Cyprus Permanent Residence by Investment

A minimum of 300,000 euros, before VAT. The most common route is buying a new residential property directly from a developer; you can also invest 300,000 euros in other real estate (resales allowed), in a Cyprus company with at least five employees, or in units of a Cyprus-registered investment fund.

Yes. The Regulation 6(2) permit is indefinite and is not renewed. However, it can be revoked if you sell or fail to maintain the qualifying investment, fail to visit Cyprus at least once every two years, or no longer meet the income conditions.

No. To keep PR you only need to visit Cyprus at least once every two years. There is no minimum stay. Living in Cyprus only becomes necessary if you later want to naturalize as a citizen or claim Cyprus tax residency.

No. Cyprus is an EU member but not yet part of the Schengen Area, so the residence permit does not grant free movement across Schengen on its own. Cyprus has been working toward Schengen accession, but as of 2026 it is not in.

Typically about two to six months from a complete file. Regulation 6(2) is specifically the fast-track route, which is why processing is short compared with most EU residence programs.

Your spouse and minor children. Unmarried children aged 18 to 25 who are full-time students abroad and financially dependent can also be included with additional income proof. Since the May 2023 amendment, parents and parents-in-law can no longer be added.

A secured annual income of at least 50,000 euros for the main applicant, plus 15,000 euros for a spouse and 10,000 euros for each child. For the new-property route the income must originate from abroad and be shown on your foreign tax return.

The main applicant generally cannot take up paid employment in Cyprus, since the program assumes you support yourself from outside income. You can, however, own and be a director or shareholder of a Cyprus company and receive dividends.

Yes, but not passively. Naturalization generally requires about eight years of genuine, continuous physical residence (broadly seven of the prior ten years plus a final unbroken 12 months), Greek-language proficiency and an integration test. Holding the card while only visiting every two years does not build toward it.

If you become a Cyprus non-dom tax resident, you pay 0% on worldwide dividends, interest and rental income for up to 17 years (extendable to 27 under the 2026 reform), with no inheritance, wealth or gift tax and no tax on most securities gains. These benefits require relocating your tax residency, not just holding the permit. Coordinate with Cyprus tax counsel.

No. The Cyprus citizenship-by-investment scheme, which granted a passport directly for investment, was terminated in November 2020. This is a residence program. It can lead to citizenship only through ordinary naturalization after real residence.

On the new-property route the property is intended as the family residence, and rules around renting it out have tightened. Investors who want rental income usually use the other real estate route (Category B) or a non-property option. Confirm the current position with your lawyer before relying on rental income.

Strong. The Cypriot passport ranks 14th on the 2026 Henley Passport Index with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to around 174 destinations, and it confers full EU citizenship and free movement rights, including the Schengen travel that the residence permit alone does not.

The big ones are assuming the permit gives Schengen mobility (it does not), assuming the tax breaks apply without relocating (they do not), and underestimating the annual obligation to prove the investment is retained. The income requirement must also be genuine and, for property, sourced from abroad.