New rules for obtaining citizenship of Cyprus

On Friday, March 22, the Ministry of Interior announced new rules for granting citizenship of the Republic of Cyprus.

Now the documents will be accepted according to the new regulations.

From now on, the applicants must meet several revised criteria to be able to apply for a Cypriot passport.

According to the agency, foreigners must legally and permanently reside in Cyprus for 12 months immediately preceding the date of citizenship application. At the same time, it is not allowed to be absent from the island for more than 90 days during this period.

It is also necessary to have had legal residence in the Republic of Cyprus for a cumulative period of at least seven years within the ten years immediately preceding these 12 months.

The applicant must have no criminal record, a knowledge of the Greek language at the B1 level, as well as a basic knowledge of the elements of the current political and social reality of Cyprus (relevant documents and certificates must be provided).

In addition, the applicant must have an official source of permanent income. In other words, sufficient funds to support himself and his family members.

The government has also announced the requirements for the naturalization of highly qualified specialists. By the way, this program applies only to employees of certain companies. These include firms with foreign interests operating in the Republic of Cyprus and having offices on the island.

This scheme applies to Cypriot shipping companies, high-tech and innovative companies producing products related to aerospace, computers, information technology and communications, pharmaceuticals, biomedical equipment, research and development equipment, machinery, and chemicals.

Cypriot pharmaceutical companies and Cypriot biogenetics and technology companies are also included in the program.

The ministry said that highly qualified candidates must meet the same requirements as regular candidates, except for criteria related to residence and language.

Such professionals only need to have lived in Cyprus for three or four years out of the ten years preceding the 12 months before application, and some applicants will only need to prove knowledge of Greek at a bare A2 level.