In an amendment to the Civil Registry Law, the government of Cyprus is shortening the time required for citizenship, which is currently around seven years. The changes will have a significant impact on highly skilled professionals employed by foreign companies in Cyprus.
Before the recent changes, the Cyprus Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002 mandated a minimum residence duration within Cyprus of seven years. This was specifically aimed at students, self-employed individuals, and employees working for Cypriot or international offshore enterprises.
As it stood, the legislation did not offer a direct route for highly skilled professionals to expedite their residency process. However, the revised version of the law now includes specific provisions for individuals identified as Highly Skilled Professionals employed by Companies of Foreign Interests, reducing the residency requirement to potentially three to four years.
But the approved changes come with a caveat. Several additional requirements have also been added to the reworked law, with the most significant being an A2 language proficiency in Greek. Other requirements that must be fulfilled to qualify for fast-tracking include:
- The applicant must have lived continuously in Cyprus for one year before applying.
- While A2 language proficiency is required, the fast-track period can be reduced to three years if the applicant has a Greek language proficiency equivalent to B1.
- Applicants must have a stable income of at least €2,500 per month
The new law, codified as Civil Registry Law 2023 (149(I)/2023), also stipulates that applicants must supply the immigration authorities with a certificate on the basic knowledge of political and social elements in Cyprus.
Family members of the applicant will also be allowed to apply for citizenship at the same time, on the condition that they have been living in Cyprus continuously for one year before applying.
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