomad visa: 5 to 7 weeks.
- Registration on the Register of Foreign Interest Companies: within ten business days of a duly submitted e-form.
- Immigration Permits under Categories A to F: no published target at all.
The Migration Department gives the examination time for an investor permit as about two months from a complete application. Our own files put the real figure closer to six months, and we plan around six.
Why choose our immigration lawyers?
- We have decades of experience in Cyprus immigration law.
- We work in English, Greek and Russian, and can arrange online meetings with other translators on request.
- We are dedicated to personalised legal guidance for each client and have a strong record in permanent residency and citizenship applications.
- Our attorneys spend days each week in government offices to safeguard our clients' interests.
Marios Konstantinou leads the team, and we run the case from the first document to the permit in your hand.
We assist in opening private and corporate bank accounts and transferring funds to Cyprus in compliance with strict AML regulations. We advise on where to buy a house and how to choose a Cypriot school or university for your children.
We prepare the required documents, complete the application forms, book the meetings with the Migration Department or the district unit, submit the application, attend the meetings with you where your presence is needed, follow the file through, and collect your permits and documents.
The first consultation is free. Ask us what the work costs before you commit to anything, and we will quote a fixed fee. Contact us to arrange it.
Key Cyprus government resources and service links for immigration
- Residence and work permits are handled by the Migration Department, which has been part of the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection since May 2024. It was called the Civil Registry and Migration Department and sat under the Ministry of Interior until then. Its website is Migration Department - gov.cy.
- Citizenship went the other way. Naturalisation applications on form M127 go to the Civil Registry at the Ministry of Interior.
- For the registration of companies and other business forms, you will need the services of the Registrar of Companies: companies.gov.cy.
- To put a company on the Register of Foreign Interest Companies, so it can employ third-country staff, go to the Business Support Center: gov.cy/bsc.
- You can find a list of all Cyprus ministries and public organisations, along with their websites, here: Organisations - gov.cy.
Frequently asked questions
Which immigration office do I go to in Cyprus?
If you live outside the Nicosia district, you book an appointment with the District Unit of the Aliens and Immigration Service of the Cyprus Police in your own district: Limassol on limetiseis@police.gov.cy, Larnaca on larnacaetiseis@police.gov.cy, Pafos on pafosetiseis@police.gov.cy and Famagusta on famagustaetiseis@police.gov.cy. Book at least one month before your current permit or visa expires, send one request per family, and expect a reply within five working days.
A set of categories is handled only at the Migration Department headquarters, 90 Archbishop Makarios III Avenue in Nicosia, among them Immigration Permits, long-term resident status, companies of foreign interest, the EU Blue Card, the digital nomad visa and the start-up visa. An applicant living outside the Nicosia district is served there only through an authorised representative whose professional office is in Nicosia.
What is the 183 rule in Cyprus?
The 183 rule in Cyprus stipulates that if an individual spends over 183 days in a tax year in Cyprus, they are considered a tax resident for that year and are liable to pay tax on their global income in Cyprus.
A second route exists. A person who is not tax resident anywhere else can become a Cyprus tax resident on 60 days in the country, subject to further conditions on business, employment and accommodation. Our Cyprus tax residency page sets out those conditions.
Can I apply to the Migration Department through a representative?
Yes. Applications can be submitted in person or through an authorised representative, and lawyers, colleges and employers all act in that role.
One rule is worth knowing. Someone living outside the Nicosia district is served at the department's headquarters only through an authorised representative whose professional office is in Nicosia. Biometrics are still taken from the applicant in person, in Cyprus.
Do I need a lawyer to apply for a Cyprus residence permit?
For most categories, no. A visitor permit, a yellow slip or a renewal is filed at the district unit in your own district, and you can do that yourself.
It changes for the categories handled only at headquarters in Nicosia, such as Immigration Permits, long-term resident status, the EU Blue Card and applications by companies of foreign interest. An applicant living outside the Nicosia district reaches those only through an authorised representative with a Nicosia office.
How long does a Cyprus residence permit take?
The published examination times are 90 days for the EU Blue Card, or 30 days for long-term mobility, 5 to 7 weeks for the digital nomad visa, and usually under four months for the visitor permit. Registration on the Register of Foreign Interest Companies runs within ten business days of a duly submitted e-form.
Immigration Permits under Categories A to F carry no published target at all. For the investor permit the department gives about two months from a complete application, and our own files put the real figure closer to six months.
How can I invite a third-country national to Cyprus?
Submit a hosting form and an original letter of guarantee to the Migration Department, with a copy of the invitee's passport. The guarantee is €855 for Asian countries, €515 for former Eastern countries and €340 for Middle East countries.
By signing the hosting form you take responsibility for the invitee's accommodation, board, medical expenses, and for their leaving when the visa runs out.
How can I immigrate to Cyprus?
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens enter on an identity card or passport and register within four months of arrival. Staying past three months means being a worker or self-employed here, or holding enough resources plus full sickness insurance.
Third-country nationals need a permit before they stay. The categories run from visitors and students through employees and investors to permanent residents.
Can I get a permanent residence permit?
You can obtain a permanent residence permit in Cyprus by fitting one of the categories set by the Aliens and Immigration Regulations: investors, self-employed applicants in a trade or profession, holders of a permanent job offer, and people living on a secured income from abroad. Each category has its own income or capital test.
Is the Civil Registry and Migration Department the same as the Migration Department?
Yes, under a former name. The Civil Registry and Migration Department was renamed the Migration Department in 2024, when it moved from the Ministry of Interior to the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection.
The functions split at the same time. Residence and work permits stayed with the Migration Department, and the Civil Registry stayed at the Ministry of Interior, which is where citizenship and naturalisation applications go on form M127.