Cyprus residency by investment

The Cyprus Residency by Investment program enables successful applicants and their families to obtain a Cyprus immigration permit with unlimited duration within six months. Investors holding this permit can apply for Cyprus citizenship after eight years of residency there.

In 2025, applicants can gain permanent residency in Cyprus by investing a minimum of €300,000 in real estate, shares, or funds and demonstrating an annual income of €50,000. If investing in residential property, the income must be solely from abroad; for other investment options, part of the income can be from Cyprus.

The so-called investor visa program was updated on May 2, 2023. The updates increased the secured annual income from €30,000 to €50,000, excluded the applicant’s parents and parents-in-law from the right to acquire residence together with the applicant, and made other changes. You will find all the new and updated scheme requirements below.

Cyprus residency by investment requirements in 2025

To qualify in 2025, an applicant must invest at least €300,000 in options like new residential property, commercial real estate, or company shares. An annual income of at least €50,000 is also needed, increasing for a spouse (€15,000) and each child (€10,000). Income sources vary by investment type.

The eligible investment categories are as follows:

• Buy a residential, brand-new property.
  

  A house or apartment can be bought for at least €300,000 plus VAT. The investor can also purchase two properties for the above amount from different development companies. Off-plan properties are also included, irrespective of the delivery date. If the applicant and spouse buy together, the above conditions apply to both. That is, the sum of the amount should be at least €300,000 plus VAT for one or two properties.

• Purchase commercial properties.

  It may include offices, shops, hotels, related developments, or a combination. It can also include resales or used properties.

• Invest in the Cyprus Company’s share capital.

  To purchase shares or establish a Cyprus company and invest in its share capital, the company must be based and operating in the Republic of Cyprus, have a proven physical presence, and employ five (5) people.

• Invest in Units of the Cyprus Investment Organisation of Collective Investments (forms of AIF, AIFLNP, RAIF)

  To purchase units in any of those mentioned above.

We recommend that our clients opt for real estate as a safer and more secure investment method for obtaining Cyprus residency.

Income requirement

The applicant must show an annual income of at least €50,000 (after tax). The amount is increased by €15,000 for the spouse and €10,000 for each underage child. The spouse’s income (if any) can be included in calculating income.

The income may include any of the following:

• salaries or wages,
• pensions, dividends, fixed deposits, rental income

If the applicant invests in the residential property option, their income must be entirely from abroad. When using the other investment options, i.e. investment in commercial realty, company shares or investment units, the income can come from sources within Cyprus. It must be taxed in the Republic.

Annual obligations to verify criteria

There are some verification requirements concerning the investment residency.

Every year (annually), you should submit the following:

• Evidence that you maintain the investment, and
• Health insurance certificate for yourself and your family (in case you are not GESY beneficiaries).

Every three years, you should submit the following:

• A clean criminal record for yourself and your family from your country of origin and residence.

The requirement that you annually submit proof of holding the necessary income level has been abolished.

However, you must not:

• Acquire permanent residence abroad, or
• Absent yourself from Cyprus for two years.

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

Dependent persons

The PR applications may include the following:

• Spouses and children up to 18 years old.
• Children between 18 and 25 years old. They have to be unmarried and university students.

  If they wish to study at any university in Cyprus, they must initially apply for a student visa. After finishing their studies, they can submit their application for an Immigration Permit (this permit will not expire once they are 25 years old). The only requirement is that the parents show an extra annual income of €10,000 for every such child.

Can I buy property in Cyprus and get citizenship?

In 2025, there is no expedited process to get citizenship in Cyprus. You can obtain Cypriot residency by purchasing property worth €300,000 or more. Then, you can apply for citizenship by naturalisation after 7 years of actual stay in Cyprus (2555 days), plus 12 months of continuous stay with absences up to 90 days.

Please note that the 5-year option to get a passport for investment PR holders is no longer available in 2025. Read more about Cyprus citizenship by naturalisation.

Benefits of investment PR

Cyprus permanent residency provides the following benefits:

• Unrestricted entry and stay within Cyprus.
• Low personal and corporate tax rates (12,5% for companies, among the lowest in Europe).
• Inclusion of the applicant’s spouse and minor children.
• Right to healthcare under the General Healthcare System.
• No need for a continuous stay; just a visit every two years to retain residency status.

Schengen Area or Europe visa-free travel

The Cyprus residence permit does not grant visa-free travel to any EU country or the Schengen Area because, as of May 2025, Cyprus is not yet a member of the Schengen zone. Cyprus has applied to join the Schengen Area, and the application is being considered.

Additional information

• The permanent residence holder must personally visit Cyprus at least once every two years.
• The applicants are not allowed to be employed in Cyprus. However, they have the right to be employed as Directors in a company they have chosen to invest in under this policy.
• The applicants can be shareholders in companies registered in Cyprus and receive dividends. They are also entitled to be directors in those companies without a salary.
• The money for the investments must be transferred from abroad to Cyprus
• The examination of the application will take about 6 months.
• The residence application fee is €500 plus €70 for each accompanying person.
• The Minister of the Interior takes the final decision.

Required documents

To obtain a Cyprus investment visa, the applicant needs to apply with the following required documents:

• Copy of the passport of the applicants.
• CV for the applicants.
• Marriage Certificate (official and certified translation*).
• Children’s Birth Certificates (official and certified translation*).
• Criminal Record Certificate for the applicants from the country of residence (official and certified translation*).
• A statement that the applicant and his/her spouse will not engage in paid work in the Republic.
• Tax statements or confirmation from an auditor from the country where the applicant is a tax resident to prove the income amount. The tax statements must be in the original and be accompanied by a sworn statement (affidavit).
  

  This income may include salaries from employment, pensions, dividends, fixed deposits, and rents. The spouse’s income (if any) can be included.

• Documents proving that the amount used for the investment was transferred to Cyprus from abroad (e.g., by bank transfer).
• Health insurance certificate for the applicant and spouse/ underage children.
• Representative’s authorisation, signed and certified.
• If children between the ages of 18 and 25 apply, they will need a University confirmation and a list of other documents, which can be accessed at moi.gov.cy Immigration Permits for Investors.

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

Investment-related documents

The investment-related documents required for your application depend on the investment route.

• Investment in a house/apartment or commercial properties: Contract of sale and proof of payment for at least €300,000.
• Investment in Cyprus Company’s share capital: Share Purchase Agreement, Certificate of Shareholders and Incorporation, Business profile, and Social Insurance documents to show personnel employed by the company.
• Investment in units of a Cyprus Investment Organisation (AIF, AIFLNP, RAIF): Titles or other proof of the purchased units, confirmation from CySec concerning the Fund, and the Memorandum for the Fund or Investment Plan.

Our services

Since 1983, our team of immigration lawyers in Limassol, Cyprus, has been dedicated to providing top-notch legal services. We are ready to guide and assist you with all aspects of the investment residency application. Our support includes the following:

• initial property purchase procedure,
• reduced VAT applications,
• expert advice on necessary documents,
• preparation and submission of immigration permit applications,
• collection of PR cards.

Contact us for a personal consultation and discover our competitively priced services.

Frequently asked questions