Moving to Cyprus

For many reasons, Cyprus is a favourite destination for business immigration, leisure and retirement. It has a warm climate and an easy-going way of life. At the same time, it is a commercial centre with work opportunities and an established business community.

How to move to Cyprus

The pathways to immigrate to Cyprus vary based on your citizenship and residency goals. The primary options are grouped below.

Permanent residence permits for non-EU citizens

• Permanent residence in Cyprus
• Category F permanent residency
• Permanent residence after registering a company: Business Immigration

Temporary residence permits for non-EU citizens

• Temporary residence permit (Pink Slip)
• Work permit in a company
• EU Blue Card
• Student's visa
• Spouse visa and family reunification

For EU/EEA citizens

• Registration certificate (Yellow slip)

If you are considering a Cyprus Digital Nomad visa, applications are open. On 26 March 2025 the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection announced that the Migration Department accepts applications under the scheme, and the department now says it is once again accepting them, up to a maximum of 500 permits.

For UK citizens, see our dedicated guide on moving to Cyprus from the UK.

Permanent residence

A permanent residence permit in Cyprus is available for TCNs in the following categories:

• Category C. Working as self-employed in a trade or profession. You need the relevant licence and capital of about €260,000 fully and freely at your disposal, and your business must not harm the general economy of the Republic.
• Category D. Working as self-employed in a profession or science. You need the qualifications to practise in Cyprus and sufficient funds or secured income, and there must be a need for more people in that profession in Cyprus.
• Category E. You have been offered, and intend to accept, permanent employment in the Republic that will not create undue local competition in that type of work.
• Category F. You have a secure and regular annual income, enough to provide a decent living in the Republic.
• Investment permit under Regulation 6(2). This requires at least €300,000 in one of four forms: a new home from a developer, other real estate, new share capital of a company based and operating in Cyprus with at least five employees, or units in a Cyprus investment fund. The applicant needs a secured annual income of at least €50,000, plus €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 for each dependent minor child. Our guide has the details: Cyprus residency by investment.

Applying for a permanent residence permit

The application form is the same for all categories (MIP2), though the supporting documents vary.

You can bring your spouse and underage children, though some details vary by category. The application is submitted to the Central Offices of the Migration Department in Nicosia.

The fee is €500 per application, plus €70 for each person not yet registered in the Aliens Register.

From 1 September 2026, applications under Categories A to F need:

• original blood test results taken abroad, for the applicant and each dependant, for hepatitis B and C, HIV and syphilis;
• an original chest X-ray issued in the country of origin or of last lawful residence.

The results have to be certified or legalised, except where a bilateral agreement between governments exempts them. Holders of a temporary residence permit whose results are on file do not submit them again.

See the relevant government website for application forms and more information: Application forms and documentation - gov.cy.

Permanent residence after registering a company or other business form

A non-EU national can register a company in Cyprus through a Cyprus lawyer, who signs and files the incorporation forms. To run the business from Cyprus, you need a permit that allows it:

• a Category C permanent residence permit, for self-employment in a trade or profession;
• a temporary residence and employment permit, as a director or employee of a company of foreign interests registered with the Business Support Center.

The pink slip lets you live in Cyprus, but not work or do business here. You may own shares in a Cyprus company and receive dividends from it, as long as the company pays you no salary.

The main types of business forms in Cyprus are the following:

• Limited liability company
• Partnership
• Sole trader

Limited liability company

To start a limited liability company in Cyprus, register it with the Registrar of Companies.

If the company will hire non-EU staff under the government's Strategy for attracting companies, it registers in the Register of Foreign Interest Companies. Registration is online only, from the company's CY Login account, at:
Business Support Center (BSC) - gov.cy

A company qualifies for the Business Facilitation Unit (BFU) scheme when it falls into one of nine eligibility categories and has invested at least €200,000 in Cyprus. The scheme lets it hire non-EU staff without a labour market test.

The company law basics:

• The Cyprus Companies Law (Cap 113) is the legislation concerning limited liability companies.
• One person can be the company's sole director and sole shareholder.
• A private limited company in Cyprus must have a company secretary.
• The fee payable to the Registrar of Companies is €165 plus €100 fast-track (source - Starting a Company Forms - companies.gov.cy).

Cyprus's corporate tax rate is 15% from 1 January 2026. Dividends a Cyprus company receives are usually exempt. A tax resident who is not domiciled in Cyprus pays no special defence contribution on dividends. A domiciled resident pays it at 5%, or at 17% on dividends from a Cyprus-resident company that are received within six years of 1 January 2026 and paid out of profits up to the 2025 tax year.

The memorandum and articles of association are filed in Greek. To get certified copies in English, the company creates a "file of translations" at the Registrar: a lawyer or a sworn translator certifies the English translation, which is filed by hand or through e-filing. From then on, every resolution the company files needs a certified English translation too.

For further information, please refer to our article on Company formation in Cyprus.

Partnership

Under Cypriot law, there are two types of partnerships to choose from.

• In a general partnership, there is no limited liability: each partner is liable, jointly with the other partners, for all the debts the partnership incurs during their time as a partner.
• In a limited partnership, one or more general partners are liable for all its debts, and the limited partners are not liable beyond the amount they contributed. A limited partner who takes part in management becomes liable like a general partner for the debts that arise during that time, and an unregistered limited partnership is treated as a general one.

After deciding whether to have a general or limited partnership, you apply to the Registrar of Companies to get approval for the name. Once the name is approved, you register the partnership within one month of setting it up, through e-filing or by hand or post. The fee is €120, plus €40 for the accelerated procedure. An online application comes with a solemn declaration of signature witness; by hand or post, you file form Σ1.

The Registrar will issue a certificate of incorporation. Within 60 days of its incorporation, the partnership registers with the Tax Department for a tax number, and a partnership that employs staff registers as an employer with the Social Insurance Services. Each partner pays personal income tax on their profits.

The Registrar of Companies has useful information and details for the registration of partnerships.

Sole trader

• A person may do business as a sole trader.
• You will be taxed on your income.
• You will register via an application to the local District Social Insurance Office and submit the following documents: a copy of your ID card/ passport/ alien registration certificate (ARC).
• To qualify for a residence permit as a sole trader, you need the relevant licence and capital of about €260,000, and your activities must not negatively affect the local economy.

It is possible to register a business or trading name by application to the Registrar of Companies when acting as a sole trader.

Temporary residence permit (Pink slip)

The visitor permit, commonly called the pink slip, lets you live in Cyprus, but its holders cannot carry out an economic activity here. The first permit is issued for one year and can be renewed as long as you meet the conditions.

You need a stable income from abroad. The statement of your Cyprus bank account has to show foreign remittances in your own name of at least €2,000 a month or €24,000 a year for one person, rising by 20% for a spouse and by 15% for each child. For the first permit, a transfer or deposit of at least €10,000 is accepted instead. At renewal, the balance cannot be below €6,000.

Each family member, spouse and underage children included, pays €70 for each issue or renewal of the permit, and €70 for registration in the Aliens Register the first time.

Work permit in a company for TCNs

You can receive a work permit to work in a Cyprus company within the following framework:

The employer applies to the District Labour Office of the Department of Labour, Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance. Once the Department of Labour seals the employment contract, the application for the entry permit and the residence and work permit goes to the Migration Department in Nicosia.

The company/ employer must show that the work position cannot be filled by a member of the local labour force. The employer publishes the vacancy in the local press through the District Labour Office, and the Department of Labour checks that no suitable local candidate came forward. This is called the "labour market test", the central condition for granting a work permit to a TCN.

The permit has two time limits:

• each residence and work permit is issued for one to three years at a time;
• the total stay for employment on this route is four years, except for some groups, such as athletes and coaches, and workers in farming and agriculture.

Exceptions under the Business Facilitation Unit (BFU)

Companies of foreign interests can hire any number of highly paid non-EU staff without a labour market test, under the Strategy for attracting companies, in force since 2 January 2022. The company registers with the Business Support Center (BSC), and the Migration Department issues each employee a temporary residence and employment permit.

A highly paid employee needs both:

• a gross monthly salary of at least €2,500;
• a relevant degree, or at least two years of relevant experience.

The employment contract has to run for at least two years, even for a one-year permit. Key Personnel permit holders on €2,000 or more a month when the Strategy began can renew with the same employer at that salary until 31 December 2026.

Support staff below the €2,500 threshold still need a labour market test and an employment contract sealed by the Department of Labour. Each permit follows the employment contract and can run for up to three consecutive years.

To register, a company has to fit one of nine eligibility categories and have invested at least €200,000 in Cyprus in the six months before applying, with the money still there when it files. Its office has to be separate from any home.

The investment can be a shareholders' deposit, transferred from abroad into the company's account at a bank licensed by the Central Bank of Cyprus, or an office or equipment, or both, strictly for business use. Our guide to the Business Facilitation Unit lists the categories.

EU Blue Card for highly skilled workers

The EU Blue Card is a residence and work permit for highly qualified third-country nationals. In Cyprus, the card covers jobs in the sectors the Minister of Labour and Social Insurance has defined as highly qualified, such as information and communication technologies, with a minimum gross annual salary of €43,632.

For a detailed breakdown of eligibility criteria, minimum salary requirements, and the application process, please refer to our dedicated guide on the EU Blue Card in Cyprus.

Multi-entry visas for frequent visitors

Third-country nationals who can show frequent visits to Cyprus and other EU countries can apply for a Multiple-entry Visa (Category C). Multiple-entry visas are granted for up to 5 years. Each visit should not be over 3 months (90 days) in any half-year, starting from the date of first entry (source Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cyprus).

Note that you do not automatically get this type of visa. You need to apply to the Cyprus consulate or Embassy in your country.

There is no legal right to a visa. Once you obtain the visa, you cannot automatically enter Cyprus. The entry criteria will be rechecked on entry into the territory of the Republic of Cyprus. For example, you may be asked to present evidence or documents, like a bank guarantee, proof of employment, or financial means.

Student's visa

A student from outside the EU needs a place on a full-time course at a higher education institution recognised in Cyprus. The institution applies for the entry permit on form MEDU2. The Migration Department and the Ministry of Education examine the application within one month when the file is complete.

Before you travel, the institution files your documents, among them:

• a passport valid for the whole stay, or for at least two years from the application;
• a bank certificate with a statement showing you can cover your costs in Cyprus and your return home, or a scholarship certificate;
• a clear criminal record certificate and medical tests for hepatitis B and C, HIV, syphilis and tuberculosis;
• your acceptance letter and academic certificates, with a bank guarantee for repatriation costs.

Within seven days of arrival, you register in the Aliens Register and apply for a temporary residence permit, giving your fingerprints and photo. This stage needs the entry permit (M70), medical tests from a Cyprus hospital, health insurance, a rental agreement or title deed, and a Cyprus bank's confirmation that you have moved enough money into your own account.

The first application costs €140 in fees, registration in the Aliens Register included. The permit runs for up to one year and is renewed each year until the course ends, as long as you make sufficient progress in your studies.

Registration certificate for European citizens (Yellow slip)

The registration certificate, commonly called the yellow slip, is for citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland who stay in Cyprus for more than three months, and for their family members who are citizens of those countries too.

You apply on form MEU1 within four months of entering Cyprus. Nicosia residents apply to the Migration Department, and residents of other districts to the Aliens and Immigration Unit of the Cyprus Police in their district. The fee is €20 and the certificate has no expiry date. Missing the four-month deadline can lead to a fine of up to €2,500.

EU citizens have free access to employment in Cyprus, and EU and EEA citizens can buy property without the permit that other foreign buyers need.

Cyprus immigration requirements

To immigrate to Cyprus and stay there for over 90 days, you will need several documents, including:

• A valid passport. Each permit's checklist sets how long it must still run: for a student permit, the whole stay or at least two years from the application.
• A clean criminal record.
• Proof of stable, regular income from abroad or an employment contract in the Republic.
• Medical insurance.

Relocation to Cyprus

Apart from applying for the visa or permit that best suits your circumstances, relocation to Cyprus involves the following:

• Arrange to move your belongings to Cyprus. There are a variety of air freight and shipping companies to choose from.
• Rent or buy property. A lawyer and a registered estate agent can help with this.
• Get health insurance. A non-EU resident is a beneficiary of the General Health System (GeSY) when employed in Cyprus, holding permanent residence status or refugee or supplementary protection status, being a family member of a beneficiary, or being insured in another EU Member State. A visitor permit (pink slip) is not one of these grounds, so a pink slip holder who fits none of them needs private cover.
• Open a bank account.

We help clients relocate to any district of Cyprus: Limassol, Nicosia, Larnaca, Paphos or Famagusta.

People in Cyprus speak English, and a large international community lives on the island. You can learn Greek at one of the many tutorial centres that teach adults.

Children can attend one of the international schools that operate in Cyprus. You can see the list here: International schools in Cyprus - internationalschoolsearch.com.

Cost of moving to Cyprus

The cost of moving to Cyprus depends mostly on the volume you ship and how far it travels, so ask at least two licensed movers for a written quote. Allow for a few nights in a hotel before you move into your new home.

Moving from outside the EU, you pay no import duty or VAT on personal belongings for your own use that you have owned and used where you lived for at least the last six months before the move. You must have lived outside the EU for a continuous 12 months, and the goods are cleared between 6 months before and 12 months after the move.

For 12 months after import, the goods cannot be lent, pledged, hired out or transferred without first paying the duties, with the permission of the Director of Customs.

Cost of living in Cyprus

Our retirement cost guide sets out a monthly budget for living in Cyprus, from rent and bills to food and transport.

Price of property to rent or buy

Whether you rent or buy, the price will depend on location, property condition (new, resale, in need of repair), number of bedrooms and available amenities.

For current price trends by district, see our guide to real estate in Cyprus.

Buying and renting a property in Cyprus

A TCN can rent a property, and a registered real estate agent can help you find one that fits your budget and needs.

A buyer from outside the EU needs permission to buy property in Cyprus. The law gives that power to the Council of Ministers, which has passed it to the District Officers, so you apply to the District Administration where the property is, after signing the contract. There is no fee, and the Ministry of Interior puts the wait at two to three weeks.

For a home, the permission covers one of two options:

• one plot, or land not yet divided into plots, of up to three donums (4,014 m²; the Ministry of Interior gives the figure as 4,000 m²) to build a home to live in;
• up to two units, either two homes or one home plus a shop of up to 100 m² or an office of up to 250 m².

A couple shares one allowance. Larger grants are possible for business premises or industry. EU and EEA citizens need no permission. Our guide on buying property in Cyprus as a foreigner covers the steps.

How much is healthcare in Cyprus?

Private health insurance prices vary by insurer and plan, so compare quotes. GeSY (the General Health System) covers non-EU residents on set grounds, such as a job in Cyprus or permanent residence status, and a visitor permit (pink slip) is not one of them.

Food and drink prices

The Consumer Protection Service publishes current supermarket and fuel prices on its Price Observatories - consumer.gov.cy.

Petrol prices

Fuel prices change often. The Consumer Protection Service shows the current price at every petrol station on its live fuel price map.

Water and electricity

Check the current water tariff with the water supplier for the area you move to.

Check the current household electricity tariff with the Electricity Authority of Cyprus.

Private school fees

Private school fees vary widely by school and age group, so ask each school for its current fee list.

Opening a bank account in Cyprus

Opening a bank account in any bank operating in Cyprus is possible. Cyprus banks are supervised under the EU Single Supervisory Mechanism: the European Central Bank supervises the largest banks directly, and the Central Bank of Cyprus supervises the rest.

The Central Bank of Cyprus maintains a list of the authorised credit institutions at the Register of Credit Institutions operating in Cyprus - centralbank.cy.

To open a bank account, you will need a passport, proof of address, proof of income and other documents. Our office has a short guide on opening a bank account in Cyprus that includes a list of required documents.

Immigration services

• The central government department you need in Cyprus is the Migration Department of the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection, formerly the Civil Registry and Migration Department. You may access their website at: Migration Department - gov.cy.
• For the registration of companies and other business forms, you will need the services of the Registrar of Companies: Companies Section, Department of Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property - companies.gov.cy.
• To enter a company in the Register of Foreign Interest Companies, apply online to the Business Support Center (BSC) of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry: Business Support Center (BSC) - gov.cy.
• You can find a list of all the Cyprus ministries and their websites here: Organizations - gov.cy.
• For help with an application, contact our Cyprus immigration lawyers.