The Cypriot House of Representatives approved on the 30th of November 2023 an amendment of the Civil Registry Law (‘the Law’), modernising the current legal framework and relaxing the requirements and criteria for naturalisation of foreign nationals.
The amendments primarily relate to the amount of time that foreign nationals need to have resided in Cyprus prior to applying for naturalisation, as well as knowledge of the Greek language. Further, there are special (more relaxed) provisions for applicants with high qualifications/ skills in the technology sector.
The special amendments pave the way for attracting and retaining highly skilled and qualified individuals (and their families) in the field of technology. This is a welcome step towards the right direction for further establishing Cyprus as an international technology hub, thus strengthening further the island’s position as an attractive international business centre.
Main provisions
Applicants must meet the following conditions:
- Legal and continuous physical stay in Cyprus for the twelve months preceding the application for naturalisation.
- Legal physical stay in Cyprus for at least seven out of ten years preceding the aforementioned 12-month period.
- To be of good character and have no criminal record.
- To be financially self-sufficient and have a suitable place of residence.
- To have sufficient knowledge of the Greek language and basic knowledge of the country’s political and social status.
- To have an intention to stay in Cyprus.
Special provisions
The following special provisions differentiate some of the above standard provisions in the case of foreign nationals with high qualifications/ skills in the technology sector and employed by certain foreign interest companies as determined by the Council of Ministers, as follows:
- The period of seven years (out of the last ten) of residence in Cyprus is reduced to four years for applicants having a certificate of knowledge of the Greek language.
- Family members of the applicants may also apply for naturalisation, under the same conditions. Spouses or civil partners of the applicants need to possess the same certificates of knowledge of the Greek language as the applicants. Minor children of the applicants that reach adulthood (18 years of age) during the examination of their parent’s application shall still be considered minors for the purpose of the Law and be eligible for naturalisation.
- Applications by highly qualified individuals shall be examined via a ‘fast-track’ process not exceeding eight months. The details of the fast-track process and the relevant fee shall be determined via Ministerial decision.
Pending applications
Applications for naturalisation that were submitted prior to the enactment of the amendments in the Law shall be examined under the new criteria as described above.
For any needed assistance you may contact Marios Yenagrites at marios.yenagrites@totalserve.eu
Totalserve (www.totalserve.eu) has succeeded throughout its 50 years of operations to be an award-winning professional services provider, mainly for Cyprus and BVI services. Headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus, the group maintains 3 more offices – in Athens, London and the BVI. Totalserve specialises in the fields of corporate, trusts, fiduciary and tax services as well as international tax structuring.
Marios YenagritesSenior tax manager
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PO Box 54425
3724 Limassol
Cyprus
Email : marios.yenagrites@totalserve.eu
Website : http://www.totalserve.eu