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From 19.12.2023, the Population Register (Amendment) Law of 2023 has entered into force.
According to the provisions of which adults who intend to apply for Cypriot citizenship through naturalization must cumulatively meet the following criteria:
Legal and continuous residence for 12 months immediately preceding the date of application. Periods of absence that do not exceed a total of 90 days do not interrupt the stated time period.
During the immediately preceding 10 years from the 12-month period to have legal residence for cumulative periods of time not less than 7 years.
Good character.
Adequate knowledge of the Greek language at level B1.
Adequate knowledge of basic elements of the modern political and social reality of the Republic.
Adequate accommodation and stable and regular financial resources sufficient for the maintenance of themselves and their family members.
Intention to reside in the Republic.
Evidence of (4)
Certificate of Passing in the B1 level Greek language examination as specified in the Common European Framework of Reference for the languages of the Council of Europe which can be obtained after the Greek Proficiency Certification Examinations conducted by the Hellenic Language Centre of the Hellenic Republic through of the Examination Service of the Directorate of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth.
Evidence of (5)
Certificate of Success with a grade equal to or greater than 60%, in an examination assessing the knowledge of Basic Elements of Contemporary Politics and Social Reality of the Republic conducted by the Examinations Service of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth.
The Pass Certificates of the examinations conducted by the Examination Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in July 2023 and February 2024 can be accepted for application purposes. For the Pass Certificates of the July 2023 exams in which no score is indicated, interested parties may request their exact score by emailing yp_exetaseon@moec.gov.cy of the Examinations Service of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth.
Evidence of (6)
Title deed, sale deed and payment receipts or rental document and rent payment receipts and utility bill payment receipts,
Payslip, employment contract, social security, income tax, bank accounts or any other evidence that can to prove the income of the applicant.
Application for the acquisition of Cyprus Citizenship with Naturalization for persons residing in the Republic for the purpose of highly skilled employment
Pursuant to Article 111B(2) the qualifications are differentiated for persons residing in the Republic for the purpose of highly skilled employment in companies which are determined by the Decision of the Council of Ministers with no. 92.018 and date 15/10/2021 , regarding the Strategy for Attracting Companies to Activate and/or Expand their Activities, as well as for their family members. The following companies fall into this category:
companies/companies of foreign interests operating in the Republic of Cyprus and operating independent offices in Cyprus, which are housed in suitable premises, separate from any private residence or other office,
Cypriot shipping companies,
Cypriot hi-tech/innovation companies with products related to the aerospace industry, computers, information technology and communication, pharmaceuticals, biomedical equipment, research and development equipment, electrical machinery, chemicals, non-electrical machinery,
Cypriot pharmaceutical companies or Cypriot companies active in the fields of biogenetics and biotechnology,
companies that are already registered in the Register of Foreign Companies of the Department of Population and Immigration Records.
An adult foreigner who, on the day of submitting his application and on the day of examination of the application, works in a company that meets the conditions below and whose employment was highly skilled according to the criteria below can submit an application to acquire Cypriot citizenship with naturalization if cumulatively meets the following criteria:
Legal and continuous residence for 12 months immediately before the date of submission of the application. Periods of absence that do not exceed a total of 90 days do not interrupt the stated time period.
During the immediately preceding 10 years from the 12-month period, to have legal residence for cumulative periods of no less than 4 years or 3 years depending on the level of knowledge of the Greek language, i.e. A2 or B1 respectively. Periods of absence that do not exceed a total of 90 days per year are not counted as absence.
Good character.
Adequate knowledge of the Greek language at level A2 or B1 as the case may be.
Adequate knowledge of basic elements of the modern political and social reality of the Republic.
Adequate accommodation and stable and regular financial resources sufficient for the maintenance of themselves and their family members;
Intention to reside in the Republic.
Highly qualified employees
Persons who hold temporary residence permits for the purpose of employment in companies of foreign interests, assuming that they belong to the following categories:
Director
Specialist
Key personnel
2. Persons regardless of their residence status:
receive a minimum gross monthly salary in the amount of €2500
hold a university diploma or title or an equivalent qualification or certificates of experience in a corresponding employment position lasting 2 years (e.g. tax returns).
Persons belonging to category (2) should provide a certificate, either from the Company Facilitation Unit or from the Population and Immigration Registry Department, confirming that the company meets the criteria of the Decision.
Family Members
The following persons may apply together with or after the beneficiary, provided they meet the residence and language requirements:
Spouse or common-law partner
Dependent adult child, with a disability ("disability" in relation to a person means any in the form of long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory disorders which, in their interaction with various obstacles, may prevent the full and effective participation of this person in society on an equal basis with others)
Submission of Applications
Applications are submitted on the M127 form at local Provincial Administrations.
The application should be accompanied by the necessary accompanying documents which are recorded in the status of accompanying documents and which should be duly authenticated and translated .
Please note that the application must be signed before a Notary or Consular officer or another person authorized for this purpose.
For the submission of the application, the fees necessary in each case are paid as listed below.
Fees and stamps
A fee of €500 is payable for submitting an application.
Two stamps worth €8.54 each are attached to the application.
If the application is approved, an additional fee of €500 is paid for the issuance of the naturalization certificate.
*DISCLAIMER: This article and its publication are intended to provide a brief introduction and act as a general guide. This is provided for information purposes only and cannot be utilized as a substitute for professional advice. This document does not represent a legal opinion and one must not rely on it without receiving independent advice based on the particular facts of its own case. No responsibility is accepted by the author or the publishers for any loss suffered from acting or refraining from acting based on the contents of this publication.
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