The complexity of staying long-term in Cyprus (for more than 90 days) varies greatly depending on your nationality. As the Republic of Cyprus is a full EU country, it's quite easy for EU/EFTA nationals and UK citizen to migrate in Cyprus as long as they can prove they have a job or sufficient income/funds to study or retire. Third-country nationals, however, have to first apply for a long-stay visa and then for a long-term residency, which is granted after five years. Please note that the documentation needed in that case will be excessive, so it will have to be submitted well in advance.
Permanent residency for EU/EFTA and UK nationals
If you are a national of the EU/EFTA, a UK citizen or a holder of a Schengen area passport (Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and you wish to stay for longer than three months in Cyprus, you should apply for a Registration Certificate for EU Nationals. Also known as 'the yellow slip' because it is printed in yellow paper, this registration certificate is practically a residence permit which grants you the same rights as Cyprus citizens. You should apply for it within four months from the day you entered Cyprus, and you are generally advised to do so as soon as possible since the procedure has been known to take some time.
Good to know:
You have the right to work and live in Cyprus while your application is being reviewed, so you don't have to wait to acquire your yellow slip first before you get a job.
To apply, you need to visit your local migration office in Cyprus in person and bring all the appropriate paperwork. The exact documents will vary depending on your case, but in general you will need a completed application form, valid identification and passport-size photos, marriage certificate and/or children's' birth certificate if you have a family, your lease or deed of property (aka a document that states your address in Cyprus) and proof of employment contract or sufficient income/funds (if you plan on studying or retiring to Cyprus).
Permanent residency for third-country nationals
If you are a third-country national wishing to migrate to Cyprus, you should first apply for a long-stay visa (single- or multiple-entry), which has an issuing fee of 60 euros.
After residing legally in Cyprus for five years, you can apply for a long-term residency which has an issuing fee of 30 euros. There are different types of forms for residence permits you can choose from depending on your situation. These are general employment, domestic worker, third country national married with Cypriot. Find more information here.
Once you decide which form is best for your case, you can obtain it from the Offices of Civil Registry and Migration Department, the District Offices of Aliens and Immigration Unit of the Police (and from their websites). You have to submit your application, along with the pertaining documentation, at the Offices of the Department in Nicosia in person (note that you need to call
357 22403921 or 357 22403943 first, to book an appointment). It is not unusual to have your lawyer, or your employer if that applies in your case, to come with you.
Note that, as part of the documentation procured, you should also be ready to show your V.A.T. returns for the past five years, as well as bank accounts statements. Additionally, your biometric data (fingerprint, photo, signature) will be taken for security reasons.
Good to know:
If you wish to invest in Cyprus (at least five million euros), you own a permanent residence (with a purchase price of more than five hundred thousand euros) or have a salary which generates more than a hundred thousand euros in taxes (over a three-year period), you can become a part of the Scheme for Naturalization of Investors in Cyprus by exception which will grant you a Cypriot citizenship.
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