Cyprus

Naturalisation by residence. Ordinary Cypriot naturalisation after roughly 7–8 years of legal residence, with a faster track for highly skilled workers.

Free, with the law behind every answer

Naturalisation by residence

Cypriot citizenship on approval.

Who qualifies

Twelve months of continuous legal residence immediately before applying, plus cumulative legal residence of at least 7 years within the 10 years preceding that final 12-month period.
Civil Registry Law, as amended 19 December 2023
B1-level Greek language proficiency, good character, and an understanding of Cyprus’s political and social environment.
Civil Registry Law, as amended
Highly skilled employees may qualify faster, in 4 or 5 years total depending on Greek-language proficiency.
Civil Registry Law, as amended

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

It could fit.

Ordinary Cypriot naturalisation after roughly 7–8 years of legal residence, with a faster track for highly skilled workers.

Every option that fits your family

Not legal advice.

What it takes.

Time: 1–2 years for the decision once residence requirements are met.
Cost: About $800–1,500 in fees, exams and translations.
The hard part: The B1 Greek-language requirement, which most residents on income-based or investment permits have not needed to meet along the way.

Citizens by 2036.

If your first permit is issued in 2027 and you keep living there, this is the road.

2027
Residence begins
No permit term of its own; the clock runs on legal residence.
2032
Permanent residence
Five years of legal, continuous residence (absences under 6 months in a row and 10 months in total), Greek at A2, a short exam on Cyprus’s political and social life, and stable income. Student and other temporary-only permits do not count.
2035
Apply for citizenship
With a language test and a civics test.
2036
Citizenship

Language: Greek at B1, shown by a certificate from the Greek Language Centre exams or the University of Cyprus. Holders of a Greek-language secondary diploma or degree are exempt.
Civics: An exam on the basic elements of Cyprus’s contemporary political and social life, run by the Ministry of Education; pass mark 60%.
Time away: Twelve months of continuous legal residence right before applying, during which absences totalling up to 90 days are allowed, plus at least 7 years of legal residence in the 10 years before that. Eight years in all at the least.
Two passports: Yes. You keep your U.S. citizenship.

Not a permit: 12 months unbroken plus 7 years in the 10 before (4 or 5 years in all for highly skilled employees), Greek at B1 and a civics exam.
How long the decision takes isn’t published; we allow a year.

The law behind these dates

Living there.

Time you must spend there: The program sets no minimum number of days. Renewal still expects it to be your home.
Tax: Naturalisation itself has no tax effect; ordinary Cypriot tax residence rules apply based on days present.

We never file a tax return. We tell you what applies and brief the professional who does.

Start today.

Apply through the Ministry of Interior, Civil Registry and Migration Department, once residence requirements are met.Open gov.cy ↗

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The official application forms, submission and recovery specification are not complete. Postern cannot run this application yet.

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