Cypriot citizenship by descent: who qualifies, the law, and what it takes

Q: Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a parent?

Likely. A child born abroad to a Cypriot citizen is Cypriot by descent and registers at the consulate.

Q: Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a grandparent?

Possible. Descendants of people born in Cyprus between 1914 and 1960 are entitled as adults to register as Cypriot citizens, without a parent registering first, on proof of descent and an oath of allegiance.

Q: Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a great-grandparent?

Possible. Descendants of people born in Cyprus between 1914 and 1960 are entitled as adults to register as Cypriot citizens, without a parent registering first, on proof of descent and an oath of allegiance.

Through a parentLIKELYCitizen by descent (Section 3)Through a grandparentPOSSIBLECitizen by descent (Section 3)Through a great-grandparentPOSSIBLECitizen by descent (Section 3)

Ways to apply: Citizen by descent (Section 3)
Dual citizenship: Kept, however you apply
Comes with: EU citizenship: the right to live and work in 27 countries

Each answer assumes none of your ancestors became a citizen of another country before their child was born. Below is what changes each answer.

On this page

01Who qualifies
02Dates that matter
03Through your mother
04Keeping your citizenship
05Ways to apply
06The documents
07What it takes
08Where the records live
09Law changes
10Other options
11Sources

Who qualifies, generation by generation

LIKELY

Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a parent?

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

A child born abroad to a Cypriot citizen is Cypriot by descent and registers at the consulate.

A person born abroad on or after 16 August 1960 is a citizen if, at the birth, a parent was a citizen of the Republic; someone permanently resident abroad becomes one once the birth is registered. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(2)

What changes the answer

LIKELY
If the parent is your mother and you were born between 1960 and 1998
Born between 1960 and 1999 to a Cypriot mother, you did not acquire citizenship at birth, but the 1999 amendment lets you register as a citizen by descent.

POSSIBLE

Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a grandparent?

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

Descendants of people born in Cyprus between 1914 and 1960 are entitled as adults to register as Cypriot citizens, without a parent registering first, on proof of descent and an oath of allegiance.

What would settle itWhether your ancestor was born in Cyprus between November 1914 and August 1960 to parents living there; how the Civil Registry applies the origin option beyond a grandchild should be confirmed before filing.

A person born on or after 16 August 1960 who descends from someone born in Cyprus between 5 November 1914 and 16 August 1960 while their parents ordinarily lived there, or who became a British subject under the 1914-1943 annexation Orders in Council, is entitled, as an adult, to be registered as a citizen on application and a declaration of allegiance. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(4)
Citizenship by descent at birth reaches children of citizens; the origin option above is registration. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(2)

POSSIBLE

Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a great-grandparent?

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

Descendants of people born in Cyprus between 1914 and 1960 are entitled as adults to register as Cypriot citizens, without a parent registering first, on proof of descent and an oath of allegiance.

A person born on or after 16 August 1960 who descends from someone born in Cyprus between 5 November 1914 and 16 August 1960 while their parents ordinarily lived there, or who became a British subject under the 1914-1943 annexation Orders in Council, is entitled, as an adult, to be registered as a citizen on application and a declaration of allegiance. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(4)
Citizenship by descent at birth reaches children of citizens; the origin option above is registration. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(2)

The dates that matter

1960
16 August 1960
A person born abroad on or after 16 August 1960 is a citizen if, at the birth, a parent was a citizen of the Republic; someone permanently resident abroad becomes one once the birth is registered. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(2)
1960
16 August 1960
A person born between 16 August 1960 and 11 June 1999 who would be a citizen only through the mother is registered as a citizen on applying as an adult. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(3)
1960
16 August 1960
A person born on or after 16 August 1960 who descends from someone born in Cyprus between 5 November 1914 and 16 August 1960 while their parents ordinarily lived there, or who became a British subject under the 1914-1943 annexation Orders in Council, is entitled, as an adult, to be registered as a citizen on application and a declaration of allegiance. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(4)

Claiming through your mother or grandmother

In Cyprus’s rule, the answer changes when the ancestor you descend through is a woman:

LIKELY
If the parent is your mother and you were born between 1960 and 1998
Born between 1960 and 1999 to a Cypriot mother, you did not acquire citizenship at birth, but the 1999 amendment lets you register as a citizen by descent.

In the law’s words

A person born between 16 August 1960 and 11 June 1999 who would be a citizen only through the mother is registered as a citizen on applying as an adult. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(3)

Dual citizenship with your home country

You keep your citizenship.

On every open route, the rule lets a citizen of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina or South Africa keep that citizenship.

Holding this citizenship alongside another is addressed by the law cited; check the current position before relying on it. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended

Every way to apply, and the law behind it

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

Open to you through a parent, a grandparent or a great-grandparent

LIKELY
Through a parent
LIKELY
Through a parent, if the parent is your mother and you were born between 1960 and 1998
POSSIBLE
Through a grandparent

The law

A person born abroad on or after 16 August 1960 is a citizen if, at the birth, a parent was a citizen of the Republic; someone permanently resident abroad becomes one once the birth is registered. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(2)
A person born between 16 August 1960 and 11 June 1999 who would be a citizen only through the mother is registered as a citizen on applying as an adult. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(3)
A person born on or after 16 August 1960 who descends from someone born in Cyprus between 5 November 1914 and 16 August 1960 while their parents ordinarily lived there, or who became a British subject under the 1914-1943 annexation Orders in Council, is entitled, as an adult, to be registered as a citizen on application and a declaration of allegiance. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(4)
Citizenship by descent at birth reaches children of citizens; the origin option above is registration. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(2)

What would settle an unsure case

Whether your ancestor was born in Cyprus between November 1914 and August 1960 to parents living there; how the Civil Registry applies the origin option beyond a grandchild should be confirmed before filing.

The documents, as the rule lists them

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

Through a parent

Your parent’s Cypriot birth certificate or citizenship certificate
Your birth certificate, apostilled and translated
Your parents’ marriage certificate

Through a grandparent or great-grandparent

Your Cypriot ancestor’s birth certificate from Cyprus (1914-1960) or proof of British subject status under the annexation Orders
Birth and marriage records for each generation to you
Form M123 and the oath of allegiance

Most countries also want proof that your ancestor didn’t become a citizen somewhere else before their child was born: the naturalization record with its date, or a letter saying there isn’t one.

What it takes: time, cost, the hard part, who decides

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

Time: 6–12 months for the registration decision, then a passport.
Cost: About $300–700: registration fees, apostilles and certified translations.
The hard part: If you were born between 1960 and 1999 to a Cypriot mother rather than a father, you were not a citizen automatically at birth; the 1999 amendment lets you register now, but it is an extra step, not a formality.
Who decides: The Civil Registry and Migration Department, through the Cypriot High Commission or embassy for your address.
The first record: Your parent’s Cypriot birth certificate or citizenship certificate, from The Civil Registry and Migration Department. Request the certified copy with the name, date and place of birth; older records may need the district office where the family lived. moi.gov.cy

How it’s filed

Where: The Embassy of Cyprus in Washington, or the Consulate General in New York for CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI and VT; the Civil Registry and Migration Department in Nicosia decides office list
How: In person; you appear in person
Form: Form M121, Application for consular birth certificate (acquisition of Cypriot citizenship for persons born abroad)
Fee: About $32
Decision: 6–18 months

Your consulate

Every office in the United States (2)

Consulate General of Cyprus, New York

Serves Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

How: In person; you appear in person
Address: 5 Grand Central East, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10017

Email nyconsulate@mfa.gov.cy, phone +1 212 686 6016. Book by email or phone.

source ↗

Embassy of Cyprus, Washington DC

Serves Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

How: In person; you appear in person
Address: 2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Consular Section: washingtonconsulate@mfa.gov.cy, (202) 462-0632. In-person visits are by appointment only; call or email first.

source ↗

What goes in the file (8)

Form M121 in duplicate, with an €8.54 revenue stamp affixed, signed before a Cypriot consular officer or honorary consul (or a Registrar of Court in Cyprus)
Member’s original birth certificate, apostilled; it is not returned, so order a second original
Copy of the parents’ marriage certificate (original shown for verification), or the father’s sworn acknowledgment and the mother’s consent if the parents were not married
Copy of the member’s passport
Copies of both parents’ passports
The Cypriot parent’s birth certificate or certificate of registration/citizenship
Receipt for the €20 fee
The Embassy’s Particulars of Applicant form

What goes wrong (6)

Right to apply: born abroad after 16 August 1960 with at least one parent a Cypriot citizen at the birth (MOI). On approval citizenship is acquired and a consular birth certificate issued.
Adults of Cypriot origin whose parent was not a citizen at the birth (e.g. descendants of people born in Cyprus 1914–1960) use form M123 instead: €50 fee + two €8.54 stamps, filed in two copies, signed before a consular officer.
Children born abroad to a Cypriot mother between 16 August 1960 and 10 June 1999 are not citizens automatically; Law 67(I)/2002 lets them opt in by applying to the Minister of Interior. The Interior Ministry’s M121 page and the Washington Embassy both open M121 to a child of either Cypriot parent, so they file M121 too.
The Canberra High Commission quotes at least nine months for processing in Nicosia.
The signature is made before a consular officer or an honorary consul, so the member appears in person. Cyprus has honorary consuls in Los Angeles, Lafayette (San Francisco area), Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans, Kirkland (Seattle area) and Houston, each by appointment. From GB: the High Commission in London. From CA, AU, ZA, BR: the Cypriot mission there (Ottawa, Canberra, Pretoria, Brasilia).
Both U.S. posts work by appointment, booked by email or phone. The Embassy asks applicants to call before filing for the amount, and takes consular fees in U.S. dollars at the euro equivalent, by money order only, payee left blank.

source ↗

Fees are each office’s published fee, converted to U.S. dollars.

Where each record lives, and how to ask for it

birth
Civil Registry and Migration Department (Ministry of Interior), Nicosia, and the District Administration offices for older local registrations.
The Cypriot parent’s birth record by name, date and place; older records may sit with the District Administration where the family lived (takes).
Ask
By post, in English
Fee
5 EUR (about $6)
Takes
4–17 weeks
Good to know (4)
- A certified copy of the Cypriot parent’s birth or citizenship certificate is what M121 needs; if the family holds the parent’s Cypriot passport or ID, start there.
- The person, their parents, their descendants or someone they authorise may have a copy; any District Administration office in Cyprus issues it for €5.
- From the U.S., send the Embassy in Washington a letter to the Cyprus authorities asking for the original birth certificate, an affidavit signed at the Embassy or an honorary consulate, notarized copies of ID, and a money order for the dollar equivalent of €5. Include a prepaid return envelope. The Embassy forwards it to Nicosia; delivery through a mission takes much longer than in Cyprus.
- A Cypriot adult with a CY Login account can issue it online on gov.cy for themselves, their children, grandchildren, parents or grandparents.
source ↗

Translations

Into: Greek
Who may translate: Any certified translator
About: $0–$75 a page

The Embassy in Washington asks for every U.S. document notarized and apostilled, and takes English-language records as they are. A record in any language other than Greek or English needs an official translation, certified.

source ↗

The passport

Where: A Cypriot mission with a biometric station (in the U.S.: Washington or New York), in person, after the citizenship application is approved; a member registered on gov.cy can file online and still gives biometrics at the mission. The adult fee is €70, paid in dollars at the euro equivalent; a passport is valid 10 years. Through a mission it takes up to three months, collected where the application was made.
Fee: About $80
Time: 3–13 weeks

source ↗

Recent and pending changes

We know of no pending bill or recent court ruling for Cyprus.

We re-read the official pages behind this guide every day. When one changes, a person checks the rule before we update anything here.

If descent doesn’t reach you

5 residence programs lead to Cyprus without an ancestor, each with its own law and road to citizenship.

Every source on this page

1 laws and official pages behind the answers, then the offices and pages behind the records and filing.

Not legal advice. Every answer comes from the country’s own laws and is tested against real cases. Where the law isn’t clear, we say “possible” rather than guess.

Through a parentLIKELYCitizen by descent (Section 3)Through a grandparentPOSSIBLECitizen by descent (Section 3)Through a great-grandparentPOSSIBLECitizen by descent (Section 3)

Ways to apply: Citizen by descent (Section 3)
Dual citizenship: Kept, however you apply
Comes with: EU citizenship: the right to live and work in 27 countries

Each answer assumes none of your ancestors became a citizen of another country before their child was born. Below is what changes each answer.

On this page

01Who qualifies
02Dates that matter
03Through your mother
04Keeping your citizenship
05Ways to apply
06The documents
07What it takes
08Where the records live
09Law changes
10Other options
11Sources

Who qualifies, generation by generation

LIKELY

Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a parent?

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

A child born abroad to a Cypriot citizen is Cypriot by descent and registers at the consulate.

A person born abroad on or after 16 August 1960 is a citizen if, at the birth, a parent was a citizen of the Republic; someone permanently resident abroad becomes one once the birth is registered. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(2)

What changes the answer

LIKELY
If the parent is your mother and you were born between 1960 and 1998
Born between 1960 and 1999 to a Cypriot mother, you did not acquire citizenship at birth, but the 1999 amendment lets you register as a citizen by descent.

POSSIBLE

Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a grandparent?

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

Descendants of people born in Cyprus between 1914 and 1960 are entitled as adults to register as Cypriot citizens, without a parent registering first, on proof of descent and an oath of allegiance.

A person born on or after 16 August 1960 who descends from someone born in Cyprus between 5 November 1914 and 16 August 1960 while their parents ordinarily lived there, or who became a British subject under the 1914-1943 annexation Orders in Council, is entitled, as an adult, to be registered as a citizen on application and a declaration of allegiance. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(4)
Citizenship by descent at birth reaches children of citizens; the origin option above is registration. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(2)

POSSIBLE

Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a great-grandparent?

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

Descendants of people born in Cyprus between 1914 and 1960 are entitled as adults to register as Cypriot citizens, without a parent registering first, on proof of descent and an oath of allegiance.

A person born on or after 16 August 1960 who descends from someone born in Cyprus between 5 November 1914 and 16 August 1960 while their parents ordinarily lived there, or who became a British subject under the 1914-1943 annexation Orders in Council, is entitled, as an adult, to be registered as a citizen on application and a declaration of allegiance. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(4)
Citizenship by descent at birth reaches children of citizens; the origin option above is registration. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(2)

The dates that matter

1960
16 August 1960
A person born abroad on or after 16 August 1960 is a citizen if, at the birth, a parent was a citizen of the Republic; someone permanently resident abroad becomes one once the birth is registered. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(2)
1960
16 August 1960
A person born between 16 August 1960 and 11 June 1999 who would be a citizen only through the mother is registered as a citizen on applying as an adult. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(3)
1960
16 August 1960
A person born on or after 16 August 1960 who descends from someone born in Cyprus between 5 November 1914 and 16 August 1960 while their parents ordinarily lived there, or who became a British subject under the 1914-1943 annexation Orders in Council, is entitled, as an adult, to be registered as a citizen on application and a declaration of allegiance. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(4)

Claiming through your mother or grandmother

In Cyprus’s rule, the answer changes when the ancestor you descend through is a woman:

LIKELY
If the parent is your mother and you were born between 1960 and 1998
Born between 1960 and 1999 to a Cypriot mother, you did not acquire citizenship at birth, but the 1999 amendment lets you register as a citizen by descent.

In the law’s words

A person born between 16 August 1960 and 11 June 1999 who would be a citizen only through the mother is registered as a citizen on applying as an adult. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(3)

Dual citizenship with your home country

You keep your citizenship.

On every open route, the rule lets a citizen of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina or South Africa keep that citizenship.

Holding this citizenship alongside another is addressed by the law cited; check the current position before relying on it. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended

Every way to apply, and the law behind it

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

Open to you through a parent, a grandparent or a great-grandparent

LIKELY
Through a parent
LIKELY
Through a parent, if the parent is your mother and you were born between 1960 and 1998
POSSIBLE
Through a grandparent

The law

A person born abroad on or after 16 August 1960 is a citizen if, at the birth, a parent was a citizen of the Republic; someone permanently resident abroad becomes one once the birth is registered. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(2)
A person born between 16 August 1960 and 11 June 1999 who would be a citizen only through the mother is registered as a citizen on applying as an adult. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(3)
A person born on or after 16 August 1960 who descends from someone born in Cyprus between 5 November 1914 and 16 August 1960 while their parents ordinarily lived there, or who became a British subject under the 1914-1943 annexation Orders in Council, is entitled, as an adult, to be registered as a citizen on application and a declaration of allegiance. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(4)
Citizenship by descent at birth reaches children of citizens; the origin option above is registration. Civil Registry Law 141(I)/2002, s.109 (citizenship by birth or descent), as amended, s.109(2)

What would settle an unsure case

Whether your ancestor was born in Cyprus between November 1914 and August 1960 to parents living there; how the Civil Registry applies the origin option beyond a grandchild should be confirmed before filing.

The documents, as the rule lists them

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

Through a parent

Your parent’s Cypriot birth certificate or citizenship certificate
Your birth certificate, apostilled and translated
Your parents’ marriage certificate

Through a grandparent or great-grandparent

Your Cypriot ancestor’s birth certificate from Cyprus (1914-1960) or proof of British subject status under the annexation Orders
Birth and marriage records for each generation to you
Form M123 and the oath of allegiance

Most countries also want proof that your ancestor didn’t become a citizen somewhere else before their child was born: the naturalization record with its date, or a letter saying there isn’t one.

What it takes: time, cost, the hard part, who decides

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

Time: 6–12 months for the registration decision, then a passport.
Cost: About $300–700: registration fees, apostilles and certified translations.
The hard part: If you were born between 1960 and 1999 to a Cypriot mother rather than a father, you were not a citizen automatically at birth; the 1999 amendment lets you register now, but it is an extra step, not a formality.
Who decides: The Civil Registry and Migration Department, through the Cypriot High Commission or embassy for your address.
The first record: Your parent’s Cypriot birth certificate or citizenship certificate, from The Civil Registry and Migration Department. Request the certified copy with the name, date and place of birth; older records may need the district office where the family lived. moi.gov.cy

How it’s filed

Where: The Embassy of Cyprus in Washington, or the Consulate General in New York for CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI and VT; the Civil Registry and Migration Department in Nicosia decides office list
How: In person; you appear in person
Form: Form M121, Application for consular birth certificate (acquisition of Cypriot citizenship for persons born abroad)
Fee: About $32
Decision: 6–18 months

Your consulate

Every office in the United States (2)

Consulate General of Cyprus, New York

Serves Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

How: In person; you appear in person
Address: 5 Grand Central East, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10017

Email nyconsulate@mfa.gov.cy, phone +1 212 686 6016. Book by email or phone.

source ↗

Embassy of Cyprus, Washington DC

How: In person; you appear in person
Address: 2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Consular Section: washingtonconsulate@mfa.gov.cy, (202) 462-0632. In-person visits are by appointment only; call or email first.

source ↗

What goes in the file (8)

Form M121 in duplicate, with an €8.54 revenue stamp affixed, signed before a Cypriot consular officer or honorary consul (or a Registrar of Court in Cyprus)
Member’s original birth certificate, apostilled; it is not returned, so order a second original
Copy of the parents’ marriage certificate (original shown for verification), or the father’s sworn acknowledgment and the mother’s consent if the parents were not married
Copy of the member’s passport
Copies of both parents’ passports
The Cypriot parent’s birth certificate or certificate of registration/citizenship
Receipt for the €20 fee
The Embassy’s Particulars of Applicant form

What goes wrong (6)

Right to apply: born abroad after 16 August 1960 with at least one parent a Cypriot citizen at the birth (MOI). On approval citizenship is acquired and a consular birth certificate issued.
Adults of Cypriot origin whose parent was not a citizen at the birth (e.g. descendants of people born in Cyprus 1914–1960) use form M123 instead: €50 fee + two €8.54 stamps, filed in two copies, signed before a consular officer.
Children born abroad to a Cypriot mother between 16 August 1960 and 10 June 1999 are not citizens automatically; Law 67(I)/2002 lets them opt in by applying to the Minister of Interior. The Interior Ministry’s M121 page and the Washington Embassy both open M121 to a child of either Cypriot parent, so they file M121 too.
The Canberra High Commission quotes at least nine months for processing in Nicosia.
The signature is made before a consular officer or an honorary consul, so the member appears in person. Cyprus has honorary consuls in Los Angeles, Lafayette (San Francisco area), Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans, Kirkland (Seattle area) and Houston, each by appointment. From GB: the High Commission in London. From CA, AU, ZA, BR: the Cypriot mission there (Ottawa, Canberra, Pretoria, Brasilia).
Both U.S. posts work by appointment, booked by email or phone. The Embassy asks applicants to call before filing for the amount, and takes consular fees in U.S. dollars at the euro equivalent, by money order only, payee left blank.

source ↗

Fees are each office’s published fee, converted to U.S. dollars.

Where each record lives, and how to ask for it

birth
Civil Registry and Migration Department (Ministry of Interior), Nicosia, and the District Administration offices for older local registrations.
The Cypriot parent’s birth record by name, date and place; older records may sit with the District Administration where the family lived (takes).
Ask
By post, in English
Fee
5 EUR (about $6)
Takes
4–17 weeks
Good to know (4)
- A certified copy of the Cypriot parent’s birth or citizenship certificate is what M121 needs; if the family holds the parent’s Cypriot passport or ID, start there.
- The person, their parents, their descendants or someone they authorise may have a copy; any District Administration office in Cyprus issues it for €5.
- From the U.S., send the Embassy in Washington a letter to the Cyprus authorities asking for the original birth certificate, an affidavit signed at the Embassy or an honorary consulate, notarized copies of ID, and a money order for the dollar equivalent of €5. Include a prepaid return envelope. The Embassy forwards it to Nicosia; delivery through a mission takes much longer than in Cyprus.
- A Cypriot adult with a CY Login account can issue it online on gov.cy for themselves, their children, grandchildren, parents or grandparents.
source ↗

Translations

Into: Greek
Who may translate: Any certified translator
About: $0–$75 a page

source ↗

The passport

Where: A Cypriot mission with a biometric station (in the U.S.: Washington or New York), in person, after the citizenship application is approved; a member registered on gov.cy can file online and still gives biometrics at the mission. The adult fee is €70, paid in dollars at the euro equivalent; a passport is valid 10 years. Through a mission it takes up to three months, collected where the application was made.
Fee: About $80
Time: 3–13 weeks

source ↗

Recent and pending changes

We know of no pending bill or recent court ruling for Cyprus.

We re-read the official pages behind this guide every day. When one changes, a person checks the rule before we update anything here.

If descent doesn’t reach you

5 residence programs lead to Cyprus without an ancestor, each with its own law and road to citizenship.

Every source on this page

1 laws and official pages behind the answers, then the offices and pages behind the records and filing.

Not legal advice. Every answer comes from the country’s own laws and is tested against real cases. Where the law isn’t clear, we say “possible” rather than guess.

Who qualifies, generation by generation

Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a parent?

What changes the answer

Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a grandparent?

Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a great-grandparent?

The dates that matter

Claiming through your mother or grandmother

In the law’s words

Dual citizenship with your home country

Every way to apply, and the law behind it

The law

What would settle an unsure case

The documents, as the rule lists them

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

What it takes: time, cost, the hard part, who decides

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

How it’s filed

Where each record lives, and how to ask for it

Translations

The passport

Recent and pending changes

If descent doesn’t reach you

Every source on this page

Check your family for Cyprus.

Who qualifies, generation by generation

Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a parent?

What changes the answer

Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a grandparent?

Can you claim Cypriot citizenship through a great-grandparent?

The dates that matter

Claiming through your mother or grandmother

In the law’s words

Dual citizenship with your home country

Every way to apply, and the law behind it

The law

What would settle an unsure case

The documents, as the rule lists them

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

What it takes: time, cost, the hard part, who decides

Citizen by descent (Section 3)

How it’s filed

Where each record lives, and how to ask for it

Translations

The passport

Recent and pending changes

If descent doesn’t reach you

Every source on this page

Check your family for Cyprus.