Cyprus is an attractive place to reside, with a warm and stable climate, and located in a convenient geographical position in the eastern Mediterranean. In line with the Cyprus Government’s intent to increase foreign investment, and to help its economic development, Regulation 6(2) of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations has recently been simplified by the Ministry of Interior in order to issue Residence Permits to applicants from non-European countries, provided that the following requirements are met:

1. Purchase of new immovable property of a total market value of at least EUR 300,000 plus VAT.
2. Deposit a minimum capital of EUR 30,000 from abroad into an account which will be locked for three years.
3. A secured annual income of at least EUR 30,000 deriving from abroad. 

Procedure

A fee of EUR 500 is payable with the submission of the application and EUR 50 extra for the biometric capturing.  The application will then be examined by the Civil Registry and Migration Department and will be submitted to a permanent secretary of the Ministry of Interior for a decision within two months. Once approval has been granted, the applicant and all the members of the family must visit Cyprus within one year to obtain the actual permit.

 When in Cyprus, a visit is organized to the migration office in Nicosia in order to capture the biometric data for all members of the family applying.  The biometric data can be submitted either with the submission of the application for residence, during the application process, or immediately after approval.

Benefits

• Fast track application procedure, within two months
• High approval rate if all criteria is satisfied
• It is not necessary to reside in Cyprus but a visit once every two years is required
• Dependents can be enrolled in high quality private schools, offering English language courses
• Residence applies to the whole family (applicant, spouse and children under 18 years old)
• Dependent children between 18-25 and parents of the applicant are also eligible
• The whole process can be arranged without being present in the country, however, a visit is required for biometric capturing