The Cyprus legislation has recently been amended to fundamentally change the conditions for granting citizenship to foreigners by naturalization.
However, the implementation of the new rules has faced delays, leaving hundreds of applications in limbo. In other words, despite the approval of the Parliament, the innovations have not yet been put into practice.
Recall that one of the main criteria for obtaining a Cypriot passport after 7 years of residence on the island was the mandatory knowledge of the Greek language at the level of B1. For this purpose it is necessary to pass an exam and get the corresponding certificate. Also a foreigner must have knowledge of the history, culture, modern politics and social life of the Republic of Cyprus.
The Cypriot Interior Ministry said that pending the announcement of the results of the tests, which took place in February and the clarification of the government's next steps, the civil migration department has stopped accepting new applications from people seeking Cypriot citizenship.
The law was passed and the amendments were officially published in the Government Gazette. However, as details about the implementation of the tests are still being finalized, the Civil Migration Department is not accepting any new applications for citizenship for the time being. In effect, this means that for many people the process of obtaining a Cypriot passport has stalled, at least until the competent authorities provide clarity on the tests. Details will be outlined in due course, but for the moment all processes are on hold. It should be noted that this fact will not benefit the department, which is already inundated with applications for citizenship," emphasized, for his part, Marios Konstantinou, a lawyer at K. Konstantinou Law Firm. Konstantinou Law Firm.
Interestingly, while Cypriot officials cannot agree among themselves, foreigners do not waste time.
Many are actively learning Greek in the hope of passing the exam, which will be held in May 2024, and get the coveted certificate. Now it is needed and highly qualified professionals who plan to acquire citizenship of the island state in an accelerated manner.
Note that at the end of 2023 in Cyprus approved the law, thanks to which foreign citizens working in the sector of research and innovation, will be able to apply for citizenship under an accelerated procedure. The conditions for this are as follows:
Possession of a Greek language certificate at A2 or B1 level, issued by the Cypriot authorities following an official examination;
sufficient income and suitable accommodation;
Qualification to work in the field of research and innovation;
no criminal record.
For A2 level Greek language proficiency, the period of residence in Cyprus must be five years and for B1 level, four years (instead of the seven years required of all other applicants).
Family members of such applicants (spouses, minor children, partners) will also be eligible for citizenship. The spouse/partner will be required to have A2 or B1 level Greek. Both the applicants themselves and their family members are expected to have resided legally and continuously in Cyprus for 12 months preceding the application.
It should be mentioned that, as in the case of naturalization, these innovations are still only on paper. Not a single application under the new program has been accepted yet. Thus, we can only hope that in the near future the Cypriot officials will give some clarity to the question of issuing passports.