Permanent Residence Permit for Investors

The Permanent Residence Permit for Investors, commonly known as the Cyprus Golden Visa, is a fast-track permanent residence program for third-country nationals who make a qualifying investment of at least EUR 300,000 in Cyprus. Established under Regulation 6(2) of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations, the current criteria were revised by the Council of Ministers in April 2023 and took effect on 2 May 2023. The program is administered by the Migration Department under the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection and offers one of the fastest processing times for residence-by-investment in the EU, at approximately two months.

• Non-EU/EEA/Swiss national
• Qualifying investment of at least EUR 300,000 in one of four categories (see Investment Options below)
• Secure annual income of at least EUR 50,000 from abroad
• Additional EUR 15,000 per year for spouse and EUR 10,000 per minor child
• Investment funds must originate from abroad and be transferred via bank transfer
• No criminal record
• Valid health insurance covering inpatient and outpatient care
• Must not intend to work in Cyprus (exception: unpaid director of invested company)

Category A -- Residential Property (First Sale): Purchase of a house or apartment sold for the first time by a development company, minimum EUR 300,000 plus VAT. Resale residential properties do not qualify.

Category B -- Commercial and Other Real Estate: Purchase of offices, shops, hotels, or other commercial properties, including resale properties, minimum EUR 300,000.

Category C -- Company Share Capital: Investment of at least EUR 300,000 in the share capital of a company registered, based, and operating in Cyprus, with at least 5 employees and a physical presence.

Category D -- Investment Fund Units: Purchase of units worth at least EUR 300,000 in a Cyprus collective investment organization registered and regulated by CySEC that invests within Cyprus.

For all categories, funds must originate from abroad and be transferred via bank transfer. Domestic borrowing does not qualify.

• Completed application form MIP2
• Valid passport copies for applicant, spouse, and children
• Curriculum vitae
• Marriage certificate and children's birth certificates (certified and apostilled with official translation)
• Criminal record certificate from country of residence (certified and apostilled with official translation)
• Proof of annual income from abroad (tax declarations or auditor confirmation)
• Proof of investment (title of ownership or contract of sale, bank SWIFT transfer confirmations and payment receipts)
• Valid health insurance certificates for all family members
• Declaration that applicant and spouse will not engage in paid work in Cyprus

The permit grants permanent residence of unlimited validity. The physical Alien Registration Certificate must be renewed every 10 years. The investment must be maintained for the entire duration of the permit. If disposed of, it must be immediately replaced with a new investment of equal or greater value. Annual monitoring requires submission of evidence that the investment is maintained and health insurance remains valid.

Spouses and minor children are included as dependants at no additional application fee beyond the EUR 70 Alien Registration Certificate fee per person. The applicant must demonstrate additional annual income of EUR 15,000 for the spouse and EUR 10,000 per minor child. Adult children aged 18-25 who are unmarried and enrolled in full-time education may apply separately, requiring an additional EUR 10,000 in annual income. Parents and parents-in-law are no longer eligible to be included — this restriction was introduced under the May 2023 revised criteria. All adult dependants must submit criminal record certificates renewed every 3 years. If the main applicant's permit is cancelled, all dependants' permits are automatically revoked.

Permanent residence does not automatically create tax residency. Tax residency requires spending 183 days in Cyprus or meeting the 60-day rule. Non-domiciled tax residents (available for the first 17 years) are exempt from Special Defence Contribution on dividends and interest. Cyprus has no inheritance or gift tax. Tax residents are subject to General Healthcare System contributions.

Applications are submitted in person at the Migration Department or via an authorised representative using form MIP2. All foreign documents must bear the Apostille stamp and be accompanied by certified translations into English or Greek. The application fee is EUR 500, plus EUR 70 per person for the Alien Registration Certificate. Processing takes approximately 2 months from submission of a complete application.

Holders may not engage in any form of paid employment in Cyprus. The sole exception is serving as an unpaid director of a company in which they have invested under the program.

The permit ceases to be valid if the holder is absent from Cyprus for more than 2 consecutive years or acquires permanent residence in another country. There is no minimum days-per-year residence requirement, but the holder must visit Cyprus at least once within every 2-year period. Criminal record certificates must be renewed every 3 years.

Naturalization requires 7 cumulative years of legal residence in the preceding 10 years, plus 12 months continuous residence immediately before application. Amended legislation effective March 2024 codified requirements for Greek language proficiency at B1 level and knowledge of Cyprus's socio-political context. A fast-track route of 3-4 years exists but applies only to employees of companies in Cyprus's economic development strategy — not to investors. Application fee is EUR 500 plus EUR 500 for the naturalization certificate.

Cyprus is not yet part of the Schengen Area. As of April 2026, the country is completing final technical prerequisites, with full Schengen accession expected in early 2027. Once activated, Cyprus permanent residence permits will grant 90-day visa-free travel within any 180-day period across the Schengen Area.