How to get Cyprus permanent residency in 2026

Cyprus permanent residency is a legal status that entitles non-EU citizens and qualifying dependents to enter and remain in Cyprus as permanent residents with no limitations. This status does not expire, meaning that holders are not required to renew it. It is also known as a Cyprus immigration permit or unlimited residency.

To become a permanent resident in Cyprus, you must either live in Cyprus for five years with a valid temporary residence permit, invest a minimum of €300,000 in the country, marry a Cypriot, secure permanent employment or own a company registered with the migration department.

The investment option is a fast track that can be completed within 6 months. This residency can cover the whole family and does not expire.

A holder of such a permit can apply for citizenship in Cyprus after 8 years of residence (7 years within the preceding 10, plus a final continuous 12 months).

Permanent residence programs

A PR in Cyprus is divided into several main categories.

Permanent residency by investment

The fast-track pathway under Regulation 6(2) requires an investment of at least €300,000 (plus VAT) in real estate, shares, or funds, and a demonstration of at least €50,000 in secured annual income from abroad.

The residency-by-investment permit through property purchase is the most straightforward option for investors. More details and requirements below.

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

Category F permit

Permanent residency Category F requires an annual income from abroad to cover living expenses while residing in Cyprus, without working or doing business. The required yearly income starts from €9,568 for one applicant plus €4,613 for each dependent person.

Residency with the right to work

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

• Category C is for individuals who manage 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 is for high-skilled employees who have been offered permanent employment.

To learn more about this type of permit, read about Cyprus business visas.

Benefits of Cyprus permanent residency

The benefits of Cyprus permanent residency are a status that does not expire, coverage for the whole family, a route to citizenship after the qualifying residence period, and access to the General Healthcare System.

The list of benefits includes:

• Cyprus permanent residency is valid for life.
• The whole family can apply for a residence permit.
• A Permanent resident of Cyprus who has completed eight years of legal stay in Cyprus (7 years within the preceding 10, plus a final continuous 12 months) is entitled to apply for Cyprus Citizenship. This is the naturalisation scheme based on years of residence (M127).
• Highly skilled workers of foreign interest companies can apply for citizenship after five years of lawful residence with an A2 Greek language certificate, or after four years if they possess a B1 certificate.
• A residency card is obtained within six months through the fast-track process.
• PR holders might be eligible to apply to become Cyprus Tax residents, which would give them the advantage of being exempt from worldwide dividend and passive interest income and the profit from the sale of securities.
• PR holder benefits from the newly established General Healthcare System and is entitled to free healthcare.
• PR Category F is a flexible procedure that allows the holder to get permanent residency in a European country with minimal investment.

Fast-track procedure for obtaining a PR

Requirements for Cyprus permanent residency by investment

To qualify for Cyprus residency, investors must follow certain criteria.

• For residential properties, the investor must purchase a new house or apartment (or two properties) from a development company, for a minimum of €300,000 plus VAT.

  The standard VAT rate is 19%. A 5% reduced rate applies to the first 130 square meters of a primary residence, up to €350,000 of its value, provided the total transaction value is below €475,000, and the total buildable area is under 190 square meters. For properties valued between €350,000 and €475,000, the 5% rate is applied proportionally. A property over €475,000 or over 190 square meters is taxed at 19% in full.

• For commercial properties, the investor must purchase offices, hotel buildings, shops, or other commercial real estate worth at least €300,000. The property can even be a resale.
• The investor must register their sales agreement with the Land Registry and pay €300,000 (plus VAT). The payment must be made to the seller’s bank account in Cyprus, and the funds must 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 whose absolute owner or ultimate beneficiary will be the investor or his/her spouse.

If you’re an investor looking to obtain permanent residency in Cyprus through means other than real estate investment, you have two options available (same amount of €300,000):

• You can buy shares or register a company and invest in its share capital. Still, the company must be based and operating in the Republic of Cyprus, with an office and a minimum of five employees.
• You must be a resident of Cyprus to invest in units of the Cyprus Investment Organisation of Collective Investments (forms of AIF, AIFLNP, RAIF).

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

Annual income

The investor must show an annual secured income of at least €50,000 from abroad. This income is increased by €15,000 for the spouse and €10,000 for each underage family child.

It can be any source of income, including salaries, pensions, dividends, fixed deposits, and rents. The spouse’s income (if any) can be included in calculating income.

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 separately for a student immigration permit, provided they fulfil the following:

• Financially dependent on the investor.
• Unmarried.
• University students abroad on the date of submission of the application.
• The parents have an additional annual income of €10,000 for each child.

Children retain their permanent residency status, even if they are over 25 or no longer fulfil the above criteria (unmarried, financially dependent, students).

Their future spouse or child cannot be added as a dependent 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 can apply for PR, subject to an additional annual income of €10,000.

Adult children

The "adult children" are the applicant's children who are not financially dependent.

For a non-financially dependent adult child to apply under the same investment, the applicant must meet the higher-value investment criteria. The standard €300,000 investment value must be multiplied by the number of adult children applying.

Example investment calculations:

• Example 1: An applicant with one adult child must invest €600,000.
• Example 2: An applicant with two adult children must invest €900,000.

For adult children applying based on their parents' real estate investments, a payment certificate showing at least 66% of the property's market value must be submitted with the application documents.

Each adult child files a separate application and must individually demonstrate that they have an annual income of at least €50,000. This amount increases if they have dependents (by €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 for each child).

Other conditions

Applicants must also comply with the following:

• They must provide a clean criminal record from their country of residence and show that the record remains clean every three years.
• They should not be regarded as a danger to the public order/security of Cyprus.

The legal basis of the permanent residence scheme is Regulations 5 and 6(2) of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations PDF - cylaw.org.

Cyprus permanent residency cost and government fees

The main cost of the fast-track route is the €300,000 investment plus VAT on new property. On top of that, the government charges the fees below, and legal and translation fees apply separately.

Government fees:

Applicant / applicants’ spouse / children under 18	€500 for all €70 for each person for registration
Adult children (each)	€500 €70 for registration

The fees are the same for Category F permits.

Permanent residency in Cyprus Category F

To be eligible for this type of permit (slow-track permanent residency), the applicant mainly needs to show:

• Property purchase

  Cyprus permanent residency category F laws are flexible and do not require property purchase. But it is recommended that you buy a property in Cyprus for any amount. It can even be a resale property. The money for the purchase does not need to be transferred from abroad.

  Immigration authorities rarely approve rental-based applications, and buying a house or apartment remains necessary.

• Annual income

  The applicant must show a yearly income of at least €9,568 for one applicant plus €4,613 for each dependent person. This income must be from abroad and from salaries, pensions, stock shares, and rents.

  The amounts specified as requirements are insufficient in practice for living in Cyprus, as the cost of living is higher.

• Bank deposit in Cyprus

  The applicant should deposit approximately €15,000 to €20,000 into his bank account in Cyprus, which is not pledged. This amount is a simple deposit which can be used after applying.

  It is impossible to apply without a bank account in Cyprus.

• Family members

  Only children up to 18 can apply as dependents, and their permanent residency will remain valid until they turn 18. The applicants' parents cannot apply as dependents.

Applying for the PR category F with a rented property is also possible. However, the Migration Department may decline the application. Based on our experience, we recommend applying after purchasing a property.

You need a temporary residence permit to live in Cyprus if your Category F application is pending. In 2026, the Migration Department will process applications submitted in 2020.

Read more about Category F permits.

Other types of permanent residency in Cyprus

Permanent residence after 5 years of stay

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

Permanent residency for EU citizens

EU citizens register after three months and receive a registration certificate, the Yellow Slip. After 5 years of continuous legal residence in Cyprus, EU citizens and their family members who are also EU citizens can apply for permanent residency.

Permanent residency by marriage to a Cypriot

Spouses of Cypriot citizens, their minor children from a previous marriage, and parents of the Cypriot citizen or parents-in-law are eligible for an unlimited residency permit.

Read more about PR by marriage.

Conditions and restrictions of the permanent residency program

• 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 it.
• The Cypriot permanent residence permit does not grant visa-free travel to other countries or to European Union member states, as it is only valid in Cyprus.
• The holder of permanent residence must personally visit Cyprus at least once every two years.
• Permanent residency status does not expire; however, the physical biometric card must be renewed every 10 years for adults or when children turn 18.

Category F only

The applicant's children will lose it once they turn 18.

Annual obligations to verify criteria

The applicant must submit to the Migration Department a confirmation that they retain the following.

Submitted every year (annually):

• The initial investment.
• Health insurance, in case the applicant and their family are not covered by the General Health System (GeSY).

Submitted every three years:

• A clean criminal record in their country of residence and their country of origin.

The residence permit will be withdrawn if these documents are not submitted or verified.

The requirement to submit proof of income annually has been abolished.

How to get a permanent residency in Cyprus?

Cyprus grants permanent residence to foreigners who have either legally lived there for 5 years, invested a minimum of €300,000 in the country, married a Cypriot, secured permanent employment, or established a company. The investment route is the fast track and, in 2026, can be obtained in 6 months.

Required documents

To obtain a permanent residency permit in Cyprus, an applicant must submit the following required documents:

• Application form MIP2 (PDF), duly completed.
• Copy of a 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). For UK citizens, it must be from the ACRO Criminal Records Office (not the DBS).
• Documents to prove annual income from abroad (tax declarations or auditor confirmation).
• 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 certificates, marriage certificates, and children’s birth certificates should be translated into English and certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (or Embassy) of the country that will issue them. This can be done by the Cyprus Embassy of that country or by bearing the APOSTILLE stamp.

Application procedure

The application for permanent residency can be submitted by the investor’s lawyer; the applicant does not need to be present at the time of submission. Applications are only provided at the Migration Department in Nicosia, not at the district immigration units of each city.

After submission, applicants must provide a photo and fingerprints so that residency cards can be issued upon approval. This can be done any time before the final approval at any migration district unit in any city.

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

Nicosia	Agamemnonos 6, Engomi, 2411 Nicosia
Limassol	Franglinou Rousvelt 223, Zakaki, Building ¨D. Nikolaou¨, 2nd floor, 3046 Limassol
Larnaka	Piale Piasha 75, 6027 Larnaka
Pafos	Eleftheriou Venizelou & Kaningos 22, 2nd floor, 8021 Pafos
Famagusta	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 takes about six months to obtain. Once approved, the lawyer can collect the cards on behalf of the investors.

As of June 2026, the processing time for the application examination under category F remains unpredictable due to a multi-year backlog. The applications are submitted normally. The Migration Department began processing old applications from 2020 and sent letters requesting updated documents.

Cyprus permanent residency and citizenship compared

Action	Citizenship	Permanent Residence
Open a bank account	Yes	Yes
Register a company	Yes	Yes, but whether you can work in it depends on the type of permit.
Buy real estate	Yes	You need permission from the Council of Ministers.
Rent real estate to third parties	Yes	Depends on the terms of the permission.
Work	Yes	Depends on the type of permit.
Make a contract	Yes	Yes, except for some contracts, like employment (depending on the permit).
Education and healthcare	Yes	Yes
Everyday transactions and activities, marriage	Yes	Yes
Travel to all EU member states	Yes	No
Live and work in other EU member states	Yes	No
Vote	Yes	No
Travel and return to Cyprus with no formalities	Yes	Yes
Duty not to leave Cyprus for more than two years	No	Yes