Cyprus Golden Visa

Cyprus doesn’t officially call this a “Golden Visa.” The real route is the Immigration Permit for investors under Regulation 6(2), a fast-track permanent residence permit for third-country nationals who invest in Cyprus and can show income from abroad. It’s a permanent residence path, not a tourist visa, so it’s meant for people who want to live in Cyprus long term, often with family.

The official criteria published by the Ministry of Interior set the bar at a €300,000 property investment, a €30,000 bank deposit and secured annual income of €30,000, with extra income needed for dependents. The Ministry described the process as accelerated, with approval taking about 1 to 2 months. That’s fast for a residence permit, though the paperwork and financial proof can still be a pain.

This route is only for third-country nationals, meaning non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss applicants. The Civil Registry and Migration Department and the Ministry of Interior handle it. There’s also a continuing condition to visit Cyprus at least once every two years, so it’s not a set-it-and-forget-it permit.

What this permit actually gives you

It grants permanent residence, subject to the scheme’s conditions, so it’s a different animal from short-stay visas or temporary permits. The attraction is simple: invest, prove income from outside Cyprus and get a residence status that’s built for long-term stay rather than periodic renewals.

• Investment: €300,000 in property under the published criteria.
• Bank deposit: €30,000 pledged in a Cypriot bank.
• Income: €30,000 a year, plus more for dependents.
• Processing: About 1 to 2 months under the Ministry’s accelerated procedure.
• Residency condition: A visit to Cyprus at least once every two years.

The Ministry’s investor-permits page also refers to a later revision of the criteria, including a “4th Revision, May 2023,” but the full updated numbers aren’t visible in the accessible excerpt. So the published 2012 thresholds above are the only figures that can be verified from the material available here.

Cyprus doesn’t officially call this a “Golden Visa.” The real route is the Immigration Permit under Regulation 6(2), a permanent residence path for third-country nationals who invest in Cyprus and can show income from abroad. It’s aimed at non-EU, non-EEA applicants who want long-term residence, often with family, not people looking for a short stay.

To qualify, you need to meet the financial test and the background checks. The published criteria require a minimum property investment of €300,000, a €30,000 bank deposit in Cyprus pledged for at least three years and a secured annual income of €30,000 from outside Cyprus. That income rises by €5,000 for each dependent person.

The property side isn’t loose. You must own or be buying immovable property in Cyprus, such as a house, apartment or other building and the official announcement says the market value has to be at least €300,000. It also requires proof that at least €200,000 has been paid and that the sale contract is registered with the Department of Lands and Surveys, with the money transferred from abroad.

There are also non-financial hurdles and they matter. You need a clean criminal record if you’re living abroad, no threat to public order or security and a written statement that you don’t intend to work or carry on business in Cyprus. That last point is a deal-breaker for anyone planning to take local employment under this permit.

Who can be included

• Spouse: Can be included under the dependent family setup.
• Dependent children: Can be included, though the announcement doesn’t spell out age thresholds.
• Other dependents: The official wording refers to “dependent person,” but it doesn’t define broader family categories in the excerpt available.

The program is a better fit for applicants with steady overseas income and clean paperwork than for anyone trying to build a life through work in Cyprus. It’s fast compared with a lot of residency routes, with processing described in about 1 to 2 months, but the eligibility bar is still specific and not especially forgiving.

Cyprus doesn’t officially call this a Golden Visa. The permit you’re dealing with is the Immigration Permit, also called permanent residence under Regulation 6(2) and it’s aimed at third-country nationals who can show investment and income from outside Cyprus.

The paperwork is specific and the financial bar isn’t small. The official criteria in the Ministry of Interior announcement call for a €300,000 property investment, a €30,000 bank deposit pledged for at least three years and a €30,000 annual income from abroad, with another €5,000 for each dependent.

You’ll also need proof that the property money is real and properly filed. For immovable property in Cyprus, the file should include title of ownership or a contract of sale for a house, apartment or other building with a minimum market value of €300,000, proof that at least €200,000 has been paid and evidence that the contract was submitted to the Department of Lands and Surveys.

Documents you’ll need

• Form M.67: completed application form submitted to the Civil Registry and Migration Department or a District Office, in person, by post or through a representative.
• Proof of income: financial statements or certificates showing secured annual income of €30,000 from sources outside Cyprus, plus €5,000 for each dependent.
• Property documents: title deed or contract of sale for qualifying immovable property in Cyprus, with payment and filing evidence.
• Bank letter: confirmation from a Cypriot bank showing a €30,000 deposit transferred from abroad and pledged for three years.
• Criminal record certificate: issued by the authorities in the applicant’s country of origin if the applicant lives abroad.
• Statement: signed declaration that the applicant doesn’t intend to work or carry on business in Cyprus.
• Affidavit and checklist: the Ministry’s supporting forms, with every document in the file numbered in blue ink from first to last page.

The official text doesn’t spell out everything. It doesn’t give fixed passport validity rules, translation or apostille instructions or a health insurance requirement in the excerpt available, so don’t assume those apply unless you confirm them with the current Ministry guidance. Processing is described as fast, about 1 to 2 months, but the real bottleneck is usually making the file clean enough to pass on the first try.

Cyprus doesn’t publish a clean, all-in fee sheet for the investor residence route, so a lot of applicants end up piecing the budget together from the investment rules and their own advisers’ quotes. The program itself is the Immigration Permit, also called the permanent residence permit under Regulation 6(2) and the main official money requirements are clearer than the filing costs.

The published thresholds include a minimum property investment of €300,000, a bank deposit of €30,000 and a secured annual income of €30,000 for the main applicant, with extra income needed for dependents. That’s the part the Ministry spells out. What it doesn’t spell out in the accessible official text is the government application fee, so there’s no verified figure to quote here.

• Property investment: €300,000 minimum.
• Bank deposit: €30,000.
• Annual income: €30,000 for the main applicant, plus more for each dependent.
• Government application fee: Not listed in the official material reviewed.
• Ancillary costs: Not published in the official material reviewed.

That missing fee detail matters, because real-world costs can climb once you add legal help, translations, insurance and any dependent-related paperwork. The official announcement doesn’t give fixed amounts for those items, so you shouldn’t rely on third-party estimates as if they were government charges.

One more practical point, the residence route isn’t a cheap paperwork exercise. The investment itself is the big cost and the bank deposit plus income requirement mean you need liquidity and documented funds, not just a property purchase.

The upside is that the official process is supposed to move relatively quickly, around 1 to 2 months, but the portal excerpt doesn’t publish a fixed fee alongside that timing. So if you’re budgeting, treat the investment thresholds as verified and treat all filing and professional fees as separate items you’ll need to confirm directly before you apply.

Cyprus’s investor residence route isn’t officially called a Golden Visa. The formal scheme is the Immigration Permit / Permanent Residence Permit for investors under Regulation 6(2) and it’s aimed at non-EU, non-EEA nationals who want long-term residence based on investment and income from abroad.

How the application works

The process starts with Form M.67. You’ll need to put together the supporting documents, then submit the file to the Civil Registry and Migration Department or to a District Office. District Offices don’t process these cases themselves, they forward them to the Civil Registry and Migration Department.

• Where to file: Civil Registry and Migration Department or a District Office
• How to file: Personally, by post or through a representative
• File format: An ordinary file with each document numbered in blue ink and a completed checklist inside

The official announcement says the application can be filed from abroad, which is helpful if you’re not already in Cyprus. That said, the paperwork can be fussy and the filing format is oddly specific.

What the file has to include

• Application Form M.67: Completed and signed
• Checklist, affidavit and statement: Included with the file
• Property papers: Ownership documents or the sale contract
• Proof of payment: Evidence of the investment
• Bank confirmation: A deposit of €30,000 ($32,700) in a Cypriot bank account
• Criminal record certificate: From the country of origin or residence abroad
• Statement of intent: Confirmation that you don’t plan to work in Cyprus

The published criteria in the Ministry of Interior announcement also mention a minimum property investment of €300,000 ($327,000) and secured annual income of €30,000 ($32,700), with extra income required for dependents. Later ministry updates exist, but the full revised numbers aren’t visible in the material reviewed here, so those older figures are the ones that can be verified.

Processing and approval

The Civil Registry and Migration Department reviews the file and sends it through the Permanent Secretary to the Minister of the Interior for a decision. Personal interviews usually aren’t needed unless the Permanent Secretary asks for one.

The Ministry says examination should take about 1 to 2 months. After approval, the permit stays valid as long as the holder visits Cyprus at least once every two years. The announcement doesn’t spell out the card-issuance step, so don’t assume the final pickup process is automatic.

The Cyprus investor permit under Regulation 6(2) is meant to be permanent, not temporary. The official announcement says the permit “shall not be cancelled” if the holder visits Cyprus at least once every two years, so there’s no standard yearly renewal cycle like you’d see with a short-stay or temporary residence visa.

That makes the biggest maintenance rule pretty simple, but also easy to miss. If you don’t keep that two-year visit requirement, the permit can stop being protected by the terms of the scheme. The permit is also tied to continued compliance with the public-order rules in the announcement.

There isn’t a separate renewal procedure spelled out in the official text and the portal excerpt doesn’t list a renewal fee. So, on the basis of the published material available here, you shouldn’t plan for a formal “renewal” step in the usual sense. The practical issue is staying compliant, not filing fresh annual paperwork.

• Validity: Permanent, provided you visit Cyprus at least once every two years.
• Renewal cycle: None stated in the official announcement.
• Visit requirement: At least one trip to Cyprus every two years.
• Fee: No renewal fee is listed in the official material reviewed here.

That said, the permit’s permanence doesn’t mean every administrative detail is automatic forever. The official text doesn’t explain card reissue, replacement documents or what happens if your permit card itself expires, so applicants should expect some follow-up admin even if the underlying residence right stays in place.

The scheme also doesn’t spell out any path in the available official text from this permit to EU long-term residence or citizenship. What it does confirm is narrower and more useful for planning, the permit is intended to give an ongoing right of residence, not a fixed-term stay that needs constant renewal.

Cyprus’s investor residence route doesn’t come with a clear tax explainer from the immigration authorities and that’s a gap people should take seriously. The official material for the Immigration Permit under Regulation 6(2) talks about residence, investment and income from abroad, but it doesn't spell out tax-residency rules, tax treatment of foreign income, treaty relief or reporting duties.

That means the permit itself shouldn’t be treated as a tax answer. The rule that matters in the immigration file is that the applicant must show a secured annual income of €30,000, with extra amounts for dependents and that income has to come from outside Cyprus. The official guidance doesn't say how that income is taxed once the person becomes a resident, so you can’t assume foreign income stays outside the Cyprus tax net.

The same silence applies to other tax questions that usually matter in practice. There’s no official guidance in the sources reviewed on whether holding this permit changes your tax residence, how double-taxation treaties apply or what kind of filings you’d need after moving.

• Tax residency: Not explained in the immigration guidance.
• Foreign income: The permit requires income from abroad, but the tax treatment isn’t stated.
• Treaty relief: No official detail in the reviewed material.
• Reporting obligations: Also not set out in the accessible sources.

The practical takeaway is simple, even if it’s inconvenient. The residence permit and your tax position are separate questions and the official investor-permit pages don’t connect them for you. If taxes matter to your move, you’ll need advice that sits outside the immigration file, because the permit pages don’t answer it.