Cyprus immigration for founders, families and businesses.
Cyprus visa, residence permit and EU registration support — handled by a Limassol-based team with local presence. We focus exclusively on Cyprus; we do not list jurisdictions where we cannot operate end-to-end.
Indicative information only. All requirements, fees and processing times are set by Cyprus law and updated by the competent authorities. We confirm current applicable criteria for your file before scope is agreed.
The Cyprus immigration paths we handle.
Each route below shows who it typically fits, indicative requirements, what the file looks like, the realistic processing window and what you receive. Use these as a starting point — the diagnostic call confirms the right route against your specific facts.
1. Cyprus Visitor / Short-Stay Visa (C-visa)
Who it fits: Non-EU/EEA nationals visiting Cyprus for tourism, business meetings or family visits, for stays up to 90 days within 180 days.
Indicative requirements: Valid passport (6+ months), travel medical insurance, proof of accommodation, return ticket, evidence of sufficient financial means and purpose of visit. Cyprus is not part of the Schengen area but issues short-stay visas on similar criteria.
Documents: Application form, passport copy, photograph, insurance, accommodation confirmation, return travel, financial statements, invitation letter if applicable.
Process: Filed at the Cyprus consulate or embassy in the applicant's country of residence.
Indicative timeline: Typically 5–15 working days, subject to consulate workload.
You receive: Single, double or multi-entry short-stay visa for up to 90 days.
Next step: Book a call to confirm visa eligibility and document checklist for your nationality.
2. Cyprus Temporary Residence Permit (Pink Slip / TRP)
Who it fits: Non-EU/EEA nationals planning to live in Cyprus for more than 90 days under a permitted category — visitor/retiree (passive income), self-employed, employed, student or dependent.
Indicative requirements: Permitted purpose of stay, proof of accommodation in Cyprus (rental contract or property ownership), private health insurance, clean criminal record, and category-specific financial or activity evidence (e.g. annual income from abroad for Category F visitor permits).
Documents: Application form, passport, biometric photographs, accommodation evidence, insurance, financial statements, bank reference, criminal record certificate.
Process: Filed with the Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD). Biometric appointment required.
Indicative timeline: Typically 2–3 months, renewable annually.
You receive: Temporary residence card (often referred to as Pink Slip) valid 1 year initially, renewable.
Next step: Confirm which category fits your circumstances and which financial threshold applies.
3. Cyprus Permanent Residence Permit — Fast-Track (Regulation 6(2))
Who it fits: Non-EU/EEA investors and their families looking for permanent residency through a qualifying investment in Cyprus.
Indicative requirements (current programme): Qualifying investment in Cyprus residential real estate, share capital of a Cyprus company employing local staff, or in regulated Cyprus investment funds (AIF/AIFLNP/RAIF). Evidence of stable annual income from abroad (with additional thresholds for spouse and each child). Clean criminal record. Visit Cyprus at least once every two years to retain status.
Documents: Investment evidence, source-of-funds dossier, income evidence, family certificates, criminal record, health insurance, photographs and CRMD application forms.
Process: Filed with the CRMD under the fast-track regulation. Family members can be included in the same application.
Indicative timeline: Approximately 2 months from a complete file, subject to regulatory updates.
You receive: Permanent residence permit covering applicant, spouse and minor children (and in some cases adult dependents under conditions).
Disclaimer: Investment thresholds, income criteria and eligible asset classes are revised periodically by Cyprus authorities. Verify current criteria before commitment.
Next step: Diagnostic call to confirm current criteria and investment route fit.
4. Cyprus Digital Nomad Visa
Who it fits: Non-EU/EEA remote workers employed by foreign companies or self-employed working with foreign clients, who can work from Cyprus.
Indicative requirements: Minimum net monthly income threshold from abroad (currently in the order of €3,500 net; higher with dependents — exact figures and supplements are reviewed periodically), valid health insurance, clean criminal record, evidence of remote employment or freelance activity.
Documents: Employment contract or self-employment evidence, income statements, bank statements, insurance, accommodation, passport, application form.
Process: Application filed with the CRMD (typically after entering Cyprus on a short-stay visa or visa-exempt entry). Family members can join under family conditions.
Indicative timeline: Typically 5–7 weeks for the initial decision, subject to authority workload.
You receive: Residence permit valid 1 year, extendable for an additional 2 years (3 years total under current programme rules).
Next step: Verify current income threshold and document checklist for your employment setup.
5. Cyprus Work Permit (Non-EU general employment)
Who it fits: Non-EU nationals offered employment by a Cypriot employer outside the streamlined Foreign Interest / strategic categories — typically in sectors with defined labour-market needs.
Indicative requirements: Concrete job offer with a registered Cyprus employer, employment contract meeting the minimum salary threshold applicable to the sector and role, employer registration and compliance with labour quotas where applicable, clean criminal record, health insurance.
Documents: Employment contract, employer registration evidence, labour-market test where required, applicant qualifications and certificates, passport, criminal record, application forms.
Process: Filed by the employer with the relevant Ministry / Department of Labour, followed by CRMD residence permit application.
Indicative timeline: Typically 1–2 months for employer paperwork plus residence permit issuance, subject to sector and applicant nationality.
You receive: Work and residence permit tied to the employer, renewable.
Next step: Diagnostic call to confirm sector eligibility and applicable salary threshold.
6. Cyprus Employment Permit — Foreign Interest Companies (FIC) and senior categories
Who it fits: Non-EU nationals employed by companies registered as Companies of Foreign Interests (FIC) — typically the route used by international groups, fintech, iGaming, crypto, professional services and similar — for highly-skilled, executive, mid-level or support roles. Streamlined relative to the general work-permit route.
Indicative requirements: Employer registered as FIC with the Business Facilitation Unit; minimum salary thresholds set by the authorities for the relevant category (senior/highly-skilled, mid-skilled, support); evidence of qualifications matching the role; clean criminal record.
Documents: Employment contract, FIC certificate of the employer, qualifications and CV, passport, criminal record, application forms, family supporting documents if applicable.
Process: Filed via the Business Facilitation Unit and CRMD. Family reunification typically available concurrently.
Indicative timeline: Typically 1–2 months once employer and applicant files are complete, subject to authority workload.
You receive: Employment and residence permit, with family reunification available; renewable.
Next step: Confirm employer FIC status (or set it up) and applicable salary category.
7. Business Immigration / Founder Relocation
Who it fits: Founders and shareholders relocating their business operations to Cyprus, including the use of the Foreign Interest Company framework and, where current programme rules permit, the Cyprus Startup Visa scheme.
Indicative requirements: Cyprus operating company (often set up as part of the relocation), business plan, capital and revenue evidence, substance commitments (office, local hires where required), and individual eligibility for the residence route chosen (FIC employment, Category F visitor, or other applicable route).
Documents: Company incorporation pack, business plan, financial statements, employment contracts for the founder and co-founders, evidence of capital and operational substance.
Process: Coordinated company set-up + FIC registration (where applicable) + residence permit applications for the founder and family. Cyprus Startup Visa availability depends on current programme status — confirmed on the first call.
Indicative timeline: Company set-up and FIC registration in weeks; residence permits typically 1–3 months thereafter.
You receive: Cyprus operating company, foreign-interest registration where applicable, employment and residence permits for founder and family.
Next step: Diagnostic call to choose between FIC employment, Startup Visa (if open) and other applicable routes.
8. Family Reunification
Who it fits: Spouses and minor children (and in defined cases other dependents) of Cyprus residents — typically TRP / FIC employment / permanent residence permit holders, or Cypriot and EU citizens.
Indicative requirements: Sponsor must hold a qualifying Cyprus permit or citizenship; proof of family relationship (marriage and birth certificates, apostilled and translated); accommodation in Cyprus; income and health insurance sufficient to support dependents; clean criminal record for adult dependents.
Documents: Sponsor permit copy, family certificates, accommodation evidence, income proof, insurance, passports, photographs, application forms.
Process: Filed with the CRMD. Family members must usually be physically present in Cyprus for biometrics.
Indicative timeline: Typically 2–4 months.
You receive: Dependent residence permit linked to the sponsor's status.
Next step: Coordinate family timing with the sponsor's primary permit.
9. Student Visa
Who it fits: Non-EU/EEA students accepted to a recognised Cyprus higher-education institution (public university, private university, or recognised college) for a full-time programme.
Indicative requirements: Acceptance letter from the institution, tuition payment (often advance for the first year), proof of accommodation, financial means for living costs, health insurance, clean criminal record, recent academic records.
Documents: Acceptance letter, tuition receipt, academic transcripts and diplomas, passport, financial statements, insurance, application forms.
Process: Application typically filed at the Cyprus consulate in the student's home country; entry visa issued before travel; residence permit then issued by CRMD on arrival.
Indicative timeline: Typically 4–8 weeks for the entry visa, with the residence permit issued after arrival.
You receive: Multi-entry student visa and residence permit covering the duration of the programme; limited work rights apply per current regulations.
Next step: Confirm institution accreditation status and applicable documentation list.
10. EU Citizen Registration — MEU1 and MEU3
Who it fits: EU/EEA and Swiss nationals who exercise the right to reside in Cyprus for more than 3 months — and their non-EU family members under EU free-movement rules.
Indicative requirements: Evidence of activity in Cyprus (employment, self-employment, study or sufficient resources), valid health insurance where applicable, passport or national ID, accommodation in Cyprus.
Documents: Passport / ID, employment or business evidence, study enrolment or proof of sufficient resources, insurance, accommodation evidence, photographs, MEU1 application form (initial) or MEU3 (permanent residence after 5 years).
Process: Filed at the CRMD. EU citizens generally receive registration relatively quickly compared with non-EU permits.
Indicative timeline: Typically from same-day to a couple of weeks for MEU1, depending on document completeness and CRMD workload.
You receive: MEU1 registration certificate (initial); MEU3 permanent residence certificate after meeting the residence threshold.
Next step: Confirm activity category and applicable income or activity evidence.
Local team. Sequenced filings. Family included.
We coordinate the immigration application with the surrounding life-on-the-ground items — banking, accommodation, schools and healthcare — so the family side does not lag the legal side.
Diagnostic call
30 minutes. We map your nationality, target route, family composition, employer/business profile and timing to confirm which Cyprus route is the right fit.
Document plan
Tailored checklist with apostille and translation requirements per document, and a sequencing plan for principal and dependents.
Application and biometrics
Filing with the consulate or CRMD as applicable, biometric appointments, and any employer-side filings (for work or FIC employment permits).
Local set-up
Banking, accommodation, schools and healthcare introductions in Limassol or your target city — coordinated with our local partners.
Renewals and tax residency
Annual renewals, dependent additions, Cyprus tax-residency planning and ongoing immigration support across the life of the permit.
Common questions about Cyprus immigration.
Short answers below. We confirm current eligibility against your specific facts on the diagnostic call.
Which Cyprus visas and permits can Yourshield help with?
Visitor visas, temporary residence permits (Pink Slip), the fast-track permanent residence (Regulation 6(2)), the Digital Nomad Visa, work permits, employment permits for foreign-interest and senior categories, business immigration for founders, family reunification, student visas and EU citizen registration (MEU1 / MEU3).
Do you guarantee approval?
No. Cyprus immigration decisions are made by the competent authorities. We pre-qualify each case, decline applications that we do not believe meet the bar, and prepare files to the standard the authority expects — but we cannot guarantee a third-party decision.
Do you handle family relocation?
Yes. We sequence the principal applicant's permit with family reunification so dependents are added with the lowest friction.
Typical processing windows?
Indicative ranges only: short-stay visas 5–15 working days; temporary residence 2–3 months; fast-track permanent residence around 2 months; Digital Nomad Visa 5–7 weeks; family reunification 2–4 months; EU citizen registration days to a couple of weeks. Subject to authority workload and file completeness.
Do you provide on-the-ground support?
Yes. We are based in Limassol — biometric appointments, document apostille and translation, school and healthcare referrals, banking introductions and accommodation referrals are coordinated locally.
Do you publish exact fees and thresholds?
Government fees, investment minimums and income thresholds are set by Cyprus law and updated periodically. We confirm current applicable figures before scope is agreed; indicative ranges on this page are not a substitute for the official current criteria.
Tell us who is moving. We'll map the right Cyprus route.
30-minute diagnostic call. You leave with a view on the appropriate visa or permit route, document plan and realistic timeline — whether or not you hire us.