Cyprus Golden Visa

The Cyprus Golden Visa is a program that enables foreign investors and their families to obtain permanent residence in Cyprus by purchasing assets worth €300,000 and demonstrating an annual income of at least €50,000. After living in the country for eight years, investors can apply for citizenship.

The citizenship by investment program, also known as the “golden passport program,” was discontinued in November 2020.

Cyprus is a significant business and maritime centre in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is also a thriving member state of the European Union (EU). In this guide, you will find information, criteria, process and other requirements for obtaining the Cyprus Golden Visa. You will also read about the benefits you might expect when living in Cyprus.

Key takeaways

• The program grants the applicant, their spouse, and underage children the right to reside in the Republic permanently.
• An individual with a Cyprus Golden visa can apply for citizenship after residing in Cyprus for 8 years within a 10-year timeframe.
• The family members covered, upon conditions, are only the applicant’s spouse and children.
• The applicant must meet specific income and personal criteria to be eligible for permanent residency in Cyprus.
• With limited exceptions, the Golden visa does not give the applicant the right to work.
• The applicant must verify specific criteria annually and every three years, as outlined below.

Cyprus Golden Visa requirements in 2025

In 2025, the requirements are a minimum investment of at least €300,000, an annual income of at least €50,000, and a clear criminal record. The Migration Department must also verify annually that you maintain the investment and that your criminal records are up to date every three years.

Minimum investment

To obtain the Cyprus Golden Visa in 2025, the applicant must invest a minimum of €300,000 in property or funds.

This investment can be made in one of three ways:

• New residential property bought from a developer or developing company. Golden Visa real estate investment can be a house, a flat, or two properties. The investment can also be in commercial property like offices, which can be resale. In both cases, the applicant must demonstrate that they have paid the amount in full and that the funds originated from abroad. It is impossible to pay with money from sources within Cyprus or to borrow from within Cyprus.
• Shares in a company registered and located in Cyprus, employing at least five (5) people.
• Units in the Cyprus Investment Funds Association collective investments (AIF, AFLNP, RAIF).

Income requirement

The applicant must demonstrate a secure annual income of €50,000 from abroad, after tax.

If the applicant wishes to bring their spouse, the annual income is increased by €15,000; the spouse’s income can also be taken into account towards this amount.

The residence permit can also cover underage or dependent children, but the income is increased by €10,000 for each child.

Personal requirements

The applicant and their spouse must have a clear criminal record from their country of origin or residence and maintain a clear criminal record in Cyprus.

Need to verify

There are specific verification requirements related to the investor’s visa.

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 to annually submit proof of meeting the necessary income level has been abolished.

However, you must not:

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

In either case, you lose the right to permanent residence.

Visit to Cyprus

The permanent residence holder must personally visit Cyprus at least once every two years.

Cyprus Golden Visa cost

The cost of a Cyprus Golden Visa includes:

• A minimum investment of €300,000 (plus 19% VAT, which can be reduced to 5% for purchasing residential property for personal use).
• A government fee of €500 for the visa application, which covers the investor, their spouse, and any minor children. For adult children, an additional fee of €500 each is required.
• A registration charge of €70 per person for their Alien Registration Certificate (ARC) card.
• A due diligence and legal support fee of €3000 for a single applicant and €3,500 for a family.

The right to work

There is a minimal right to work under the Cyprus golden visa.

The applicant and their spouse can work as directors in the company in which they have invested €300,000.

Moreover, the applicant and their spouse can own shares in companies registered in Cyprus and receive dividend income from them.

Finally, the applicant and their spouse can act as unpaid directors in the companies registered in Cyprus where they own shares.

The rules about parents and parents-in-law

Under the new policy, the golden visa no longer covers the parents and parents-in-law of the applicant and their spouse.

The rules about children

The golden visa has generous rules, allowing the applicant to enjoy family life in Cyprus’s safe and pro-family environment.

The Cyprus Golden Visa scheme covers underage children.

Children between the ages of 18 and 25 are covered, provided they:

1. Are students in a Cyprus tertiary education institution;
2. Are unmarried;
3. Bring documents to prove student status;
4. Apply separately for a student visa;
5. The parents satisfy the income requirements.

When the children complete their studies, they can apply for permanent residence, provided their parents demonstrate that they continue to have an additional annual income of €10,000 for each child.

This investment visa will remain valid even if the child marries or ceases to be financially dependent on their parents. However, the permit will not cover the child’s spouse or child(ren).

Can an investor include an adult, not financially dependent, child, on the golden visa for Cyprus?

Yes. However, in such a case, the investment amount is multiplied by the number of children. For example, one child will increase the required investment to €600,000.

How to obtain Cyprus citizenship

An individual with a Cyprus Golden visa can apply for citizenship after residing in Cyprus for a total of 8 years within a 10-year period. In the final year leading up to the application, the individual must remain in Cyprus consistently, though brief departures are permissible.
Read more about Cypriot citizenship by years of residence.

Processing time for an investment visa

The Minister of the Interior will review the application, and the process is expected to take about 2 to 3 months, according to the government website. However, in 2025, the actual process takes approximately 6 months.

Within one year of approval, applicants must visit Cyprus and submit their biometric data to obtain residence cards, which are issued about 30 days later.

Golden Visa benefits

Cyprus Golden Visa program offers several advantages for non-EU nationals:

• It grants the principal applicant, their spouse, and dependent children the right to reside permanently in Cyprus.
• It permits investment in a stable EU economy with a secure legal framework for property rights.
• It establishes a pathway towards eligibility for Cypriot citizenship after fulfilling the residency duration requirements (8 years within a 10-year period).
• Holders need only visit Cyprus once every two years to maintain their status.
• Permit holders may become tax residents by fulfilling the physical presence requirements and potentially benefit from Cyprus's tax environment.

Tax benefits of living in Cyprus

Permanent residence in Cyprus offers certain benefits, such as low personal and corporate tax rates (12,5% for companies, among the lowest in Europe).

Anyone who spends 183 days or more in Cyprus is classified as a tax resident and is subject to taxation on their worldwide income. The benefits of being a tax resident in Cyprus include:

• no tax on income from dividends, interest, or other sources (there are exceptions for capital gains),
• no inheritance tax,
• no gift tax,
• no wealth tax,
• no immovable property tax.

Read more about Taxes in Cyprus.

Is investing in Cyprus a good idea?

Investing falls into two broad categories: real estate and business. In both cases, investing in Cyprus appears to be a sound decision.

Investment options for the investor immigration permit

The data indicate that real estate remains a safe investment option. The RICS Cyprus Property Index for the fourth quarter of 2024 indicates that residential property prices have risen. Apartments have seen the highest year-on-year (YoY) increase at 3,39%, while houses show a 0,95% increase.

Read more about the Cyprus real estate market trends.

The outlook for the economy and investing generally looks good. "Growth has been robust, albeit with some signs of moderate overheating. Last year (2024), growth of 3.4 percent was among the highest in the euro area, supported by strong export of services and consumption." (IMF Staff Concluding Statement of the 2025 Article IV Mission, March 28, 2025).

"Looking ahead, based on March 2025 projections of the Central Bank of Cyprus, GDP is expected to continue to grow robustly at around 3% per year over 2025-2027." (Speech by the Governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus, April 7, 2025)

Internally, the BFU (Business Facilitation Unit), with its “One-Stop Shop” structure, provides efficient business registration to eligible foreign investors and other easements.

The Cyprus government is implementing the Cyprus Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) for 2021-2026; the EU has allocated €1,2 billion to Cyprus to strengthen the economy, growth and welfare.

Our services

Visit our office or contact us for expert advice and assistance with the application process. Our team of experienced immigration and property lawyers will tell you about your prospects for success and aid you at every step.

Frequently asked questions