Cyprus Golden Visa: Conditions for Obtaining Permanent Residency Through Investment

The term “Cyprus Golden Visa” generally refers to the accelerated procedure for obtaining permanent residency for third-country nationals under Regulation 6.2 of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations. The official name of the status is an Immigration Permit. The minimum investment is €300,000, but the investment alone is not sufficient: the applicant must also prove income, source of funds, good character, and medical insurance.

The status is permanent: the right of residence is not limited in duration, although an adult resident card is issued for 10 years and then replaced. The program is not a citizenship-by-investment scheme and does not exempt the holder from naturalization requirements.

What Is the Cyprus Golden Visa?

The investment procedure is intended for citizens of countries outside the EU who are prepared to invest capital in a category permitted by law and demonstrate financial independence. The application is reviewed by the Migration Department of the Republic of Cyprus.

What Does the Investor Receive?

After approval, the applicant receives permanent residency. The status may also extend to eligible family members under the program.

The main benefits include:

• an indefinite right of residence as long as the program conditions are maintained;
• inclusion of a spouse and minor children;
• a separate mechanism for financially dependent children aged 18–25;
• the ability to own investment property, a share in a company, or qualifying investment units.

Permanent residency should not be confused with the right to work freely in the local labor market. The applicant and spouse generally confirm that they do not intend to work in Cyprus, except for the work as a director of the company in which the investment has been made, as permitted by the program.

How Is the Golden Visa Different from Citizenship?

Permanent residency gives the right to live in the Republic of Cyprus but does not provide a passport or EU citizenship rights. Citizenship requires separately meeting the requirements of the Civil Registry Law regarding the duration of lawful residence, language, integration, and other criteria.

How Does Cyprus Investment-Based Residency Work?

The investor chooses one of four permitted categories: new residential property, commercial property, capital investment in a Cypriot company, or units in an AIF, AIFLNP, or RAIF. After the investment and other requirements have been documented, the MIP application is submitted to the Migration Department.

Cyprus Golden Visa Requirements in 2026

The program combines investment and eligibility criteria. Purchasing an asset for the required amount is not enough: the applicant must also prove the source of funds, income, and the absence of circumstances that would prevent the permit from being issued.

Investment of €300,000 or More

The minimum amount is €300,000. For a new residential property, this amount is stated excluding VAT. With the standard 19% VAT rate, a €300,000 property costs €357,000. If the buyer qualifies for the reduced 5% VAT rate for a primary permanent residence, VAT is calculated according to separate rules.

Real Estate Requirements

For a residential investment, a house or apartment must be purchased from a developer as part of a first sale. The agreement is registered with the Department of Lands and Surveys. At the time of application, official proof of payment must show at least €300,000 excluding VAT.

Annual Income Requirements

The main applicant must demonstrate a guaranteed annual income of at least €50,000. The threshold increases by €15,000 for a spouse and by €10,000 for each dependent minor child. The spouse’s income may be included in the total.

Source of Funds Requirements

The investment funds must come to Cyprus from abroad and cannot originate from domestic Cypriot borrowing. A transfer from an account belonging to the applicant, the spouse included in the application, or a qualifying company in which the applicant or spouse is the sole shareholder is permitted. The payment must be directly linked to the investment asset.

Documentation Requirements

The Migration Department reviews not only the investment but also the applicant’s personal profile.

Depending on the selected asset, the application file includes:

• passport, application, and civil status documents;
• certificates confirming the absence of a criminal record;
• an insurance policy covering inpatient and outpatient treatment;
• documents relating to the property, company, or investment units;
• proof of payment and source of capital;
• a tax return or confirmation of income from an independent certified accountant.

Foreign documents must be officially translated and properly certified.

What Property Can Be Purchased to Obtain Permanent Residency?

Real estate can be used under two different investment categories. Residential investments are subject to stricter first-sale requirements, while commercial property allows for a more flexible structure.

New Property

A house or apartment must be purchased from a developer as part of a first sale. A secondary-market residential property does not qualify under the program’s standard residential category.

Minimum Property Value

The total market value must be at least €300,000 plus VAT. For a residential investment, up to two residential units may be purchased, and the properties may be bought from different developers provided that the combined threshold is met.

Can You Buy Commercial Real Estate?

A separate category allows an investment of €300,000 in offices, shops, hotels, and related commercial projects. Unlike the residential route, these properties may also be purchased on the secondary market.

Can You Invest in Several Properties?

Under the residential category, up to two houses or apartments may be purchased for a combined value of at least €300,000 plus VAT. For commercial real estate, several properties may be combined as long as their total value reaches the required threshold.

Investor Income Requirements

Income demonstrates the family’s ability to support itself without relying on Cyprus’s social welfare system. The rules vary depending on the selected investment category.

Minimum Annual Income

The main applicant must have an annual income of at least €50,000. For the purchase of a new house or apartment, this income must come from abroad.

Spouse Income Requirements

An additional €15,000 is required for a spouse. The spouse’s own income may be included when calculating the combined amount.

Income Requirement for Children

An additional €10,000 in annual income is required for each dependent minor child. The same additional threshold of €10,000 per child applies to dependent children aged 18–25.

How Is Income Verified?

Income may be verified through a tax return from the applicant’s country of tax residence or an official statement from an independent certified accountant. For residential investments, proof that the income originates from abroad is particularly important.

What Sources of Income Are Accepted?

Acceptable sources include salary, pension, dividends, bank interest, rental income, and other documented income. For investments in commercial real estate, a company, or a fund, part of the income may also be generated through activities in the Republic of Cyprus.

Who Can Obtain Permanent Residency Together with the Investor?

The program allows family members to obtain status, but the rules differ for minors, students, and financially independent adult children.

Spouse

The spouse is included as a dependent family member. If the main applicant’s Immigration Permit is cancelled, the spouse’s dependent status also ends.

Minor Children

Children under 18 are included in their parents’ permit. If the application is submitted without the participation of the other parent, that parent’s consent for the child’s permanent residence in Cyprus is required and must be signed before a consular officer of the Republic of Cyprus.

Adult Children

Unmarried financially dependent children aged 18–25 who are studying at a higher education institution outside Cyprus on the date of application may obtain a separate Immigration Permit.

For a financially independent adult child, the investment increases proportionally: one such child means a total threshold of €600,000, while two means €900,000. Each adult child must also demonstrate their own guaranteed annual income of at least €50,000.

Do You Need to Live Permanently in Cyprus?

Investment-based permanent residency does not require daily presence or 183 days of residence. However, it is not possible to completely sever ties with the Republic after obtaining the permit.

Residence Requirements

If the investor was outside Cyprus on the date of approval, they must establish residence in the Republic within one year of the permit being issued.

How Long Can You Stay Outside Cyprus?

Being absent from Cyprus for two years results in the termination of permanent residency. Therefore, maintaining the status requires avoiding a continuous two-year period of absence.

When Can You Lose Your Status?

Permanent residency may be cancelled if the investment is terminated without immediately replacing it with an asset of the same or greater value, if the required conditions are no longer met, or in the event of a two-year absence.

In addition, the current monitoring mechanism provides for:

• annual confirmation that the investment is being maintained;
• maintaining medical insurance if the person does not use GESY;
• adult family members providing criminal record certificates every three years.

The obligation to reconfirm the required income level annually has been abolished, but the other program conditions continue to be monitored.

How Long Does It Take to Obtain Permanent Residency?

The official indicative processing time for a complete application is approximately two months. The period is calculated from the submission of a complete application file and assumes there are no issues concerning criminal records, public order, or security.

Incomplete documents, a complex source-of-funds structure, or the need for additional checks may increase the actual processing time.

How Much Does the Cyprus Golden Visa Cost?

The budget consists of the investment itself, government fees, and processing costs. The largest expense depends on the selected asset category.

Investment

The minimum is €300,000. For new residential property subject to the standard 19% VAT rate, the budget reaches €357,000 before additional expenses are taken into account.

Government Fees

A €500 application fee is charged for each person included in the application. An additional €70 is payable for each person who requires an Alien Registration Certificate.

Legal Assistance

There is no fixed government tariff for legal services. The cost depends on the type of investment, family composition, property due diligence, payment structure, and the volume of documentation. Almanova Law can assist with property due diligence, the contract, the investment file, and the permanent residency application as part of a single project.

Additional Expenses

Applicants should take into account bank fees, official translation and certification of documents, insurance, legal due diligence of the property, and applicable VAT. When purchasing real estate, registration costs may also arise depending on the specific transaction.

Can You Obtain Cypriot Citizenship After the Golden Visa?

Investment-based permanent residency can serve as a basis for long-term lawful residence, but it does not automatically grant the right to a passport. Naturalization requires actual residence in Cyprus and compliance with separate requirements regarding the period of residence, language, integration, financial circumstances, and good character.

Therefore, an investor who merely maintains permanent residency through occasional visits does not accumulate the actual residence required for citizenship. If the ultimate goal is a passport, the residence strategy must be planned separately from the investment program.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Does the Cyprus Golden Visa Cost?

The minimum investment is €300,000. For a new residential property subject to the standard 19% VAT rate, the price will be €357,000, with additional fees and associated costs payable separately.

Can You Get a Cyprus Golden Visa for €300,000?

Yes, provided that €300,000 is invested in an eligible category and the requirements concerning income, source of funds, insurance, good character, and documentation are also met.

Do You Need to Live in Cyprus After Obtaining Permanent Residency?

Permanent residence on the island is not required, but an absence of two years results in the termination of the permit.

Can You Buy Property and Obtain Permanent Residency?

Yes. For the residential route, the property must be a house or apartment purchased from a developer as a first sale, with a value of at least €300,000 plus VAT. Commercial real estate worth at least €300,000 is an alternative.

Can You Obtain Citizenship After the Golden Visa?

Yes, provided that after obtaining permanent residency the applicant actually resides in Cyprus and subsequently meets the separate requirements of the naturalization legislation. Permanent residency itself does not guarantee the issuance of a passport.