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On May 16, 2024, the House of Representatives approved a second amendment to the Civil Registry Law. This amendment addresses several provisions that previously hindered the proper implementation of the initial amendment introduced in December 2023. The main provisions of the new legislation are detailed as follows:
Applications can be submitted by individuals who have completed at least eight years of physical stay within a period of eleven years preceding the application. Periods of absence of up to ninety days per year are not deducted from the total period of stay. Additionally, an absence of up to ninety days does not interrupt the continuous and legal stay during the last twelve months before the submission of the application.
Applicants must possess a certificate of basic knowledge of the Greek language (Level B1) and basic knowledge of the Island's history and political/social status.
Applicants must be of good character and financially self-sufficient.
Applicants must have the intention to stay in the Republic.
Special provisions for highly qualified foreign nationals working for foreign companies, as determined by the Council of Ministers, are as follows:
Applications can be submitted by employees who have completed at least five years of physical stay within a period of eleven years preceding the application. The five-year rule applies to these applicants who have an A2 certificate of knowledge of the Greek language. This period can be reduced to four years if the applicant has a B1 certificate. Periods of absence of up to ninety days per year are not deducted from the total period of stay.
Spouses and civil partners of the applicants can also apply under the same conditions. Minor children who reach the age of eighteen while their parent's application is under examination can apply for Cyprus citizenship immediately after the naturalization of their parent, provided they can produce a clean criminal record certificate.
Applicants must be of good character and financially self-sufficient.
Applicants must have the intention to stay in the Republic.
These applications will be examined under a fast-track process (up to eight months), provided that an expedition fee is paid. The fee and the procedure will be determined by the Minister of Interior.
Regarding pending applications, the provisions of the last approved amendment state that all applications submitted before the new legislation took effect will be examined according to the old criteria (the ones applicable at the time of submission) both in terms of years of residence and additional requirements.
*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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