Moving to Cyprus from the UK after Brexit

This guide is for UK citizens moving to Cyprus after Brexit: which visa or residence permit fits, how to buy property, when you can work and who can join you. It covers moving a business from the UK, healthcare, driving, pensions and voting too.

Can a UK citizen move to Cyprus?

UK nationals can still move to Cyprus, but since 1 January 2021 they do it as non-EU nationals and need a residence permit to stay longer than 90 days. Residence permits can be temporary, like a Pink Slip, or give permanent residence, like the investment permit or a Category F permit.

If you lived in Cyprus under EU free movement rules before 1 January 2021 and still live here, you keep your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. You can exchange your old MEU residence document for the biometric MUKW residence card. If you never registered, you can still apply, with evidence that you lived here at the time.

Family members who join you later

If you moved to Cyprus before 1 January 2021, non-EU family members who join you later can apply for an MUKW2 residence document within four months of arriving, if they count as family under Article 9 of the Withdrawal Agreement. That covers a spouse, a registered partner, direct descendants under 21 or dependent, and dependent relatives in the ascending line.

Family members who join you from outside Cyprus must have been directly related to you before the end of the transition period, apart from children born or adopted afterwards.

Short visits and dual nationals

British citizens no longer have freedom of movement in the EU. You need no visa to visit Cyprus and can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, without the right to work.

Days in Cyprus do not count toward the 90 days allowed in the Schengen area, and days in Schengen do not count here.

A British citizen who holds an Irish passport, or the passport of another EU country, moves as an EU citizen and registers for a yellow slip instead.

Passport and the north of Cyprus

Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive and must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave. It needs at least one blank page. Border officers can ask for a return or onward ticket and proof that you have enough money for your stay.

The Republic of Cyprus counts days spent in the north of the island towards your 90 days. You can cross between the north and the south at any crossing point. If you first enter the island through the north, for example through Ercan airport, the authorities treat your entry into the Republic as illegal, and you can be fined or refused entry to or exit from the Republic.

EES and ETIAS

GOV.UK says Cyprus does not use the EU Entry/Exit System, and that British nationals resident in Cyprus have to register with it to travel to other EU countries.

ETIAS is not in operation yet, and the official ETIAS site had announced no start date as of 19 October 2026. The EU says it will give notice several months before the launch. An April 2026 notice on that site says UK nationals will need it from the last quarter of 2026. Cyprus is one of the 30 countries that require it.

The ETIAS site says Withdrawal Agreement documents issued by Cyprus let their holders travel to Cyprus without ETIAS, but not to the other 29 ETIAS countries. The FAQ's list of exempt residence permits leaves out permits issued by Cyprus.

The first months of ETIAS

A transitional period of six months follows the launch. In it, travellers without an authorisation are not refused entry if they meet the other entry conditions. A grace period of six months then lets in without an authorisation only travellers who arrive for the first time since the transitional period ended and who meet the other entry conditions. The Commission can extend both periods.

Residence permits in Cyprus

There are several "visas" or residence permits available to UK citizens in Cyprus, some permanent.

The Pink Slip

The Cyprus Pink Slip is a visitor permit for people with a stable income from abroad of at least €24,000 a year. Its holders cannot carry out an economic activity in Cyprus. The income needed rises by 20% for a spouse and 15% for each child.

The Migration Department lists the dependent spouse and the dependent minor child as visitor categories. The first permit runs for one year and is renewable.

Long-term resident status needs five years of legal and continuous residence on a valid residence permit, with absences shorter than six consecutive months and no more than 10 months in total.

The investor visa

The Cyprus investor visa, formally an immigration permit for investors, needs an investment of at least €300,000 and a secure annual income of at least €50,000, plus €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 for each dependent minor child. The income must come from abroad if you buy a house or apartment.

The investment can be a house or apartment bought new from a developer (plus VAT), other real estate, new share capital (a new company or a capital increase) of a Cyprus company that has a physical presence and at least five employees, or units in a Cyprus investment fund whose assets are held in Cyprus.

Category F

The Category F permanent residence permit needs a secured income from abroad of at least €9,568 a year, plus €4,613 for each dependant, which comes to €14,181 for a couple. The category is for people who do not need to work in Cyprus, because their income from abroad is enough to live on.

Both the investor visa and the Category F permit are permanent. Our guide to moving to Cyprus compares every residence permit.

Medical tests for Categories A to F

Since 1 September 2026, an application for an immigration permit in Categories A to F, including Category F, needs two medical documents. One is a set of original blood test results taken abroad for the applicant and the dependants, which must show no hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV or syphilis. The other is an original chest X-ray for tuberculosis, issued in the applicant's country of origin or in the last country of lawful residence.

The documents must be certified or legalised, except where a bilateral agreement between governments exempts them. An applicant who already holds a temporary residence permit in Cyprus, with the medical results still on file, does not submit them again. The Migration Department has told us that applicants for the investment permit do not submit these tests.

Which form to file

Staying longer than 90 days without working: apply for a visitor permit on form MVIS8.

The same form serves digital nomads, and family members of employees at companies of foreign interests who stay as dependent visitors. Download the current version from the Migration Department's forms page.

Other routes have forms of their own. A Cyprus employer, such as a company of foreign interests, applies for its employees' permits. The spouse of a Cypriot citizen applies on form MCYE or MCYV, and the non-EU spouse of an EU citizen living in Cyprus applies for a residence card on form MEU2.

Can a UK citizen buy property in Cyprus after Brexit?

Since Brexit, UK nationals buy property in Cyprus as non-EU buyers and need permission. The Acquisition of Immovable Property (Aliens) Law, Cap. 109, gives that power to the Council of Ministers, and in practice the District Administration of the district where the property sits deals with the application, filed after you sign the contract.

What the permission covers

No fee is charged, and the Ministry of Interior puts the processing time at two to three weeks. The permission covers one plot of up to three donums (4,014 m²; the Ministry of Interior gives the figure as 4,000 m²) to build a home for yourself, or up to two units. A couple shares one allowance.

Two units can be two dwellings, or one dwelling with a shop of up to 100 m² or an office of up to 250 m². Owning property does not give you a residence permit on its own. Our guide on buying property in Cyprus as a foreigner covers the steps.

How to apply

The Ministry of Interior's page on purchasing property names the application form, COMM 145, and lists the documents that go with it. A copy of the form: Form COMM 145 (copy of the Ministry of Interior form). For contracts signed on or after 1 January 2026, no stamp duty is payable. For contracts signed before 2026, the correct duty is paid to the Tax Department before registration.

How long can you stay in Cyprus if you own property?

Owning property does not extend the visa-free stay. A British citizen who owns a home in Cyprus can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, like any other British visitor, and needs no visa for it.

To stay longer, you need a residence permit. A home bought new from a developer for at least €300,000 plus VAT, or other real estate worth €300,000 in total, qualifies for the investment permit described above.

Can I work in Cyprus after Brexit?

Yes, there are circumstances under which you can get a permit to work in Cyprus after Brexit.

• Temporary residence and employment permit: your employer applies for it. An ordinary employer must first pass a labour market test, publishing the vacancy through the District Labour Office and showing that no suitable local candidate came forward.
• A company of foreign interests registered with the Business Support Center can hire any number of highly paid staff without that test. Each needs a gross monthly salary of at least €2,500 and relevant academic qualifications or at least two years of relevant experience. To register, the company must fall into one of nine eligibility categories and have invested at least €200,000 in Cyprus in the six months before it applies, with the money still there when it files.
• Category C permanent residence permit: for self-employment in a trade or profession. You need the relevant licence and capital of about €260,000 fully and freely at your disposal.
• Cyprus startup visa: you apply first to the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, which scores your business plan. Once it approves, a self-employed founder shows the Migration Department at least €10,000 a year for living expenses. The scheme is capped at 150 visas and runs to December 2026.

Can I bring family members to Cyprus with me after Brexit?

Yes, depending on the type of residence permit you have.

Every permanent residence permit covers your spouse and children under 18: the investment permit and Categories A to F alike.

Family reunification

Family reunification applies to a third-country national who has lived in Cyprus legally for at least two years, on a permit valid for at least one year, with a reasonable prospect of permanent residence. For an employee of a company approved to employ foreign personnel, the director of the Migration Department has the discretion to waive the two years.

The department names directors and key personnel executives of companies of foreign interests as able to use the route. Startup visa founders and senior executives can use it directly, in accordance with the immigration laws.

Who is covered

The spouse is covered if the marriage took place at least a year before the application and the spouse is 21 or over. Children are covered if they are under 18 and unmarried. For the spouse and children of a director or key personnel executive of a company of foreign interests who do not yet meet these conditions, for example because of a short marriage or the validity of a passport, the department may issue dependent visitor permits.

How family reunification applications are handled

Applications for family reunification are submitted at the Migration Department's headquarters in Nicosia only, and the department examines a completed application within nine months. A third-country national cannot enter Cyprus on a tourist visa for family reunification, except where the sponsor is employed by a company approved to employ foreign personnel.

Family of a Pink Slip holder

With a Pink Slip, the spouse and minor children apply as dependent visitors on form MVIS8, with the supporting documents the Migration Department lists for a dependent spouse and a dependent minor child.

Relocating your business from the UK to Cyprus

To relocate your business from the UK to Cyprus, you can set up a new company or register a branch of your UK company. Both are registered with the Registrar of Companies in Cyprus.

Note that the rules on residence permits mentioned above apply.

Cyprus is a member of the European Union, and its legal system grew out of English law. Common law and equity remain sources of Cyprus law where they do not conflict with the Constitution or legislation.

Two Cyprus government sites set out the steps:

• The Business Support Center (BSC) - gov.cy and,
• The Registrar of Companies' Point of single contact: Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry.

To incorporate a company, you first have the Registrar approve its name, then file the memorandum and articles of association with a declaration signed by a Cyprus lawyer. Once the certificate of incorporation is issued, the company can open a bank account. Our guide to company registration in Cyprus covers each step and the fees.

Within 60 days of incorporation the company registers with the Tax Department for a tax number. It registers with Social Insurance Services as an employer when it takes on staff.

It registers for VAT once its taxable supplies pass €15,600 in 12 months, or when it expects them to pass that amount in the next 30 days. If it will hire non-EU staff without a labour market test, it registers in the Register of Foreign Interest Companies. That needs an initial investment of €200,000, and the application goes in online through the Business Support Center.

Private limited liability companies registered in Cyprus

A private limited liability company registered in Cyprus works under these rules:

• Can have one single director who can also be the only shareholder.
• Must have a company secretary. The sole director cannot be the secretary at the same time, except in a private limited-liability company with a single member, where the sole director can act as secretary.
• Pay corporate tax at 15% from 1 January 2026, up from 12.5%.
• Can be run by non-residents: the Companies Law sets no residence or nationality requirement for directors or shareholders.
• Can be owned by third-country nationals. The Business Support Center registers a company as a company of foreign interests when third-country nationals hold the majority of the shares (or another listed criterion is met) and the company has made an initial investment of €200,000 within the six months before the application, with the money still there when it files.

Setting up a branch of a foreign business in Cyprus

A branch of a foreign company in Cyprus is registered with the Registrar of Companies as the place of business of an overseas company. Once the Registrar approves the name, the application goes in within one month of setting up in Cyprus.

It carries the parent company's certified charter or articles, a report on the company signed by an authorised person, forms AE1 to AE3, which list the documents and name the company's officers and the people authorised to represent it in Cyprus, and a fee of €380.

For all the details, see Business entities - Department of Registrar of Companies

Healthcare in Cyprus for expats after Brexit

A residence permit on its own does not give you GeSY, the General Healthcare System.

The Health Insurance Organisation lists as beneficiaries residents of the government-controlled areas who are employed, who have permanent residence status, who have refugee or supplementary protection status, who are family members of a beneficiary, or who are insured in another EU state. A Pink Slip applicant submits a health insurance certificate that covers inpatient and outpatient care and the transport of remains.

If you receive a UK State Pension, you may be entitled to an S1 form from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services. You register it with GeSY, online or through a GeSY doctor, and you and your dependants are then covered on the same basis as an insured Cypriot. You can apply for the S1 online up to 90 days before you move.

Health cards for travel

The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) is for visits. To get one, apply through the NHS.

GOV.UK says a resident cannot use an EHIC in Cyprus, and S1 holders receive a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for travel.

If you are registered with GeSY as a worker or a permanent resident, you may be entitled to a Cypriot European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for travel, including visits to the UK.

Driving licences from the UK in Cyprus

You can drive in Cyprus on a UK driving licence for up to six months. To keep driving after that, you exchange it for a Cypriot licence.

Apply before the six months end, because processing takes time and you need the Cypriot licence to drive legally. An International Driving Permit does not replace the exchange.

Exchanging your licence

You apply in person on form TOM 7D at a District Driver Examiner Office of the Road Transport Department. Bring a recent photo, your passport, your Alien Registration Certificate and residence permit, evidence that you normally live in Cyprus (the department sets this at 185 days), and your UK licence, which is sent back to the UK licensing authority. You need a check code from the DVLA too, or from the DVA for a Northern Irish licence.

A licence issued in Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man cannot be exchanged. Holders apply for a Cypriot licence as non-EU nationals and take a test.

How to bring your car to Cyprus

A car brought from the UK is an import from outside the EU. It pays VAT at 19% on import, and import duty of 10%. A car that qualifies as UK or EU origin under the EU-UK trade agreement pays no import duty when you show a statement on origin.

Customs relief when you move

Customs can grant relief from both duty and VAT on a transfer of residence. The relief covers a car you owned and used in the UK for at least six months before you left, provided you lived outside the EU for a continuous 12 months before the move.

The car has to enter Cyprus between six months before and 12 months after the move. In the 12 months after import you cannot lend, pledge, hire out or transfer it, except with the Director of Customs' permission and on payment of the duties. Relief covers one private car per person who holds a driving licence.

Do not bring the car in through the north of Cyprus: the authorities may seize it. You apply to any Customs District Office on form Απ. 2.

Registering the car

After customs clearance the car must be registered with the Road Transport Department, which can set extra conditions for used cars from outside the EU. Check with the department before you ship.

Retiring (pension, tax, your vote)

You can have a UK pension paid in Cyprus, and the UK-Cyprus tax treaty decides which country taxes it.

Pension

You can receive your UK State Pension in Cyprus, and it goes up every year, as it does in the UK, because Cyprus is in the European Economic Area. Our guide to retiring to Cyprus from the UK covers pensions in more depth.

Private UK pension schemes: Contact your pension provider to find out the arrangements for private pension schemes.

UK state pension: to have it paid in Cyprus,

• claim it through the International Pension Centre, from four months before you reach State Pension age;
• have it paid into a bank in Cyprus, or into a bank or building society in the UK;
• for a Cyprus account, give the IBAN and the BIC;
• pick one country, because the pension cannot be paid in one country for part of the year and in another for the rest.

The local exchange rate will affect pensions (from pound sterling to local currency).

Tax matters

Under the 2018 UK-Cyprus double tax treaty, a pension paid to someone tax resident in Cyprus is taxable only in Cyprus, except for pensions for government service. Cyprus taxes a pension for work done outside Cyprus at a flat 5% on the part above €5,000 a year, or at the normal income tax rates if you choose them for that year.

A lump sum from a pension conversion can be exempt from Cyprus income tax under section 8(11) of the Income Tax Law, and for a lump sum from a UK fund the Tax Commissioner has to approve the fund. Check a lump sum with a tax adviser before you take it.

Pensions for UK government service, such as civil service or armed forces pensions, stay taxable only in the UK. The exception is a pensioner who is both a Cypriot national and resident in Cyprus.

If you return to the UK

If you return to the UK within five years of leaving and you were UK resident in at least four of the seven tax years before you left, the UK's temporary non-residence rules can tax some of the income and gains you received abroad. Wages and other employment income are not caught. See Tax if you return to the UK.

The rules are complex; the UK government advises contacting HMRC or a tax adviser.

Your vote

British citizens who once lived in the UK can vote in UK Parliament elections no matter how long they have been abroad. The old 15-year limit ended on 16 January 2024. You register as an overseas voter and renew the registration every three years.

In Cyprus, UK nationals cannot vote in local or national elections without Cypriot citizenship, or in European elections without the citizenship of an EU country.

Lifestyle

Cultural events happen throughout the year in Cyprus, and the municipalities can provide information.

You can still bring a dog or cat with you after Brexit. It needs a microchip and a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel. A UK vet then issues an animal health certificate, which is valid for entry into the EU for 10 days from the date of issue. If you live in Great Britain, you cannot use a pet passport to enter the EU, wherever it was issued.

Tell the District Veterinary Office at your point of entry at least 48 hours before you arrive. Officers check the pet and its papers on arrival, and a pet from outside the EU pays an inspection fee.