Can I use the developer's lawyer?

Don't. The developer's lawyer acts for the developer. Your immigration lawyer and your conveyancing lawyer should confirm in writing that they have no link to the seller, developer or estate agent.

Does permanent residency make me tax resident in Cyprus?

No. Immigration status and tax residency are separate. Tax residency depends on the 183-day or 60-day rule, and your UK position depends on the UK Statutory Residence Test. A tax advisor should plan this alongside the permit.

Can I work with this permit?

Not as an employee. You and your spouse must confirm you won't take employment in Cyprus, except as a director of a company you've invested in. You can hold shares in Cyprus companies and be an unpaid director.

Is the €300,000 route better than Category F?

It is faster. The investment route targets about 2 months, while law firms report Category F applications from 2020 still being processed in 2026. Category F needs no minimum investment and a much lower income (€9,568 a year). If you don't want to tie up €300,000, compare both with a lawyer before choosing.

What happens if I sell the property?

Selling without immediately replacing it with an investment of the same or higher value cancels the permit. Living outside Cyprus for 2 years, or taking permanent residence elsewhere, also cancels it.

Why is the introduction free?

The lawyer may pay us a referral fee if you become their client. You pay them the same as anyone else, and we tell you before any introduction. See our referral disclosure.

Does Cyprus permanent residency let me travel in the Schengen area?

No. A Cyprus residence permit doesn't add Schengen travel rights, and law firms still describe Cyprus as outside the Schengen area in 2026. As a British passport holder you already get up to 90 days in any 180 in Schengen countries without it.

Does permanent residency lead to Cyprus citizenship?

Not automatically. Naturalisation is a separate application with its own residence and Greek-language tests, and law firms quote different minimum periods (7 or 8 years). Ask your lawyer to check your own dates before you plan on a Cyprus passport.

What happens after I ask for an introduction?

Jason reads your details and replies within one working day, usually with a view on whether the investment route or Category F suits you better. With your consent, we introduce you by email to one lawyer with no link to your developer, who quotes a fixed fee in writing. There's no obligation.

Legal services · Permanent residency

Cyprus Permanent Residency by Investment: Get the Right Lawyer Before You Buy

A Cyprus permanent residency by investment lawyer checks your income and source of funds before you reserve anything, keeps the €300,000-plus-VAT purchase in line with the Regulation 6(2) rules, and files your MIP2 in Nicosia, where the target is about two months from a complete file. Legal fees run €3,000–€8,000 in 2026. We introduce you free to an independent lawyer with no link to your developer.

Vetted, licensed partners
Free introduction
Referral fees disclosed

Request an introduction

Free. I reply personally within one working day.

The short version

€300,000 plus VAT in a new home bought directly from a developer (Category A), or €300,000 in commercial property, a Cyprus company or a Cyprus investment fund.

€50,000 a year of secure income from abroad for Category A, plus €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 for each child under 18.

Applications go to the Migration Department in Nicosia only. The government target is about 2 months from a complete file; law firms report 2–6 months.

Government fee €500 per application, plus €70 per person for the alien registration certificate. Law firms quoted €3,000–€8,000 in legal fees in 2026.

Since 1 September 2026, medical tests (HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, chest X-ray) are part of every new application.

Why the investment route goes wrong without a lawyer

Permanent residency by investment (the Regulation 6(2) fast-track route, sometimes sold as the Cyprus "golden visa") fails on detail, not on money. People who can easily afford €300,000 still get stuck because the money came from the wrong account, the flat was a resale, or the income proof didn't match what the Migration Department accepts.

Villa terrace with an infinity pool in Peyia overlooking the Coral Bay coastline at golden hour — A villa terrace above Coral Bay

The common problems, all written into the current policy:

The money must arrive from abroad, from your or your spouse's own account (or a company you and your spouse wholly own) and be paid to the seller's account in a Cyprus bank. Cash, crypto or a third party's account will not count.
Category A homes must be a first sale from a developer. A resale flat only counts if its contract was lodged with the Land Registry before 7 May 2013.
The €300,000 excludes VAT. Local lawyers report VAT of 5% if the home qualifies as your main residence, 19% if not, on top.
Income for Category A must come from abroad and is proven by a tax return or a certified accountant's certificate.
Adult children cost extra. A non-dependent adult child needs their own €300,000 investment on top of yours.

Older guides also mention a €30,000 three-year bank deposit. That requirement is not in the current policy, revised in May 2023. A lawyer who still asks for it is working from old notes.

What a permanent residency by investment lawyer does

A Cyprus permanent residency by investment lawyer runs the immigration file and keeps it in step with your property purchase. On a typical case they:

Check your eligibility against the income, source-of-funds and family rules before you pay a reservation deposit.
Review the property with your conveyancing lawyer: first sale, value excluding VAT, developer's title position, and that the contract is lodged at the Land Registry.
Build the evidence pack: bank transfer proofs, income evidence, criminal record certificates from your country of origin and residence (with apostilles), health insurance, medical tests, marriage and birth certificates.
Submit form MIP2 at the Civil Registry and Migration Department in Nicosia, in person or as your authorised representative, and answer questions from the Migration Department.
Keep the permit alive. After approval you must show each year that you still hold the investment and have health insurance (if you're not in GeSY), and send new criminal record certificates every 3 years.

Your lawyer should act only for you. If the developer "includes" a lawyer in the price, get your own. The full rules are in our PR by investment guide and the property requirements guide.

A typical permanent residency by investment timeline

Timings are typical for a straightforward family case with documents ready. The government target covers step 5 only.

1
Eligibility and source-of-funds check
Week 1
Lawyer reviews income, family members and where the money will come from.
2
Choose and reserve the property
Weeks 2–6
Conveyancing lawyer runs searches before any deposit. Confirm first-sale status and price excluding VAT.
3
Sign, lodge and pay from abroad
Weeks 6–10
Contract lodged at the Land Registry. Payments go from your own foreign account to the seller's Cyprus account.
4
Documents and medicals
Weeks 4–12
Apostilled criminal record certificates, income proof, health insurance and the medical tests required since 1 September 2026.
5
Submit MIP2 in Nicosia
About 2 months
Migration Department target from a complete file. Law firms report 2–6 months in 2026.
6
Biometrics and permit card
After approval
Photo and fingerprints in Nicosia or at the Paphos immigration unit. The card is valid for 10 years; the right to reside does not expire.

Good to know

What Paphos Advisor does, and what we don't

We do: help you decide whether the investment route makes sense against cheaper options such as Category F, plan the order of your move (permit, property, bank account, tax residency), and introduce you to one independent immigration lawyer who meets our vetting criteria.

We don't: give legal or investment advice, sell property, or take a commission from developers. The introduction is free to you. The lawyer may pay us a referral fee, as explained in our referral disclosure. For the other legal jobs in a move, see our Cyprus legal services.

How the introduction works

01
5 minutes
Tell us your plans
Budget, family members, income sources, and whether you have chosen a property.
02
We sense-check the route
Investment route, Category F or a temporary permit first. We flag the questions to put to a lawyer.
03
One introduction
With your consent, to one independent lawyer who handles Regulation 6(2) files for British clients.
04
Written fixed-fee quote
You deal with the lawyer directly and decide. No obligation.

What permanent residency by investment costs

Government fees are fixed. Legal fees are set by each firm; the range below is from a 2026 fee comparison published by a Cyprus law firm.

Item	Typical cost	Notes
Minimum investment	€300,000 + VAT	Category A: new home from a developer. Up to 2 units allowed.
Application fee	€500	gov.cy says per application, covering everyone on it. Some law firms quote €500 per person, so confirm with your lawyer.
Alien registration certificate	€70 per person	Only where you don't already have one
Immigration lawyer	€3,000–€8,000	Depends on family size and investment category. Quoted in writing by the partner.
Conveyancing lawyer	Quoted separately	See our conveyancing page
Translations, apostilles, medicals	€200–€800+	Varies with the number of documents and family members

Sources: Migration Department investor permit page (fees, investment rules); Koufettas Law, 'Cyprus Permanent Residency: All Routes Compared', April 2026 (legal fee range); insurance broker and law-firm estimates for translations and medicals. Check every figure in writing before you commit.

Worked example: a family of four buying a €300,000 new home

A British couple with two children under 18, buying a new two-bedroom home from a developer as their main residence. Figures are 2026 government fees and published law-firm ranges, not a quote.

Item	Amount
Property price (excluding VAT)	€300,000
VAT at the reduced 5% rate (if the home qualifies as your main residence)	€15,000
Application fee	€500
Alien registration certificates (4 × €70)	€280
Immigration lawyer	€3,000–€8,000
Translations, apostilles and medicals	€200–€800
Total before conveyancing fees	€318,980–€324,580
Income they must show each year from abroad	€85,000 (€50,000 + €15,000 spouse + 2 × €10,000)

If the home doesn't qualify for the reduced rate, VAT at 19% adds €57,000 instead of €15,000. Conveyancing is quoted separately. Stamp duty on contracts was abolished from 1 January 2026, according to PwC and law firms.

Newer family homes at Mesogi above Paphos — Newer homes on the hillside at Mesogi

The investment route in numbers

€300,000

minimum investment, excluding VAT

Regulation 6(2) policy

€50,000

yearly income from abroad (Category A)

+€15,000 spouse, +€10,000 per child

2 months

government processing target

from a complete application

2 years

absence that cancels the permit

or if you sell without reinvesting

New low-rise apartment building in the hills above Paphos with the sea in the distance

Before you reserve a property

See whether you're ready to apply

The PR readiness checker scores your income, funds and documents against the 2026 rules and tells you what's missing.

Check my PR readiness Read the permanent residency hub

Immigration lawyers for permanent residency

We only introduce lawyers who are registered with the Cyprus Bar Association, have no link to the developer or agent in your purchase, file Regulation 6(2) applications regularly, and quote a fixed fee in writing.

Licensed and regulated

Registered with the right Cyprus body — Bar Association, ICPAC, CySEC or the Estate Agents Council.

Fluent with UK clients

They know HMRC, UK pensions and how British clients expect to be kept in the loop.

Vetted in person

I’ve worked with them or checked their work with people I trust. No paid listings.

Fees disclosed

If a partner pays a referral fee, I tell you before the introduction.

Partner profiles are shared privately, matched to your situation.

Request an introduction

Permanent residency by investment questions

You can legally submit the MIP2 form yourself, but almost nobody does. The file depends on a property purchase, bank transfers from abroad and apostilled documents, and one mismatch sends it back. A lawyer also has to act as your authorised representative if you can't attend in Nicosia.

Free introduction

Get introduced to a permanent residency lawyer

Tell us your budget, family and timeline. Jason replies within one working day, then, with your consent, introduces you to one independent immigration lawyer who handles Regulation 6(2) files, with the questions to ask them. No obligation.

No link to developers or estate agents
Registered with the Cyprus Bar Association
Fixed legal fee quoted in writing
Free to you; any referral fee disclosed first

Founder-led. Replies within one working day.

Sources checked for this page

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

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Cyprus Permanent Residency by Investment: Get the Right Lawyer Before You Buy

Why the investment route goes wrong without a lawyer

What a permanent residency by investment lawyer does

A typical permanent residency by investment timeline

Eligibility and source-of-funds check

Choose and reserve the property

Sign, lodge and pay from abroad

Documents and medicals

Submit MIP2 in Nicosia

Biometrics and permit card

How the introduction works

Tell us your plans

We sense-check the route

One introduction

Written fixed-fee quote

What permanent residency by investment costs

Worked example: a family of four buying a €300,000 new home

The investment route in numbers

Immigration lawyers for permanent residency

Permanent residency by investment questions

Do I need a lawyer for Cyprus permanent residency by investment?

Can I use the developer's lawyer?

Does permanent residency make me tax resident in Cyprus?

Can I work with this permit?

Is the €300,000 route better than Category F?

What happens if I sell the property?

Why is the introduction free?

Does Cyprus permanent residency let me travel in the Schengen area?

Does permanent residency lead to Cyprus citizenship?

What happens after I ask for an introduction?

Get introduced to a permanent residency lawyer

Sources checked for this page

Keep reading

Why the investment route goes wrong without a lawyer

What a permanent residency by investment lawyer does

A typical permanent residency by investment timeline

Eligibility and source-of-funds check

Choose and reserve the property

Sign, lodge and pay from abroad

Documents and medicals

Submit MIP2 in Nicosia

Biometrics and permit card

How the introduction works

Tell us your plans

We sense-check the route

One introduction

Written fixed-fee quote

What permanent residency by investment costs

Worked example: a family of four buying a €300,000 new home

The investment route in numbers

Immigration lawyers for permanent residency

Permanent residency by investment questions

Do I need a lawyer for Cyprus permanent residency by investment?

Can I use the developer's lawyer?

Does permanent residency make me tax resident in Cyprus?

Can I work with this permit?

Is the €300,000 route better than Category F?

What happens if I sell the property?

Why is the introduction free?

Does Cyprus permanent residency let me travel in the Schengen area?

Does permanent residency lead to Cyprus citizenship?

What happens after I ask for an introduction?

Get introduced to a permanent residency lawyer