Visitors

Cyprus Temporary Residence Permit for Visitors

A Visitors Temporary Residence Permit enables third-country nationals to legally reside in Cyprus longer than the period of three months (90 days) that their tourist visa provides for. The most common type of a Visitors Temporary Residence Permit is the Autonomous Visitor Residence Permit which enables third-country nationals to legally reside in Cyprus as visitors and without the right of carrying out any economic activity in the Republic.

If you find yourself visiting the island and wish to extend your stay or if you need to legally stay in the Republic while your permanent residence application is being processed, applying for a temporary residence permit as a visitor is the way forward.

Determining Eligibility

Before diving into the procedural steps, it is crucial to ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria for a visitors temporary residence permit in Cyprus and that your purpose of stay aligns with the categories under which you can obtain a temporary residence permit.

The categories of third-country nationals that can apply for a Visitors’ Temporary Residence Permit are:

Autonomous Visitor Permit
Dependent Spouse of Visitor
Dependent Minor Child of Visitor
Priest, Monk/Nun of the Orthodox Church or of the churches of the Religious Minorities in the Republic of Cyprus
Dependent Spouse/Partner of an Employee of a Foreign Interests Company
Dependent Minor Child of Employee of a Foreign Interests Company
Dependent Adult Family Member of Employee of a Foreign Interests Company
Digital Nomad
Spouse/Partner of a Digital Nomad with duly proven long-term relationship
Dependent Minor Child of a Digital Nomad
Dependent Adult Family Member of a Third Country National with Immigration Permit/or of his /her spouse (parent/child)
Dependent Minor Child of Employee in a Cyprus Company
Dependent Adult Family Member of Employee
Dependent Adult Family Member of a Cypriot citizen or his/her spouse (parent/child)
Dependent Partner of a Cypriot citizen with duly proven long-term relationship for marriage purposes
Dependent Family Member of a European citizen not under the definition of family member of article 2 of N.7(I)/2007
Dependent Partner of a European Citizen with duly proven long-term relationship

Entry into the Republic is permitted through the legal entry points with a Visa issued by the Republic’s Consular Authorities and with a valid travel document. Holders of Schengen Visas are also permitted entry with a short stay as per the provisions of their Schengen Visa. It is very important to note that before the expiration of the applicants’ short stay visa an application under any of the above-mentioned categories be submitted.

Financial Criteria for Autonomous Permit & Family members

The main applicant should prove that he has sufficient and stable resources, derived from a stable or satisfactory income outside the Republic. The monthly income of the applicant should not be less than €2,000 per month or €24,000 per year for one person. This amount is increased by 20% for the dependant spouse or each dependent parent and by 15% for each dependant child.

The main applicant should also be in a position to submit a bank account statement indicating transactions in a financial institution in the Republic of Cyprus, from the date of opening the account and in the case of a first permit, showing the foreign remittances in his name which in total should not be less than €10,000. This amount should be increased by 20% for the dependant spouse and/or each dependent parent and by 15% for each dependent child.

The physical presence of the main applicant and his family members simultaneously applying for a Residence Permit is required for the submission of the application

Supporting Documents

All accompanying documents submitted as part of applications must be duly certified/authenticated as described below. Where the accompanying documents requested are copies, these should be certified/authenticated in the same manner.

Document languages and translations

All documents submitted with the application must be in Greek or English. Otherwise, they should be accompanied by an official translation into one of these languages from sworn translators or by a Consular Authority of the issuing country or a government department of the issuing country.

Apostille certifications of public documents

All accompanying public documents issued in other states that have ratified the Convention on Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, also known as the Hague Apostille Convention of 5.10.1961, must be duly authenticated, in accordance with the Law on the Abolition of the Requirement to Legalize Foreign Public Documents of 1972 (Apostille stamp). The Ministry of Justice and Public Order is responsible as the Central Authority for the implementation of the Hague Apostille Convention of 5.10.1961.

Diplomatic certification of public documents

In the case of public accompanying documents issued in states that have not ratified the Hague Apostille Convention of 5.10.1961, these should bear diplomatic certification. Diplomatic certification is done in one of the following ways:

If there is an accredited diplomatic/consular authority of the Republic in that country, the chain of diplomatic certification is as follows:

Certification of the document by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country.
Certification of the signature of the official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country by the diplomatic/consular authority of the Republic based in that country.
Certification of the signature of the official of the specific diplomatic/consular authority of the Republic by the competent Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic.

If there is no accredited diplomatic/consular authority of the Republic in that country, the chain of diplomatic certification is as follows:

Certification of the document by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country.
Certification of the signature of the official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country by a diplomatic/consular authority of the issuing country in a third country.
Certification of the signature of the official of the specific foreign diplomatic/consular authority by an official of the diplomatic/consular authority of the Republic in the specific third country.
Certification of the signature of the official of the diplomatic/consular authority of the Republic in the specific third country by the competent Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic.

Certification of non-public documents

In the case of non-public accompanying documents issued in other states, they should be certified by a certifying authority of that state (eg certifying officer/notary public).

Documents exempted from the obligation of any certification/authentication

By virtue of bilateral state agreements that have been concluded, documents issued by Russia or Serbia are exempted from the obligation of any certification/ authentication provided that they are properly signed and bear the official seal of the competent state authority that issued them.

Processing & Timeframe

Gathering the essential documents is a crucial step in the application process and if you are planning to reside in the Republic, it is wise to prepare prior to your arrival. While the specific requirements with reference to the documentation that should be provided may differ based on the particulars of your case, standard documents that should be prepared typically involve:

proof of income from abroad (specific criteria apply)
proof of accommodation in the Republic
confirmation of funds deposited in a Cypriot banking institution
a clear criminal record from your origin (for all adults applying)
medical examination certificates conducted in abroad and Cyprus following the specific guidelines

While preparing and submitting a Visitors’ application can be prioritized and processed within a few days, issuance of the final Residence Permit (plastic card) will vary and may take up to 6 months. Upon successfully submitting the Visitors’ application, biometrics are collected and a temporary receipt is issued by the relevant Department enabling the applicant to travel from/to Cyprus freely and without the need of obtaining additional Entry Visas for the Republic of Cyprus. As the application then receives approval, Visitors are granted an initial Residence Permit of one (1) year which is annually renewable provided that the relevant criteria are met.

The Passport of the applicant and that of any dependants included in the application, needs to be valid for 6 months more than the Residence Permit duration requested. If the passport expires sooner, the residence permit is issued with a validity of six (6) months before the expiry of the applicant’s passport. For wives and children or direct ascendants, where applicable, who reside with a visitor’s residence permit, a residence permit is issued up to the validity of the main applicant’s residence permit.

The Residence Permits issued for Visitors for the purpose of marriage with a Cypriot Citizen are valid only for three (3) months in order for the marriage to be conducted.

The information provided by CRS is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional or formal legal advice. You should not act or refrain from acting based on any information provided above without obtaining legal or other professional advice.