Cyprus Pink Slip: Temporary Residence Permit Guide

The Cyprus temporary residence permit, also known as the Pink Slip, Pink Card, or TRC card (Temporary Residence Card), allows non-EU passport holders to extend their stay in Cyprus beyond a 90-day visa period without the right to work. The residence permit is valid for 1 year and can be renewed annually.

The applicants' family members (spouse and children under 18) can obtain the same Cyprus residence permit as dependents.

Applicants must show sufficient annual foreign income (at least €24,000) to cover living expenses in Cyprus to be eligible to apply for a temporary residence permit. The application is submitted in the district where they live in Cyprus, and the Migration Department examines it.

Pink Slip, Pink Card and TRC card are three names for the same document: the plastic Cyprus Temporary Residence Card issued to non-EU nationals. The original paper slip was pink, hence "Pink Slip" and "Pink Card".

Cyprus temporary residence permit overview

With a temporary residence permit, a person may reside in Cyprus as a visitor without the right to work. Family members, spouse, and children (under 18 years old) can receive the pink slip as dependents.

The whole family applies simultaneously; each member files a separate application form and gets his/her temporary residence card.

Pink Slip restrictions

• Do not stay outside Cyprus for more than three months at a time. The Migration Department allows re-entry on a valid temporary residence permit and passport provided you have not been abroad longer than that, so a longer absence costs you the right to come back in on the permit.
• No right to work in Cyprus.
• It is granted only to non-EU Nationals who wish to extend their stay in Cyprus.

How long is a Pink Slip valid for?

A Pink Slip in Cyprus is valid for one year and can be renewed annually, provided the applicant continues to meet the requirements. The one-year period starts from the date of approval (not the date of application submission).

If the applicant's passport expires sooner, the residence permit validity will be set to end three months before that date.

How to obtain a Cyprus Pink Slip

1. Enter Cyprus on a valid entry visa (or visa-free for eligible passports) and keep the arrival stamp.
2. Book the appointment by email with the district unit of the Aliens and Immigration Service of the Police, or with the Migration Department if you live in the Nicosia district. You will receive a response within five working days.
3. Rent or buy accommodation, and have the rental agreement certified by the Muhtar, the local community leader who certifies documents, and stamped at the tax office. A host declaration works in its place if you are staying with someone.
4. Transfer at least €10,000 from abroad to a Cyprus bank account. You also need evidence of a stable annual foreign income of at least €24,000 (increased by 20% for a spouse and 15% per child).
5. Set up the required bank guarantee, valid for at least ten years. The amount follows your country of origin, and the Migration Department publishes it.
6. Obtain a health insurance certificate and complete the medical exams in Cyprus.
7. Prepare all required documents (see details below) with apostille and translation where required.
8. Attend the appointment in person to submit the application, pay €70 application fee and €70 registration, and give biometrics.
9. Wait four months on the department's stated timetable, closer to six in practice; you may legally stay in Cyprus throughout.

Pink Slip requirements

To be eligible for a Pink Slip, the applicant is required to show:

• adequate annual income from abroad, transferred to a Cyprus bank account, starting at €24,000 for a single applicant and increased by 20% for a spouse and 15% per child (see detailed amounts below),
• accommodation in Cyprus, rented or bought, or a host declaration from whoever is putting you up,
• health insurance,
• medical exams,
• bank guarantee.

Necessary documents

To obtain a temporary residency permit in Cyprus, the applicant needs to apply with the following required documents:

• Form MVIS8, the visitor application, one for each family member.

  Download the current version from the Migration Department forms page rather than from any copy elsewhere, because the form is reissued and an old version gets rejected at the counter.

• Rental agreement or sale agreement of a house/apartment

  Bring the rental agreement with a copy, certified by the Muhtar or a certifying officer and stamped at the tax office. A title deed or a purchase document lodged at the land registry works in its place. The Migration Department sets no minimum term for the rental, though a one-year agreement matches the permit and avoids questions.

  If you are staying with someone rather than renting, a host declaration for the provision of suitable accommodation is accepted instead.

• Bank statement and proof of transfer from abroad

  While applicants must prove a stable annual foreign income of at least €24,000, the official requirement for a first-time permit application dictates an initial cash transfer or deposit of at least €10,000 into a bank account in Cyprus, transferred from abroad. For renewals, the bank balance must be at least €6,000.

  If cash is brought in, it must be declared at the airport upon arrival, and a confirmation document must be received. (Learn how to open a bank account in Cyprus).

  If a bank transfer, one needs swift confirmation from the bank in Cyprus that this amount was transferred from abroad.

  This required annual amount is increased by 20% for the spouse and 15% for each child.

• Bank guarantee

  Set up a bank guarantee at a bank in Cyprus, one for each family member, valid for at least ten years. It covers the cost of removal from Cyprus if that ever becomes necessary. At renewal, you do not need a new guarantee provided the one already lodged covers the period applied for plus one year. Typical amounts by country of origin:

  • Eastern European countries, Russians = €550
  • Middle East countries = €350
  • Asian / American countries = €850

  The processing time for the bank to issue guarantees is 7 business days.

  The Migration Department publishes the required amount for every country of origin. Nationals of the United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland and the EU and EEA states have no amount set against their country in that table.

  Nationals of New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand are shown at €850, and Andorra and Monaco at €550.

  Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are shown at €350. Check the current table before you assume you are exempt, because the amounts follow deportation costs and get revised.

• Health insurance

  An existing international policy works, or you can buy cover in Cyprus, usually issued the same day. The Migration Department asks for a certificate covering inpatient and outpatient care and transportation of remains, which its document list calls Plan A.

  Cover at that level runs around €175 a person on the policies we see, though the figure moves with age and insurer.

• Medical exams (needed only for the first permit, not for the renewals)

  They are done in Cyprus, and they are blood tests showing that the applicant does not suffer from the following:

  • Hepatitis B and C, HIV, and syphilis
  • A chest X-ray report for tuberculosis

  They need to be stamped by a specialist doctor practising in the Republic. Book them close to your appointment date, since a certificate several months old invites a request for fresh tests.

  Any private clinic or hospital in Cyprus can do these tests. These are the ones our clients use most:

  • Limassol: Ygia polyclinic
  • Paphos: Evangelismos private hospital
  • Nicosia: Aretaeio private hospital
• Documents to prove income from abroad

  It can be any stable income, such as employment, bank deposits, or a pension. This income should enable the temporary residence holder to cover their living expenses in Cyprus.

  Annual income estimates (after tax):

  • €24,000 for a single applicant (to have an extra 20% for the spouse and 15% for each child)
  • €28,800 for a couple
  • €32,400 for couple and 1 child
• Passport copy
• Marriage Certificate duly certified and translated *(If applicable)
• Children's Birth Certificates, duly certified and translated *(If applicable)
• School enrolment confirmation for children
• Criminal Record from the country of origin or residence * (not older than 6 months). For UK citizens, it must be from the ACRO Criminal Records Office, not the DBS.

The documents with (*) must be translated into English and bear the APOSTILLE stamp. OR they must be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country that will issue them and by the Cyprus Embassy of that Country.

Documents from Russia do not require an Apostille; a translation can be completed in Cyprus.

Cyprus Pink Slip processing time in 2026

The Migration Department states that a visitor application is normally examined within four months, provided the documents filed with it are sufficient. Six is closer to what we see in practice, and a file that needs a document re-submitted or translated again runs longer still.

The permit itself is valid for one year from the date the case is approved, not from the date you filed.

Once the application is submitted, the applicant is allowed to stay in Cyprus until the case is processed.

The Migration Department confirms that you will not have problems with the Police during that period, and that you can show proof of submission of your application if you are checked. That protection does not extend to immigration permits or long-term resident status.

Application submission location

The applicant must apply in the district where they live. Outside the Nicosia district, the appointment is arranged with the District Unit of the Aliens and Immigration Service of the Police, by email.

In the Nicosia district, you deal with the Migration Department directly, at 90 Archbishop Makarios III Avenue, 1077 Nicosia, on 22308808 or 22308811.

Contact details for the other districts:

District	Email	Telephone
Limassol	limetiseis@police.gov.cy	25805650, 25805210
Larnaka	larnacaetiseis@police.gov.cy	24804223, 24804236
Pafos	pafosetiseis@police.gov.cy	26806222, 26806215
Famagusta	famagustaetiseis@police.gov.cy	23803286, 23803288

Cyprus government fees

Application for the first time or renewal: €70 for each family member.

Registration: €70 for each family member (payable only the first time of application).

How to check your Pink Slip (TRC card) status

To check your Pink Slip status, send an SMS to 1199. Write it exactly as STATUS, one space, then the application number, for example STATUS 1243/2026. Each message costs under €0.04.

The application number sits on the receipt you were given when you paid the application submission fee, on form Γ.Λ. 301B.

Check Pink Slip status online

The Migration Department does not currently offer an online portal for application status lookups. Applicants whose lawyer filed the application can request an update through the lawyer, who can contact the department directly.

Renewal of a temporary residence permit

To renew a temporary residence permit in Cyprus, the applicant must follow the same process as the initial application. The necessary documents and application forms must be provided again. However, the applicant must only provide copies of bank guarantees and marriage or birth certificates. There is no need to undergo medical tests or provide updated criminal records.

For renewals, the applicant's bank balance must not fall below €6,000, regardless of family size.

You must apply to renew your temporary residence permit at least one month before it expires.

Advice from our lawyers

We advise our clients to transfer money from abroad to their bank account in Cyprus and use a visa or credit card for their expenses, rather than cash.

This will assist in a subsequent application for Pink Slip renewal, as their bank statement will clearly show that they bring money to Cyprus from abroad and spend it on their living expenses.

Cyprus Pink Slip benefits

Five years of lawful continuous residence opens the door to long-term resident status under Article 18Η of the Aliens and Immigration Law, Cap. 105. The right to apply belongs to people residing lawfully under any temporary residence status, a visitor permit included, provided the statutory conditions are met. Time spent on a Pink Slip counts.

Those conditions are the hard part, not the five years. You need Greek at A2 level, the certificate on the political and social reality of Cyprus, health insurance, tax declarations for the period and evidence of stable income.

After eight years of residence, a permit holder can apply for citizenship by naturalisation.

The Pink Slip offers several additional benefits:

• Extended stay beyond 90 days for non-EU nationals.
• Right to reside yearly as a visitor (renewable).
• Inclusion of spouse and minor children as dependents.
• Visa-free re-entry during permit validity.
• Access to local schools for children.

Does the Pink Slip allow visa-free travel?

No. The Cyprus Pink Slip (TRC card) is a national residence permit, not a Schengen visa or EU residence card. It does not grant visa-free access to any country other than Cyprus itself.

Pink Slip holders may re-enter Cyprus without a separate visa while the permit is valid. For travel to any other country, the rules of the holder's passport apply.