Cyprus Category F permanent residence

Who qualifies

Category F is for non-EU nationals who have, fully and freely at their disposal, a secured annual income from abroad that allows a decent living in Cyprus without any business, trade or profession there. Retirees on a foreign pension are the most common applicants, followed by people living on dividends, deposit interest or rent from assets abroad.

Applicants and their spouses need a clean criminal record, and the authorities may refuse a file where the applicant could be a threat to public order or security.

Financial requirements

The Migration Department sets the minimum at €9,568.17 a year for the applicant and €4,613.22 for each dependent person. Both figures are the euro equivalents of CY£5,600 and CY£2,700. A couple with two children would need to show €23,407.83 a year.

Accepted income includes pensions, dividends from shares, interest on fixed deposits and rent. It must come from outside Cyprus, and earnings from work in Cyprus do not count. The Immigration Control Committee can ask for more than the statutory amount, so treat the figures as a floor.

Original Cyprus bank account statements go into the file, and the regulations set no minimum deposit. Proof of a home in Cyprus is also required: a title deed, a sale contract with proof of payment, or a rental agreement. No property value is set, and renting is accepted.

Application route

Files go to the Migration Department fee and procedure page offices in Nicosia, which are the only place that accepts them, either in person or through an authorised representative. Every document must be officially translated and duly certified, and a file with a missing document is refused at the counter.

Since 1 September 2026, the file must also include original blood test results showing no hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV or syphilis for the applicant and each dependant, and an original chest X-ray for tuberculosis issued in the country of origin or the last country of lawful residence. Applicants who already hold a Cyprus temporary residence permit are exempt if matching results sit in their file.

Photo and fingerprints are taken at the Nicosia offices or at the district unit of the Aliens and Immigration Service of the Police, and applicants under six give a photo only. No interview is held unless the Ministry of Interior asks for one. The Department examines the file and the Minister of Interior decides.

The backlog means decisions arrive 5 to 7 years after filing. Applicants live in Cyprus on a temporary residence permit while the file is pending.

Costs

The government fee is €500 for all persons on the application, paid on submission. An extra €70 applies where the applicant or a family member needs an Aliens Registration Certificate. Translations, certified copies, medical tests, health insurance and legal help are additional.

Permit duration and conditions

The residence right has unlimited validity for the holder and adult dependants. The card expires after ten years and is replaced then, and cards for minors run until age 18.

The permit ceases if the holder and dependants acquire permanent residence in another country or stay out of Cyprus for two years. Applicants living abroad at the time of approval must also take up residence in Cyprus within one year. The holder and family are expected to visit at least once every two years, and the permit sets no annual minimum of days.

Holders may not take employment or run a business in Cyprus, and a breach can lead to revocation.

Family members

A spouse and children under 18 can be included. Parents and other relatives cannot. Each dependant raises the income test by €4,613.22, and a child must apply in their own right on reaching 18.

Presence and tax residency

Tax residency follows its own test: more than 183 days in Cyprus in a calendar year makes you a Cyprus tax resident on worldwide income. The permit itself imposes no annual day count, so immigration status and tax residency can be managed separately.

Path to citizenship

Category F is already permanent residence, so there is no further residence permit to earn. Naturalisation under the Civil Registry Law needs 7 years of legal residence in the 10 years before a final 12 months of continuous residence, which makes 8 years in total, plus good character and proficiency in Greek.