CyprusCitizenship

Naturalisation in Cyprus in Cyprus

Cypriot citizenship for foreign nationals who have lawfully lived in the country for the period laid down by law. The applicant evidences residence, character, knowledge of the Greek language and of the basics of the political and social life of Cyprus, as well as accommodation and a stable income for themselves and their family.

Source: Civil Registry (moi.gov.cy)

Who can obtain it

The requirements are cumulative: failing any one of them closes off the application. The current version of the rules came into force on 19 December 2023 together with the Civil Registry (Amending) Law 2023.

General route

An adult foreign national
Lawful continuous residence of 12 months immediately before the date of filing
Absences totalling up to 90 days do not break that 12-month period
Over the 10 years preceding those 12 months — lawful residence of at least 7 years in total
Good character
Knowledge of Greek at level B1
Knowledge of the basics of the modern political and social life of Cyprus
Suitable accommodation and a stable, regular income for oneself and family members
An intention to reside in the Republic

Highly qualified employees (article 111B(2))

The same 12 months of continuous lawful residence before filing
The requirement for the preceding 10 years is lighter: 4 years with Greek at level A2 or 3 years at level B1
Absences totalling up to 90 days a year do not count as absence
A director, specialist or key personnel of a company of foreign interests holding a temporary residence permit for work
Or any residence status with a gross salary from 2,500 euros a month and a university degree or documented experience of at least 2 years in the same position
Employment at a company on the Council of Ministers' list for at least 2 years before filing the application
Good character, accommodation, a stable income and an intention to live in the Republic — as under the general route

Companies under Council of Ministers decision No. 92.018 of 15.10.2021

Companies of foreign interests with an independent office in Cyprus, separate from housing and from other companies' offices
Cypriot shipping companies
Cypriot hi-tech and innovative companies: aerospace, computers, IT, communications, pharmaceuticals, biomedical equipment, research equipment, electrical and non-electrical machinery, chemicals
Cypriot pharmaceutical companies and companies in biogenetics and biotechnology
Companies on the Register of Foreign Companies of the Civil Registry and Migration Department
International universities accredited by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education

What it costs

Fee for filing application M127	500 EUR
Stamp on the application (two are needed)	8,54 EUR
Fee for issuing the naturalisation certificate after approval	500 EUR
Accelerated consideration within 8 months — for highly qualified employees and their family members	+5 000 EUR
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Accelerated consideration within 8 months — for highly qualified employees and their family members” adds 5 000 EUR.	1,008.54–6 008,54 EUR

Documents to gather

The list of annexes to the application has been published by the Ministry of the Interior as a separate document. All papers must be officially translated and certified.

Original birth certificate
Original criminal-record certificate from the Republic of Cyprus — valid for 6 months
Copy of the valid residence permit
Marriage certificate or civil partnership agreement — where applicable
Copy of the valid passport or other travel document
Copies of the passport pages bearing entry and exit stamps
A detailed record of entries to and departures from Cyprus
Copies of the notices of the application — two consecutive publications in a daily newspaper
Greek language examination certificate at level A2 or B1 (as applicable), or a certificate from the School of Modern Greek Language of the University of Cyprus, or a secondary school leaving certificate where the language of instruction was Greek, or a university degree where the language of instruction was Greek
Certificate of the examination on the basics of the modern political and social life of Cyprus with a mark of at least 60%
Evidence of accommodation: title deed, sale and purchase agreement with receipts, tenancy agreement with payment receipts, paid utility bills
Evidence of income: payslips, employment contract, record of social insurance contributions, tax returns, bank accounts
For highly qualified employees — a certificate from the Business Facilitation Unit or the Migration Department that the company meets the criteria of Council of Ministers decision No. 92.018 (not required for holders of permits with BCS status)
Two recent passport-format photographs, certified by the community leader
Copy of the receipt for payment of the 500 euro fee
Copy of the receipt for 5,000 euros for accelerated consideration — only for highly qualified employees and their family members

How the process runs

The procedure is compiled from the Ministry of the Interior pages and the M127 form.

1
Check the residence requirement
Two periods are counted: 12 months of continuous lawful residence immediately before filing, and the total period over the preceding 10 years — 7 years under the general route. Absences totalling up to 90 days do not break the 12-month period. A detailed record of entries and departures is needed for the application, so reconstruct your travel history in advance.
2
Sit the Greek language examination
The level B1 certificate under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is issued on the basis of the examinations of the Centre for the Greek Language of the Hellenic Republic through the Examinations Service of the Higher Education Directorate of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth. A certificate from the School of Modern Greek Language of the University of Cyprus is also accepted. Holders of a secondary school leaving certificate or a university degree where the language of instruction was Greek are exempt from this obligation.
3
Sit the examination on life in Cyprus
The Examinations Service of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth tests knowledge of the basics of the modern political and social life of Cyprus. A mark of at least 60% is required. The Ministry of the Interior accepts certificates from the July 2023 and February 2024 examinations; if a July 2023 certificate carries no mark, the exact score is requested from the Examinations Service by email.
4
Publish a notice in a newspaper
The naturalisation application is announced by two consecutive publications in a daily newspaper. Copies of both notices are attached to the application.
5
Collect and certify the documents
The annexes on the official list are translated and certified according to the rules. The criminal-record certificate from Cyprus is valid for 6 months, so order it closer to the filing date.
6
Pay the fee and sign the application
The filing fee is 500 euros, and two stamps of 8.54 euros each are affixed to the application. The application is signed in the presence of a registrar. The form has a section for three sponsors — Cypriot citizens who know the applicant personally and are not their lawyer, representative or relative.
7
File application M127
The application is filed at the district administration. Cyprus's diplomatic missions also accept applications for the acquisition of Cypriot citizenship.
8
Receive the naturalisation certificate
up to 8 months where a further 5,000 euros is paid — only for highly qualified employees and their family members
Once the application is approved, a further 500 euros is paid for the issue of the naturalisation certificate. For the general route the official pages do not state a processing time.

Timelines and rights

Work

A Cypriot citizen works without permits or visas — both in Cyprus and in the other EU countries.

Who you can bring with you

The official pages set out the rules on family members primarily for the highly qualified employee category. A separate form applies to children.

Spouse or civil partner of a highly qualified employee

Applies together with them or later, if they themselves meet the residence and language requirements. A 'spouse' is a party to a marriage recognised by the state, a 'partner' is one under the Civil Partnership Law. Spouse or partner status is assessed as at the date the main applicant files.

Adult child with a disability who is a dependant

Is treated as a family member if the disability under article 2 of the Persons with Disabilities Law prevents them from working and from performing legal acts.

Minor children of a naturalised person

A child whose parent obtained Cypriot citizenship after the child's birth is registered on form M126. The fee is 80 euros, and one 8.54 euro stamp is affixed to the application. The application is signed by the Cypriot parent in the presence of a court registrar in Cyprus or a consular officer abroad. Once approved, a certificate registering the child as a citizen of the Republic is issued.

Spouse of a Cypriot citizen

They do not need naturalisation by years of residence: form M125 applies after three years of marriage or civil partnership. The fee is 300 euros and the application is filed in two copies.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

Twelve months of continuous lawful residence before filing plus a further 7 years in total over the preceding 10 years. Absences totalling up to 90 days do not break the period. These rules apply as amended from 19 December 2023.

Citizenship is not renewed: the official pages describe only the issue of the naturalisation certificate after the application is approved, and the reverse procedure — renunciation of citizenship. Renunciation is made on form M130. It may be filed by an adult with legal capacity who already holds the citizenship of another country. The fee is 30 euros, the application is filed in two copies, an 8.54 euro stamp is affixed to one of them, and the signature is given before a court registrar in Cyprus or a consular officer abroad. Once approved, the passport, identity card and voter's booklet are returned to the Ministry of the Interior for cancellation, and the applicant is given one copy of the approved application.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Naturalisation in Cyprus	Residence permit for the financially independent	Permanent residence by investment
Visa term	Citizenship is granted for an unlimited period	The Pink Slip is usually issued for 1 year (sometimes 1–2), renewed annually	Permanent residence with no annual renewal; card replaced every 10 years
Grounds	Naturalisation by years of residence	No right to work	Property from €300,000
Work	A Cypriot citizen works without permits or visas — both in Cyprus and in the other EU countries	Employment in Cyprus is not allowed; passive income only	Passive income; employment is not desirable, business/dividends are allowed

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to citizenship

A Greek language examination certificate at level A2 or B1 is required — the level depends on the category of applicant. It can be replaced by a certificate from the School of Modern Greek Language of the University of Cyprus or by a secondary school leaving certificate.

Frequently asked questions about Naturalisation in Cyprus

How many years must you have lived in Cyprus before filing the application?

Under the general route — 12 months of lawful continuous residence immediately before the date of filing, and over the 10 years preceding that period, at least a further 7 years of lawful residence in total. Absences totalling up to 90 days do not break the 12-month period. These rules have applied since 19 December 2023.

What level of Greek is required and who is exempt from the examination?

Under the general route — B1. For highly qualified employees of companies covered by Council of Ministers decision No. 92.018, A2 is enough, but then the residence requirement for the preceding 10 years is 4 years instead of 3 years at level B1. Holders of a secondary school leaving certificate where the main language of instruction was Greek, and holders of a university degree from a programme taught in Greek, are exempt from the examination.

What is the examination on life in Cyprus and what is the pass mark?

The Examinations Service of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth tests knowledge of the basics of the modern political and social life of Cyprus. The certificate is accepted where the result is at least 60%. For the purposes of the application, certificates from the July 2023 and February 2024 examinations are acceptable.

How much does filing cost and what is paid after approval?

Filing the application costs 500 euros, with two stamps of 8.54 euros each affixed to it. If the application is approved, a further 500 euros is paid for the issue of the naturalisation certificate.

Can consideration of the application be accelerated?

Yes, but only for highly qualified employees of companies covered by Council of Ministers decision No. 92.018 and their family members. The additional payment is 5,000 euros, and the processing time is then no more than 8 months. The condition is employment at such a company for at least two years before the application is filed.

Where is the application filed and who certifies the signature?

The M127 application is filed at the district administrations together with the certified and translated documents from the official list. The signature is given in the presence of a registrar. Applications for the acquisition of Cypriot citizenship are also accepted by the diplomatic missions of the Republic of Cyprus — that channel is the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Is it true that the application must be announced in a newspaper?

Yes. The list of annexes to the M127 application includes an item for copies of notices from two consecutive issues of a daily newspaper by which the applicant announces the filing of the naturalisation application. The same list also requires copies of the passport pages bearing entry and exit stamps, a detailed travel record and two passport-format photographs certified by the community leader.

Are sponsors required?

The M127 form has a 'Sponsors' section for three people. Each confirms that they are a Cypriot citizen, know the applicant personally, are not their lawyer, representative or relative, and vouch for the applicant's character, stating how many years they have known them.

What should be done about children after a parent's naturalisation?

A minor child whose parent obtained Cypriot citizenship after the child's birth is registered separately — on form M126. The fee is 80 euros, with one 8.54 euro stamp. The application is signed by the Cypriot parent before a court registrar in Cyprus or a consular officer abroad. Once approved, a certificate registering the child as a citizen of the Republic is issued.

Other ways to move to Cyprus

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Cyprus.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.