Cyprus Permanent Residency Requirements and Costs: The 2026 Checklist

The Cyprus golden visa requirements for 2026 are: you must be a non-EU national with a clean criminal record, make a qualifying investment of at least EUR 300,000 in Cypriot property, shares or funds, show a secured annual income of at least EUR 50,000 for the main applicant, and visit Cyprus at least once every two years to keep the permit. One caveat applies throughout: Cyprus is an EU member but not a Schengen state, so the permit does not grant visa-free Schengen travel. This checklist sets out every requirement and the full cost picture.

On this page

• Who is eligible for Cyprus permanent residency?
• The investment requirement (from EUR 300,000)
• The income requirements
• The full cost picture
• Family eligibility
• Document checklist
• Ongoing obligations
• Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information about Cyprus permanent residency by investment and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Programme terms and figures can change. Obtain independent professional advice before making any application or investment decision.

Every figure below is a qualifying condition, which is why accuracy matters more on this page than anywhere else in the process. The programme runs under Regulation 6(2) of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations and is administered by the Migration Department under the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection (gov.cy), functions that previously sat with the Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD) of the Ministry of Interior. The figures on this page follow the officially published criteria (4th Revision, in force since 2 May 2023), and each threshold should be re-confirmed against the current published criteria at the point of application. For how these requirements fit the wider programme, see the Cyprus permanent residency by investment pillar.

Who is eligible for Cyprus permanent residency?

Nationality (non-EU) and clean criminal record

The fast-track route is open to non-EU nationals aged 18 or over who hold a clean criminal record. The applicant must not already be an EU citizen. The available sources record no formal nationality exclusions, but this should be treated as an area to confirm with legal counsel rather than assumed, because sanctions and policy can affect specific profiles, and any statement about particular nationalities requires attribution and legal sign-off before it is relied upon.

Where the income must come from depends on the route

The source rules for the qualifying income depend on the investment route chosen. Where the investment is a new residential property, the officially published criteria require the income to derive from abroad, such as salaries, pensions, dividends, interest or rents, evidenced through a tax return from the applicant’s country of tax residence or through certificates from an independent certified accountant. Where the investment is commercial real estate, company shares or fund units, the criteria allow the income, in whole or in part, to come from sources inside Cyprus. In every case the investment funds themselves must be shown to have been transferred to Cyprus from abroad, not raised through domestic borrowing. The programme is designed for investors who bring wealth in, not for people seeking local employment: the applicant and spouse must confirm they do not intend to take up employment in Cyprus, other than as directors of the company in which they have invested.

The investment requirement (from EUR 300,000)

The core requirement is a qualifying investment of at least EUR 300,000. There are four ways to meet it.

New residential property from a developer, plus VAT

The most common route is a new residential property, bought as a first sale from a development company, worth at least EUR 300,000 before VAT. VAT applies on top of the purchase price. The standard Cypriot VAT rate is 19 percent, and a reduced rate can apply to a qualifying primary residence under specific conditions. Because VAT materially changes the total outlay, the applicable rate should be confirmed for your specific purchase with Cypriot tax counsel. Under the officially published criteria, up to two residential units may be combined to reach the threshold, they need not come from the same development company, and the arrangement also applies to couples. For the property route in depth, see the Cyprus real estate for permanent residency guide.

Commercial real estate, company shares, or Cypriot funds

You do not have to buy residential property. Three further routes qualify at the same EUR 300,000 threshold: commercial real estate such as offices, shops or hotels (new or resale); shares of at least EUR 300,000 in a Cypriot company that is based and operating in Cyprus with a proven physical presence and employs at least five people; or units of at least EUR 300,000 in a licensed Cypriot investment fund (AIF, AIFLNP or RAIF) whose investments are held in Cyprus. Each qualifies fully. The right choice depends on whether you want a tangible asset, an income-producing holding or a passive fund position.

The income requirements

EUR 50,000 per year secured income for the main applicant

Separately from the investment, the main applicant must prove a personal secured annual income of at least EUR 50,000, a figure set in the officially published criteria. This is a capacity test that confirms the applicant can support themselves and their family in Cyprus without recourse to local employment. The income must be secured, and for the residential property route it must derive from abroad, while the other routes allow all or part of it to come from sources inside Cyprus. In calculating the total, the spouse’s income may also be taken into account.

Additional income per spouse and per dependent child

The income requirement rises with each dependant included in the application. The officially published criteria set an additional EUR 15,000 per year for a dependent spouse and an additional EUR 10,000 per year for each dependent child, on top of the main applicant’s EUR 50,000. These per-dependant figures are the requirements most often understated on competing checklists. A family of four therefore needs to evidence materially more secured income than the headline EUR 50,000 suggests, which is central to planning the file correctly.

The full cost picture

Investment, VAT, and moving the funds through Cyprus

The cost of a Cyprus permanent residency application is more than the headline EUR 300,000. The real cash picture is made up of the qualifying investment itself, VAT where the residential property route is used, and government and professional fees. One historical requirement is worth clearing up, because many older guides still repeat it: the current officially published criteria contain no fixed Cypriot bank deposit requirement. The earlier pledged-deposit condition was removed when the criteria were revised in 2021. What the current criteria do require is that the investment funds are proven to have been transferred to Cyprus from abroad, from the applicant’s or spouse’s account, and paid to the seller’s account at a Cypriot financial institution, so a Cypriot banking relationship remains a practical part of the process even though no deposit threshold applies.

Cost snapshot table

Professional and government fees

Beyond the investment and income requirements, an application carries government processing fees and professional fees for legal, tax and advisory support. The officially published criteria set a fee of EUR 500 on submission of the application, plus EUR 70 per person for issuing the Alien Registration Certificate where one does not already exist; confirm the current schedule at application. We do not quote fixed advisory figures, because they depend on family size and complexity: advisory fees are quoted per engagement. For a cross-programme view of total costs, see our forthcoming how much a golden visa costs hub, and for eligibility comparison against another immediate-PR programme, the Malta MPRP requirements.

Family eligibility (who you can include)

Spouse and children under 18

A single application can include the main applicant, their spouse, and dependent children under the age of 18. The family is assessed together, and the income requirement rises per dependant as set out above.

Dependent students aged 18 to 25 and adult children

Under the officially published criteria, unmarried children aged 18 to 25 who are studying at a tertiary institution abroad and are financially dependent on the investor can obtain their own permits through separate linked applications, with the parents evidencing an additional EUR 10,000 of annual income for each such child. A permit granted this way remains valid even after the child turns 25, marries or becomes financially independent. Financially independent adult children can also be covered where the investment is scaled up by EUR 300,000 per adult child. The published criteria do not set out a distinct category for dependent children with disabilities, so that situation should be raised with local counsel and confirmed against current practice before an application relies on it.

Parents: not standard dependants on the fast-track route

Parents of the main applicant are not listed as standard dependants on the fast-track investment route. This is an important limitation for families whose planning centres on elderly parents, and it should be verified with local counsel before an application is built around it, because the position can differ case by case.

Document checklist

While your adviser will confirm the exact list for your circumstances, a Cyprus fast-track file typically requires:

• Valid passports for every applicant and dependant.
• Birth and marriage certificates establishing family relationships.
• A clean police conduct or criminal-record certificate for each adult applicant.
• Evidence of the qualifying investment (a property sale and purchase agreement, share subscription documents or fund confirmation).
• Proof of the secured income for the main applicant and each dependant (tax return or certified accountant confirmation).
• Evidence that the investment funds were transferred to Cyprus from abroad and paid through a Cypriot financial institution.
• Comprehensive source-of-funds documentation.
• Proof of health insurance covering Cyprus.

Every document must be current, consistent with the rest of the file and, where required, apostilled or officially translated. Consistency across documents is itself a practical requirement, because the assessment cross-checks them. Our forward due diligence and KYC guide covers the source-of-funds standard across all our programmes.

Ongoing obligations

The Cyprus permanent residence permit is not a one-off transaction. The core obligations run for as long as the status is held. You must maintain the qualifying investment, and under the officially published criteria you must provide the Migration Department with evidence of that annually, along with proof of health insurance where you are not covered by the national health system. Selling the investment without immediately replacing it with another of at least equal value results in cancellation. Adult family members must also file a clean criminal record certificate every three years. On presence, the permit ceases to be valid if the holder is absent from Cyprus for a period of two years or acquires permanent residence abroad, which is why the practical rule is to visit at least once every two years; there is no minimum annual stay. And, as on every Cyprus page, the permit does not include Schengen free movement, because Cyprus is an EU member but not a Schengen state.

Frequently asked questions

What are the requirements for Cyprus permanent residency by investment?
A qualifying investment of at least EUR 300,000 in Cypriot property, shares or funds, a secured annual income of at least EUR 50,000 for the main applicant (from abroad where the investment is residential property), a clean criminal record, and non-EU nationality. The permit is kept by maintaining the investment and visiting Cyprus once every two years.

How much does the Cyprus golden visa cost in total?
The EUR 300,000 investment, plus VAT where the residential property route is used, plus additional income proof per dependant. The application fee is EUR 500, plus EUR 70 per person for the Alien Registration Certificate where needed. No fixed bank deposit is required under the current criteria, and advisory fees are quoted per engagement.

Do I have to buy residential property?
No. Commercial real estate, shares in a Cypriot company, or units in Cypriot investment funds (AIF, AIFLNP or RAIF) also qualify at EUR 300,000.

Who can I include in my application?
Your spouse and children under 18 as dependants, while unmarried dependent students aged 18 to 25 studying abroad can obtain their own linked permits, and financially independent adult children can be covered at a higher investment level. Parents are not listed as standard dependants on the fast-track route, and the criteria set no distinct disability category, so both points should be verified with local counsel.

Do I need to live in Cyprus?
No minimum annual stay applies. You must visit Cyprus at least once every two years and keep the qualifying investment.

Does the permit include Schengen travel?
No. Cyprus is not in the Schengen Area, so the permit does not grant visa-free Schengen movement.

The bottom line

The Cyprus permanent residency requirements are demanding but predictable, and the value of this page is getting every threshold right. The investment floor is EUR 300,000, the income requirement scales with family size, and the property route carries VAT that changes the real cash picture. The difference between a smooth approval and a stalled one is almost always the quality of the file. Before committing to any route, the sensible step is a confidential assessment of your profile against these requirements. For the route mechanics, see the Cyprus fast-track residency guide, and for the wider evaluation, the benefits of Cyprus permanent residency. The Aegir Global team advises HNW families and their professional advisers on exactly this, and advisory fees are quoted per engagement.