How much do I need to invest to get residency in Cyprus?

At least €300,000, excluding VAT. On a new home, VAT is added on top at 19%, or 5% if the home qualifies as your primary residence under the reduced-rate scheme. You also need €50,000 a year in income.

How long does the Cyprus golden visa take?

The Migration Department estimates about 2 months from a complete application. Law firms report around 6 months in practice in 2026, and missing documents restart the clock, so plan on 2 to 6 months after you submit.

Can I get residency in Cyprus if I buy a resale house?

Not under Category A. Residential property must be a first sale from a developer, unless the contract was filed before 7 May 2013. Resale commercial property can qualify under Category B.

Can I use a mortgage?

Not for the qualifying €300,000. The policy requires proof that the money came from abroad and isn't domestic borrowing. You can borrow for anything above that amount.

Can British citizens apply for the Cyprus golden visa?

Yes. Since 1 January 2021 UK nationals are third-country nationals, which is exactly who the scheme is for. You'll usually hold a visitor permit while the application is examined.

Can my parents get residency through my investment?

No. The 4th Revision removed parents and parents-in-law as dependants. Each parent now needs their own qualifying investment.

Do I need to live in Cyprus to keep it?

No. You must not be absent for 2 years and must take up residence within 1 year of approval if you were abroad. Most holders visit several times a year.

Can I work with a Cyprus investment PR?

No, apart from acting as a director of the company you invested in. You can also be a shareholder and unpaid director of other Cyprus companies and receive dividends.

Does the golden visa make me a Cyprus tax resident?

No. Tax residency depends on days spent in Cyprus. Most holders qualify under the 183-day rule. See the UK to Cyprus tax hub.

Can I get Cyprus citizenship through the investment route?

Not directly. After 7 years of legal residence in the last 10, with 12 continuous months before applying and B1 Greek, you can apply for naturalisation.

Where do I submit if I live in Paphos?

At the Migration Department in Nicosia (Archbishop Makarios III Avenue 90). Your lawyer can file for you with a certified authorisation letter. The old name for this office, CRMD, is explained in our CRMD guide.

Does Cyprus allow dual citizenship with the UK?

Yes. If you later naturalise as a Cypriot, you can keep your British passport. The investment permit itself is residence, not citizenship.

Is the Cyprus golden visa a good investment?

Judge the home, not the visa. You're locking €300,000 plus VAT into a new-build you must keep (or replace immediately) for as long as you want the permit, and new-builds carry VAT that resales don't. If you'd buy that home anyway, the permit is a bonus; if not, a pink slip and Category F cost far less.

Cyprus Residency by Investment 2026: Golden Visa Rules

Cyprus Residency by Investment: The €300,000 Golden Visa Explained

Invest at least €300,000 in a qualifying asset, show €50,000 a year of secured income, and the Migration Department aims to grant permanent residency in about 2 months. It's open to UK citizens as third-country nationals. Here's every rule, fee and document, checked against the 4th Revision policy.

JJason 16 min read Last verified 27 September 2026

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The short version

Legal basis: Regulation 6(2) of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations, 4th Revision of the policy, in force since 2 May 2023. Still open in 2026.

Invest €300,000 in a new home from a developer (plus VAT), commercial property, a Cyprus company with 5+ staff, or a Cyprus investment fund. The money must come from abroad.

Income: €50,000 a year, plus €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 per minor child. For residential property it must be foreign income.

Fees: €500 per application plus €70 per person for the Alien Registration Certificate. Stated decision time: about 2 months from a complete file.

Keep it: hold the investment, prove it every year, and don't be absent from Cyprus for 2 years.

The golden visa at a glance

€300,000

Minimum investment

Excluding VAT

€50,000

Annual income, main applicant

2 months

Stated examination time

€500

Application fee

+€70 ARC per person

10 years

Card validity

The right itself is unlimited

2 years

Absence that cancels it

What Cyprus residency by investment actually is

Cyprus residency by investment is a permanent Immigration Permit granted under an expedited procedure to third-country nationals who invest at least €300,000 in Cyprus. The Migration Department examines the file and the Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection signs it off.

You'll see it called the golden visa, fast-track PR, PR 6.2 or Category 6(2). They're all the same scheme. The current rules are the 4th Revision, which took effect on 2 May 2023. Local law firms note it raised the income test from €30,000 to €50,000. It also stopped parents and parents-in-law riding on the investor's permit.

Three things it is not:

Not citizenship. The Cyprus Investment Programme that sold passports was closed in 2020. Citizenship now takes 7 years of residence and B1 Greek.
Not a work permit. You and your spouse sign a statement that you won't take employment in Cyprus, except as a director of a company you invested in.
Not tax residency. You still need the 183-day rule to be taxed in Cyprus.

For British buyers this matters because a UK passport no longer gives you EU free movement. Since 1 January 2021 you're a third-country national, and this is the quickest way to permanent status. Compare it with Category F and long-term residence on the permanent residency hub.

Family on the terrace of a newly built villa with sea views near Peyia — Viewing a new-build near Peyia

The four qualifying investments

You pick one category. The €300,000 can't be split across categories.

Category	What you invest in	Minimum	Key condition
A: Residential	House or apartment from a development company	€300,000 + VAT	First sale only; up to 2 units
B: Other real estate	Offices, shops, hotels or related developments	€300,000	Resale allowed; can combine assets
C: Company shares	Share capital of a new or existing Cyprus company	€300,000	Physical presence in Cyprus and at least 5 employees
D: Investment fund	Units in a Cyprus AIF, AIFLNP or RAIF	€300,000	Fund's investments held in Cyprus; CySEC confirmation

Source: Migration Department, Regulation 6(2) policy, 4th Revision, paragraph 2.1.

Category A: buying a home for residency

Category A is the route most British families look at, because the investment is also where you'll live. The property must be a house or apartment sold for the first time by a development company. Resales only count if the sale contract was filed with the Land Registry before 7 May 2013.

You can buy up to two units, from the same developer or different ones, as long as the combined market value reaches €300,000. The contract (or title deed) must be filed with the Department of Lands and Surveys, and your official payment receipts must show at least €300,000 excluding VAT by the time you apply, even if the building isn't finished.

If the home doesn't have enough bedrooms for your family, you must name a second property (owned or rented) where the rest will live. For the VAT, the 2-unit limit and what due diligence to run on a developer, read the €300,000 property requirements and our buyer due diligence guide.

Categories B, C and D

Category B suits buyers who want a resale or commercial asset: offices, shops or hotel units totalling €300,000. Category C needs a real operating company with a physical presence and at least 5 employees, evidenced by Social Insurance records. Category D means €300,000 in units of a CySEC-regulated Cyprus fund. For B, C and D you must also show where you'll live: a title, sale contract or rental agreement.

Open-plan living room of a new villa near Paphos opening onto a pool terrace with sea view — A new-build living space opening onto the terrace

Watch out

The money must come from abroad

The Migration Department wants proof that the €300,000 was transferred to Cyprus from abroad, from your account, your spouse's account (if they're on the application) or a company account you and your spouse solely own. It must not be the result of domestic borrowing. A Cyprus mortgage can fund anything above the qualifying amount, but not the €300,000 you rely on. Keep every SWIFT confirmation and ask your UK bank for a transfer certificate.

Income requirement for Cyprus residency by investment

You need a personal secured annual income of at least €50,000. It rises by €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 for each minor child. Your spouse's income can count towards the total.

Household	Income needed each year
Single applicant	€50,000
Couple	€65,000
Couple + 1 child	€75,000
Couple + 2 children	€85,000
Couple + 1 student aged 18–25	€75,000

What counts: salaries, pensions, dividends, bank interest and rent. Where it comes from matters. Under Category A the income must come from abroad. Under B, C or D, some or all of it can come from activity in Cyprus.

How you prove it: a tax return from the country where you're tax resident, or official certificates from an independent certified accountant. For UK taxpayers, lawyers typically ask for your Self Assessment return and HMRC's tax calculation for the latest year. Pensioners use pension statements plus the tax return.

The good news: since the 4th Revision clarification you prove income once, at application. The annual income re-check was abolished.

Who you can include on the permit

The permit covers you, your spouse and your children under 18. There's no extra investment for them, only the income uplift.

Students aged 18 to 25. Unmarried children who are in tertiary education abroad and financially dependent on you can file their own application, with its own fee, as long as you show another €10,000 a year for each. Their permit stays valid after they turn 25, marry or finish studying. In March 2026 the Migration Department confirmed that these student applications are now examined under the 4th Revision criteria, even where the parents' permit dates from an older revision: parents need a sale agreement and payment proof of at least €300,000 plus VAT, with funds from abroad.

Two teenagers carrying towels down a lane to Coral Bay beach on a summer afternoon — School's out: the walk down to Coral Bay

Adult children who aren't dependent. They can use your investment only if you multiply it: €600,000 for one adult child, €900,000 for two. At least 66% of the property value must be paid at application, and each adult child needs their own €50,000 income (+€15,000 spouse, +€10,000 per child).

Two permits for a couple. Each spouse can hold a separate permit with a separate fee, without the second spouse meeting the investment test. If the investor's permit is cancelled, the spouse's goes too.

Parents can no longer be included. Since May 2023, a parent who wants PR needs their own qualifying investment.

Do you qualify for the fast-track?

Check your income, investment and family setup against the Regulation 6(2) rules in about two minutes.

Children splashing in a villa pool in the hills above Paphos while parents relax — A family pool in the hills above Paphos

How to apply, step by step

1Week 0

Get advice before you reserve

Have an independent lawyer check the developer, the land title and that the unit is a genuine first sale. Don't use the developer's lawyer.

2Weeks 1–4

Sign and file the contract

Sign the sale contract, file it at the Land Registry for specific performance, and send at least €300,000 + VAT from abroad to the seller's Cyprus account.

34–8 weeks

Assemble the file

Order ACRO certificates, apostilles, the income evidence, insurance and medical tests. Translations only where documents aren't in English or Greek.

41 appointment

Submit in Nicosia

Book with the Migration Department and submit in person or through your authorised representative. Pay €500 plus €70 per person for the ARC.

5About 2 months

Decision

The Department's estimate runs from a complete application. Law firms report 2 to 6 months in practice, and missing papers restart the clock.

6After approval

Biometrics and card

Photo, fingerprints and signature (photo only under 6). If you're still abroad, move to Cyprus within 1 year of approval.

Free introduction

Get introduced to a lawyer who files fast-track PR every month

We'll match you with a vetted Cyprus immigration and property lawyer who is independent of any developer. You get a written quote before you commit. The introduction costs you nothing.

Independent of developers and agents
Handles the property checks and the PR file together
Submits for you in Nicosia

Founder-led. Replies within one working day.

What the golden visa really costs

The €300,000 is only the qualifying amount. Here's what sits around it.

Item	Amount	Notes
Qualifying investment	€300,000 minimum	Excluding VAT
VAT on a new home	19% standard, 5% if you qualify	The 5% primary-residence rate has size and value caps
Land Registry transfer fees	Usually €0 on new builds	Full exemption when the sale is subject to VAT
Application fee	€500	Covers everyone on one application
Alien Registration Certificate	€70 per person	Only where you don't already have one
Adding a family member later	€50 per person
Legal, apostille, translation, medicals	Quoted per case	Get a written quote

Fees: Migration Department. Transfer-fee exemption: Department of Lands and Surveys. VAT rates: local lawyers (the Tax Department's reduced-rate page doesn't publish the criteria in a fetchable form). Stamp duty was abolished from 1 January 2026 under the tax reform.

Family Sunday lunch at a village taverna near Paphos with children playing in the garden — A long Sunday lunch at a village taverna

Worked example: a couple and one child buying a €300,000 new-build

The household needs €75,000 a year of foreign income (€50,000 + €15,000 + €10,000). Here's the one-off money on top of the purchase price.

VAT on the home5% if it qualifies as your main home, 19% otherwise

€15,000–57,000

Land Registry transfer feesExempt when the sale is subject to VAT

€0

Migration Department fees€500 application + 3 × €70 ARC

€710

Lawyer's PR packageOne Cyprus firm's published family fee; yours will quote

€3,500

Apostilles on UK documentsAbout 6–10 documents at £45 each (FCDO standard), converted at £1 = €1.15

€310–520

Total one-off

€19,520 – €61,730

Our calculations from Migration Department fees, the Department of Lands and Surveys exemption, GOV.UK apostille fees and one law firm's published package. Medical tests, translations, health insurance and property conveyancing are extra. Stamp duty no longer applies from 1 January 2026.

After approval: what you must keep doing

The permit is permanent, but it comes with conditions. Miss them and the Migration Department can cancel it for you and your family.

Every year: send proof that you still hold the investment, and proof of health insurance if you're not a GeSY beneficiary.
Every 3 years: clean criminal record certificates for you and adult family members (this used to be annual).
Income: no annual re-check since the 4th Revision clarification.
Within 1 year of approval: take up residence in Cyprus if you were living abroad when it was granted.
Never 2 years away: an absence from Cyprus of 2 years, or taking permanent residence elsewhere, ends the permit.
Don't sell without a swap: selling the investment without immediately replacing it with one of the same or greater value that meets the policy cancels the permit. The policy gives no grace period.

The card itself expires after 10 years and you apply for a replacement. Children's cards run until they turn 18.

Tip

Check three property details before you book Nicosia

Treat the property and the permit as one project. Before the appointment, have your lawyer confirm that: 1. the sale contract is filed at the Land Registry; 2. every qualifying payment left a bank account outside Cyprus; 3. the receipts reach €300,000 before VAT, not only once VAT is added. Each of these is a written condition of the policy, and each is easy to get wrong on a new-build payment schedule.

Father and daughter flying a kite on the headland at Coral Bay in spring — A breezy afternoon on the headland at Coral Bay

Cyprus golden visa vs Greece, Portugal and Malta

The property-based residence schemes British buyers most often compare, as they stood in September 2026. Figures for other countries come from specialist sources, not their governments, so check before you commit.

Cyprus

Reg. 6(2) fast-track

Wins 3 of 5

Greece

Golden visa

Wins 1 of 5

Portugal

Golden visa

Malta

MPRP

Wins 1 of 5

Property route

€300,000 new-build + VAT

€400,000 (120 m²+), €800,000 in Athens, Thessaloniki and larger islands, €250,000 for conversions

Real estate no longer qualifies

Buy €375,000+ or rent €14,000+ a year

Status

Permanent from approval

5-year permit, renewable

Temporary permit, renewed

Permanent

Government charges

€500 + €70 per person

Not compared here

€99,000 (admin fee, contribution, donation)

Presence rule

Don't be absent 2 years

None

14 days in years 1–2, then 21 days in years 3–5

None stated

Income or capital test

€50,000 a year from abroad

None stated

Investment of €500,000 in funds

€500,000–€650,000 capital

The verdict

Cyprus is the only one of the four where a single €300,000 home still gives you permanent residence directly. Greece has no presence rule but its permit is renewable rather than permanent and prices start at €400,000 in most places. Malta is permanent but costs about €99,000 in government charges before you buy. Portugal no longer accepts property at all. The trade-off in Cyprus is the €50,000 foreign income test.

Cyprus residency by investment: pros and cons

What works

Permanent status in about 2 months, with no language test

One investment covers your spouse and children under 18

Minimal presence rule: one visit every 2 years

Income proven once, not every year

New homes usually carry no Land Registry transfer fees

What to watch

€300,000 tied up for as long as you want the permit

New-build only for residential; Paphos resale homes don't qualify

€50,000 foreign income test is high for many retirees

No right to take a job in Cyprus

Parents can't be added any more

Rules change: the 2023 revision raised the income test from €30,000 to €50,000 and dropped parents

Cyprus golden visa FAQ

Yes. The Regulation 6(2) fast-track permanent residence scheme is open under the 4th Revision in force since 2 May 2023. The citizenship-by-investment programme is what closed in 2020.

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Sources checked for this page

1.Migration Department — Immigration permits for investors, Regulation 6(2) (4th Revision)Government
2.Migration Department — Investor immigration permit forms and documentsGovernment
3.Migration Department — Immigration permit forms (MIP2)Government
4.Migration Department — Immigration permits, Categories A–FGovernment
5.Migration Department — Medical examinations for immigration permit applications (from 1 Sept 2026)Government
6.Migration Department — Regulation 6(2) applications for dependent students (March 2026)Government
7.Department of Lands and Surveys — Transfer feesGovernment
8.Ministry of Interior — Purchasing property by non-EU nationals (COMM 145)Government
9.GOV.UK — Living in CyprusGovernment
10.Ministry of Interior — Citizenship by naturalisation (form M127)Government
11.Deloitte Cyprus — Update on citizenship requirements (2023 amendment)Professional
12.GOV.UK — Get a document legalised (apostille fees)Government
13.G. Kouzalis LLC — Cyprus golden visa 2026 (processing in practice, published legal fees)Professional
14.Henley & Partners — Greece residence by investment (thresholds)Professional
15.Henley & Partners — Portugal golden visa (real estate excluded, stay rule)Professional
16.Legal 500 — Malta Permanent Residence Programme 2026Professional

Written by

Jason

Founder, Paphos Advisor

British founder who moved his family from the UK to Paphos in 2025. I write down what I learned doing it properly — the tax, the residency and the living-here detail — and introduce people to the specialists I’d use myself.

How I research and fact-check

Cyprus Residency by Investment: The €300,000 Golden Visa Explained

The golden visa at a glance

What Cyprus residency by investment actually is

The four qualifying investments