Cyprus Citizenship in 2026: Naturalisation, Timelines and Requirements

Can you buy a Cypriot passport through investment?

No. The Cyprus Investment Programme (CIP), which granted a passport for investment in property or business, has ended: the Council of Ministers decided to close it on October 13, 2020, and applications stopped on November 1, 2020. In the Civil Registry Law the relevant provision (Article 111A(2)) is now marked as "deleted". Today citizenship is granted only on the basis of residence, marriage or descent.

Property investment in Cyprus still gives permanent residence (see below). But years on permanent residence only count towards future naturalisation; they are not an automatic route to a passport.

Ways to obtain Cyprus citizenship

Route	Main condition	Language	Legal basis
Naturalisation, general	12 months continuous + at least 7 years in the preceding 10	Greek B1	Art. 111B(1)
Fast-track naturalisation	highly skilled work at an approved company: 3 or 4 years + 12 months	B1 or A2	Art. 111B(2)
Spouse of a Cypriot citizen	living together in Cyprus for at least 3 years	—	Art. 110(2)
Descent	a parent who is a Cypriot citizen	—	Art. 109

The laws we cite are the Civil Registry Law No 141(I)/2002, as amended by Law No 149(I)/2023 (in force since 19.12.2023) and No 76(I)/2024.

Naturalisation: the requirements of Article 111B

The 2023 amendments gathered all naturalisation conditions in a single article. An applicant must meet all of them at once.

How many years you need

• The last 12 months before applying: lawful and continuous residence. Absences of up to 90 days in total during that year do not break continuity.
• In the 10 years before those 12 months: at least 7 years of lawful residence (or service in the Cypriot public service).

That makes at least 8 years in total. The law defines residence as physical presence in the country on a lawful immigration basis.

What does not count:

• time on a student permit;
• time as an applicant for international protection or with subsidiary or temporary protection.

So years spent studying in Cyprus are not counted.

Language and knowledge of the country

• Greek at level B1 of the Common European Framework (CEFR). You need a certificate issued after a written and oral exam. Exams are held regularly under a ministerial order. Graduates of a Greek-language lyceum or university programme are exempt.
• Knowledge of Cyprus's contemporary political and social life, assessed by a committee of the Interior, Education and Justice ministries.

Good character

The law lists the factors checked (Article 111B(1)(c)):

• no prison sentence for a serious crime punishable by 5 years or more, or for other serious or dishonourable offences;
• not wanted under a European or international arrest warrant;
• no pending criminal case, in Cyprus or abroad, for an offence punishable by 3 years or more;
• not subject to sanctions and not on UN or EU sanctions lists;
• no illegal entry or breach of immigration rules;
• no acceptance of the illegal administration in the areas not controlled by the Republic (the north of the island), no office in it, and no possession or use of property there belonging to another lawful owner;
• no threat to public order and security.

Means and intention to live in Cyprus

• Accommodation and money. You need suitable accommodation and stable, lawful income for yourself and your dependants. Full-time employment and other sources count; long-term unemployment and benefits received are taken into account.
• Intention to stay. You must intend to keep living in Cyprus, or serving in its public service, after naturalisation.

Fast-track naturalisation for highly skilled professionals

For people living in Cyprus for highly skilled work at companies approved by a Council of Ministers decision, the period is shorter (Article 111B(2)):

Greek level	Residence in the preceding 10 years	Plus continuous before applying	Minimum total
A2	at least 4 years	12 months	5 years
B1	at least 3 years	12 months	4 years

Absences of up to 90 days a year count as residence.

• Processing takes no more than 8 months. The fast-track fee is set by ministerial order.
• Family. A spouse or civil partner and a dependent adult child with a disability may apply together with the applicant; they must meet the same periods and the same language level. A minor child who comes of age during processing is treated as a minor and can be registered as a citizen (Article 111B(3)).

This is the main route for employees of international companies who have moved to Cyprus. The employer must be on the approved list.

Through marriage to a citizen of the Republic

The spouse, widow or widower of a Cypriot citizen is registered as a citizen (Article 110(2)) if they:

• have lived with the spouse in Cyprus for at least three years;
• are of good character;
• intend to keep living in Cyprus.

The applicant swears an oath of allegiance to the Republic. This is a separate procedure, registration rather than naturalisation.

Citizenship by descent

A child born to a Cypriot citizen is a citizen by birth (Article 109). The law has special rules for people of Cypriot origin; for example, the Council of Ministers may count residence abroad before August 16, 1960 (Article 111B(6)).

Investor permanent residence: a first step, not a passport

Investor permanent residence is issued under Regulation 6(2) of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations. According to descriptions of the criteria as revised on May 2, 2023 (KPMG, Deloitte):

• an investment of at least €300,000 excluding VAT in new housing from a developer, commercial property, the share capital of a Cypriot company with 5 employees in Cyprus, or units of a Cypriot fund;
• secured income from abroad of at least €50,000 a year for the applicant, plus €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 for each child;
• term: the permit is permanent and does not need renewal.

Years on permanent residence count towards naturalisation if you physically live in Cyprus. If you hold the permit but live elsewhere, you are not building up residence.

Properties that fit this route are in our Cyprus property catalogue.

Dual citizenship

Cyprus's position. The law does not require you to give up your previous citizenship on naturalisation. Article 112 provides for renouncing Cypriot citizenship only at the request of a citizen who also holds another nationality, so dual citizenship is permitted.

Your home country's position. Whether you keep your original citizenship depends on your home country's law; some countries require you to notify the authorities of a second citizenship.

Sanctions and other risks

• Sanctions lists. A person under UN or EU sanctions does not meet the good-character test and cannot be naturalised (Article 111B(1)(c)(vi)).
• Northern Cyprus. Owning or using property there that belongs to another lawful owner, or cooperating with the unrecognised administration, is expressly listed in the law as an obstacle to naturalisation.
• Deprivation. A naturalised citizen can be deprived of citizenship by Council of Ministers order on the grounds in Article 113. Family members who obtained citizenship as relatives can lose it along with them.

What a Cypriot passport gives

A Cypriot citizen is a citizen of the European Union. They can:

• move freely within the EU, and live and work in any member state (Articles 20–21 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU);
• vote in European Parliament elections.

That is the key difference from permanent residence: a Cypriot residence permit lets you live only in Cyprus.

Northern Cyprus: why it is not a passport of the Republic

Searches such as "Northern Cyprus citizenship" refer to documents of the unrecognised Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Its "citizenship" is not citizenship of the Republic of Cyprus and does not give EU citizenship. The Republic's law treats ties to the northern administration and use of others' property there as an obstacle to naturalisation. If you are considering property in the north, factor in this risk. More on the difference is in our article on Northern and Southern Cyprus.

How to apply

1. Check your residence. Count your years of lawful physical presence: 12 months continuous and at least 7 of the preceding 10 years (or 3–4 years on the fast track). Do not count years on a student permit.
2. Pass the Greek exam at B1 (or A2/B1 on the fast track) and get the certificate.
3. Gather documents: proof of residence, income and accommodation, and criminal record certificates from Cyprus and from your previous countries of residence.
4. Apply to the Ministry of Interior. Fast-track applications are processed within 8 months.
5. Receive the naturalisation certificate, signed by the Minister or a person they authorise, after the oath of allegiance.

Common misconceptions

1. "A Cypriot passport can be bought for €2 million." The programme has been closed since November 1, 2020.
2. "€300,000 permanent residence turns into a passport after 5 years." It is a residence permit. Citizenship needs 8 years of physical residence (or 4–5 for skilled professionals), Greek B1 and good character.
3. "Years of study count." No. Time on a student permit is excluded by law.
4. "You must give up your current citizenship." No. Cypriot law does not require it.
5. "Northern Cyprus citizenship is an EU passport." No. It is a document of an unrecognised entity, and ties to its administration hinder naturalisation in the Republic of Cyprus.

How we check the data

We checked naturalisation requirements against:

• the text of Law No 149(I)/2023 in the Official Gazette (No 4974 of 19.12.2023);
• the consolidated Civil Registry Law No 141(I)/2002, amended up to No 76(I)/2024, in the CyLaw database (cylaw.org).

Translations from Greek are ours; the original prevails. The Regulation 6(2) permanent residence conditions are described from KPMG and Deloitte materials, because the Civil Registry and Migration Department website (moi.gov.cy) did not open when we checked. The investment programme closure date follows the Council of Ministers decision of 13.10.2020.

FAQ

How many years must you live in Cyprus to get citizenship?

Under the general procedure: 12 continuous months before applying plus at least 7 years in the preceding 10, so at least 8 years. Highly skilled professionals at approved companies need 4 years (with B1) or 5 years (with A2).

Can you get Cyprus citizenship by buying property?

No. The citizenship-by-investment programme closed on November 1, 2020. Buying property from €300,000 gives permanent residence, and years of residence on it count towards naturalisation.

Do you need to speak Greek?

Yes. General naturalisation requires B1 with a written and oral exam; the fast track requires A2 or B1. You also need basic knowledge of Cyprus's political and social life.

Does Cyprus allow dual citizenship?

Yes. The law does not require you to give up your previous citizenship. Check your home country's rules on holding and reporting a second nationality.

Can an application be refused because of nationality?

Nationality as such is not a ground for refusal in the law. An application is refused if Article 111B requirements are not met: residence, language, means and good character, including sanctions status under UN or EU lists.