Cyprus Permanent Residence: A Strategic Route for International Investors
Cyprus offers qualifying third-country nationals the opportunity to obtain an Immigration Permit, commonly referred to as permanent residence, under the expedited procedure provided by Regulation 6(2) of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations, subject to meeting the applicable investment and quality criteria.
The permit can provide investors and qualifying family members with a long-term residence base in Cyprus. It should, however, be distinguished from Cyprus citizenship and from Cyprus tax residence, each of which is governed by separate rules and conditions.
Key requirements
Under the current framework, the principal requirements include:
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at least €300,000 in one qualifying investment category, plus VAT where applicable.
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€50,000 for the main applicant.
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€15,000 for the spouse and €10,000 for each dependent minor child. Separate income requirements apply to qualifying dependent student children aged 18–25.
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approximately two months from submission of a complete application, provided the policy criteria are met and there are no criminal-record, public-order or public-security concerns.
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the residence right is of unlimited validity for the holder and adult dependants, while the residence card is issued for 10 years and must be replaced on expiry. Cards issued to underage dependants are valid until age 18.
The expedited procedure provides four main qualifying investment routes:
1. New residential property
Purchase of a house or apartment from a development company as a first sale, with a value of at least €300,000 plus VAT.
2. Other real estate
Purchase of other types of real estate, excluding houses and apartments, such as offices, shops, hotels or similar developments, or a combination of such properties, with a total value of at least €300,000. Resale properties may qualify under this category. VAT applies where relevant.
3. Cyprus company
An initial investment of at least €300,000 in the share capital of a newly registered Cyprus company, or an increase of at least €300,000 in the share capital of an existing Cyprus company, provided the company is based and operating in Cyprus, has a proven physical presence in Cyprus and employs at least five people.
4. Cyprus investment funds
Investment of at least €300,000 in units of a qualifying Cyprus collective investment organization, whose investments are held in the Republic of Cyprus.
Family coverage
The permit covers the main applicant’s spouse and children under the age of 18 as dependent persons.
Unmarried children aged 18–25 may submit a separate application where, at the date of application, they are students in tertiary education abroad and are financially dependent on the applicant. The parent or parents must demonstrate an additional secured annual income of €10,000 for each such child. Different rules apply where a child studies in Cyprus.
Financially independent adult children may also qualify through a higher-value investment. In such cases, the €300,000 investment value is multiplied by the number of adult children relying on the same investment, and each adult child must separately demonstrate the applicable secured annual income requirements.
Income, source of funds and ongoing compliance
Applicants must provide appropriate evidence supporting the required annual income and the funds used for the qualifying investment.
For the new residential property route, the required annual income must derive from abroad.
The investment funds must be evidenced as having been transferred to Cyprus from abroad and must not be the proceeds of domestic borrowing. The payment trail must be linked to the relevant investment. The Migration Department also permits the funds to be transferred through a company bank account where the applicant and/or spouse is the sole shareholder, subject to the applicable conditions.
The applicant and spouse must satisfy clean-criminal-record requirements, and the applicant and dependent family members must maintain appropriate medical insurance unless they are beneficiaries of GESY.
Permanent residence is subject to continuing compliance. The qualifying investment must be maintained and evidence of maintaining it must be provided annually. Clean criminal-record certificates for the applicant and adult family members are required every three years, while evidence of health insurance must continue to be provided annually where the persons concerned are not beneficiaries of GESY.
Where the applicant and dependants are residing outside Cyprus when the application is approved, they must acquire residence in Cyprus within one year of approval. The Immigration Permit may cease to be valid if the holder and dependants acquire permanent residence abroad or remain outside Cyprus for a period of two years.
Permanent Residence and Cyprus tax residence
Obtaining Cyprus Permanent Residence does not automatically make an individual a Cyprus tax resident. Immigration residence and tax residence are separate legal concepts and should be considered independently.
An individual may separately become Cyprus tax resident under either the 183-day rule or the 60-day rule, provided the applicable conditions are satisfied. From 1 January 2026, the 60-day rule requires, among other conditions, at least 60 days of presence in Cyprus, no more than 183 days of residence in any other single country, specified business, employment or office-holder ties with Cyprus, and a permanent home in Cyprus that is owned or rented. The previous requirement that the individual must not be tax resident in another country was removed from 2026.
Accordingly, Cyprus Permanent Residence and Cyprus tax residence can be complementary planning areas, but one does not automatically result from the other.
Planning before investing
Before proceeding with an application, investors should consider:
the most appropriate qualifying investment route;
the family members to be included and the applicable dependency requirements;
the source and sustainability of the required annual income;
the source, banking trail and documentation of the investment funds;
the employment restrictions and intended residence arrangements in Cyprus;
legal, property and investment due diligence; and
whether Cyprus tax residence and non-domicile status form part of their wider objectives.
A properly structured approach can help ensure that the investment, immigration, financial and tax aspects are considered together before significant funds are committed.
How F&A can assist
F&A Grand Auditing and Consulting Ltd can assist investors with preliminary financial eligibility reviews, annual-income and source-of-funds documentation, Cyprus tax-residence and non-domicile considerations, and coordination with appropriately qualified legal, immigration, property and investment professionals.
F&A Grand Auditing and Consulting Ltd
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This publication is intended for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal, immigration, investment or tax advice. The information reflects the rules reviewed as at 22 September 2026 and may be subject to change. Professional advice should be obtained based on the specific circumstances of each applicant before any action or investment is undertaken.