Is GESY accepted as health insurance for the yellow slip?

Not on its own. The lists accept a GESY registration certificate only together with Plan A cover for repatriation (body transport). Employees paying Cyprus social insurance don't need Plan A on the employed list.

Do I need an apostille on UK documents?

Yes. UK public documents such as birth and marriage certificates need an apostille from the FCDO. The EU apostille exemption no longer covers UK documents.

Is there a minimum income for the yellow slip?

No figure is published. The lists ask for evidence of "stable or satisfactory" income and the last quarter's bank activity. Officers judge it case by case.

How long must my rental agreement be?

The Department of Labour says at least one year. The Migration Department lists don't state a minimum. A 12-month lease, certified by the Muhtar, avoids problems.

Does each child need a separate yellow slip?

Yes. Each child applies on their own MEU1 with the child's list, and the €20 fee applies per person. Bring both parents or the absent parent's sworn consent.

What is the MEU1B form?

MEU1B is the current version of the MEU1 application form, revised in March 2026. It has a Part III that employers sign for employed applicants. Download it from the Migration Department's MEU1 forms page.

How many months of bank statements do I need for the yellow slip?

The official MEU1B list asks for bank account activity for the last quarter, so three months. Some law firm guides say six months, so bring six months from a high-street bank if you have them.

Where do I get an apostille for UK documents?

From the FCDO's legalisation service. The standard service costs £45 per document and takes up to 25 working days plus postage, so order it before you move.

Do I need a criminal record certificate for the yellow slip?

No. None of the six MEU1B lists asks for one. Residence permits for non-EU nationals, such as Category F, do, which is where the confusion comes from.

Yellow Slip Cyprus Requirements 2026: Documents by Category

Yellow Slip Cyprus Requirements: The Documents You Need for Every Category

The Migration Department publishes six different document lists for the yellow slip (form MEU1B), one for each type of applicant. Every list asks for your passport, a title deed or certified lease with rent receipts, and an original utility bill. Most also need Plan A health insurance. This checklist follows the official December 2025 lists line by line.

JJason 13 min read Last verified 27 September 2026

Download the checklist Get a lawyer to check my file

The short version

British passport only? These lists aren't for you unless you also hold an EU passport or lived here before 2021. UK-only passport holders need a residence permit with its own document list.

Six lists, not one: employed/self-employed, student, child under 21, dependent parent, visitor or pensioner, and spouse of a Cypriot. Use only the list for your category.

Every list: passport or ID (plus the original), title deed or certified lease with original rent receipts, and an original EAC or water bill.

Health cover: Plan A private insurance (inpatient, outpatient and repatriation), or GESY registration plus Plan A repatriation cover. GESY alone isn't enough.

Language: documents must be in Greek or English, or officially translated. Non-EU public documents, including UK certificates, need an apostille.

Bring originals and two photocopies, plus the €20 fee per person.

Watch out

UK-only passport? This list isn't for you

The yellow slip is for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens. A British citizen can use it only with a second EU passport, or with Withdrawal Agreement rights from living here before 31 December 2020. UK-only passport holders need a residence permit with a different document list: see Category F, the digital nomad visa or the permit options in our yellow slip guide.

Which yellow slip category are you?

Pick your category first. The Migration Department calls these the "status of accompanying documents" lists.

Category	Who it covers	Typical British applicant
Employed / self-employed / involuntarily unemployed	EU citizens working in Cyprus, or who worked here and lost their job	Irish-passport Brit employed by a Paphos company or running a sole trade
Visitor / visiting pensioner	EU citizens living on pensions, savings, rent or dividends	Retired couple with an EU passport and a UK pension
Student	Enrolled at a Cyprus school, college or university	Older teenager or university student
Minor or dependent under 21	Children of an EU citizen registered in Cyprus	Each child in an EU-passport family
Dependent direct ascendant	A parent or grandparent supported by an EU citizen here	A retired parent joining the family
Spouse of a Cypriot citizen	EU citizens married to, or in a civil partnership with, a Cypriot	Irish-passport Brit married to a Cypriot

Couple carrying moving boxes into a whitewashed apartment building in Paphos — Moving day at a new rental in Paphos

Yellow slip requirements that apply to everyone

Four items appear on all six lists. Get these sorted before anything else, because the lease and utility bill take the longest.

Passport or ID card. A copy, and the original at your appointment.
Proof of address. A title deed if you own the home. Otherwise a lease certified by the Muhtar (the local community leader) or a certifying officer, with original rent receipts. The lease must name the owner and tenants, give their ID or ARC numbers and phone numbers, and state the address that becomes your official postal address.
Original utility bill from the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) or the water board, in the tenant's name.
The €20 fee, paid before submission. It is per person, including children.

Muhtar certification costs about €2, or up to €5 if they come to you. From 1 July 2026, rent over €500 a month has to be paid by bank transfer, so your transfer confirmations double as rent receipts. The yellow slip guide covers booking and the appointment itself.

Free PDF

Get the printable yellow slip checklist for your category

We'll email a one-page checklist for your category, with the Paphos appointment email and a document-order plan.

Your category's documents only
Lease and insurance wording to ask for
What to bring on the day

Founder-led. Replies within one working day.

Family picnicking under a pine tree above a turquoise cove near Coral Bay — A Saturday morning above the coves near Coral Bay

Health insurance for the yellow slip

Most applicants need Plan A health insurance: private cover for inpatient care, outpatient care and repatriation of remains (the lists call it "body transport"). If you're employed in Cyprus and paying social insurance, you are already a GESY beneficiary and the employed list doesn't ask for Plan A.

GESY on its own is not accepted by the lists that mention it, because it doesn't pay for repatriation. You can combine a GESY registration certificate with a cheaper Plan A policy that covers repatriation only. Being covered by GESY and paying GESY contributions are separate questions.

UK pensioners with an EU passport can use an S1 (the old E121) where the list allows it. The S1 means the UK funds your state healthcare in Cyprus. You register it with GESY after you arrive, and the GESY guide explains how.

Cyprus insurers quote about €175–€250 a year per adult and €100–€150 per child for Plan A. Our health insurance introductions can help you compare.

Translations, apostilles and certified copies

Every document must be in Greek or English. Anything else needs an official translation from a sworn translator, the issuing country's consulate, or a government department of the issuing country.

UK documents need an apostille. The UK is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, so a UK birth or marriage certificate needs an apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office before you use it here. Since Brexit, the EU exemption doesn't cover UK documents.

EU documents may be exempt. Under EU Regulation 2016/1191, from 16 February 2019 certain civil status documents issued by an EU member state (birth, marriage, death and some others) need no apostille in another member state. An Irish birth certificate is the common example.

The FCDO charges £45 per document for a standard UK apostille and takes up to 25 working days plus postage. Immigration lawyers put translation at €30–€80 per document and apostilles from other countries at €10–€50. Order UK apostilles before you fly: posting certificates back from Cyprus adds weeks.

Stone houses with blue shutters and red geraniums on a quiet lane in Kathikas — Stone houses and geraniums in Kathikas

Yellow slip documents timeline: what to do when

Work backwards from your appointment. The four-month deadline runs from the day you enter Cyprus.

1
Order certificates and apostilles in the UK
8–10 weeks before you fly
Birth, marriage or divorce certificates for everyone moving. Apostille each UK certificate through the FCDO (£45 each, up to 25 working days plus post). Irish and other EU civil-status documents usually need no apostille.
2
Sort health cover and statements
4–6 weeks before
Buy Plan A cover that starts on your arrival date, or ask the NHS Business Services Authority for an S1 if you get a UK State Pension. Download three months of statements from a high-street bank.
3
Sign the lease and certify it
Week 1 in Paphos
Sign a 12-month lease that shows everyone's ID numbers and phone numbers, then have it certified by the Muhtar (about €2). Pay rent by bank transfer.
4
Put the utilities in your name
Week 1–2
Transfer the EAC and water accounts to the tenant. You need an original bill in your name, so do this before anything else locally.
5
Book the Paphos appointment
3–4 weeks before you need it
Email pafosetiseis@police.gov.cy. The unit replies within five working days.
6
Attend with originals and two copies
Within 4 months of entry
Pay €20 per person, including each child. Your photo is taken on the day.

Good to know

The "stamped lease" and one-year lease questions

The official MEU1B lists still ask for a lease "duly stamped by the Superintendent of Stamping". Stamp duty was abolished for documents dated from 1 January 2026 (Law 239(I)/2025), so a 2026 lease has nothing to stamp. The Department of Labour's yellow slip page also says the lease must run for at least one year, which the Migration Department lists don't mention.

Our advice: sign a 12-month lease, get it Muhtar-certified, and ask the Paphos unit when you book whether they want anything in place of a stamp. We'll update this page when the lists change.

Couple in silhouette on limestone rocks near the Tombs of the Kings at sunset — Sunset from the rocks near the Tombs of the Kings

Common reasons applications are sent back

These are the problems immigration lawyers in Paphos report most often.

Wrong category list. A retired couple bringing employment documents, or a worker without Social Insurance statements.
Utility bill in the landlord's name. Transfer the EAC account to yourself as soon as you move in.
Fintech statements. Revolut and Wise statements are sometimes refused. Use a Cyprus or UK high-street bank.
Missing originals. The unit wants originals to compare with your copies.
Untranslated or un-apostilled certificates, especially UK marriage and birth certificates.
Only one parent attending for a child without the other parent's sworn consent.
Three months of statements when the officer wants more. The official list says the last quarter, but some law firm guides tell clients to bring six months. Bring six if you have them.

Read more in yellow slip mistakes to avoid. The form itself is explained in our MEU1 glossary entry, and the tax residency hub shows how registration leads on to your tax number. If you'd rather have a professional check your file, see our yellow slip legal support.

Yellow slip documents FAQs

A passport or ID, a title deed or certified lease with original rent receipts, an original utility bill, and the documents for your category, such as Social Insurance statements for workers or income proof for pensioners. Most categories also need Plan A health insurance.

Short on time?

Have a Paphos immigration lawyer check your documents

One wasted appointment costs you another 3–4 week wait. A free introduction gets your file checked before you book.

Get yellow slip help Read the full yellow slip guide

Sources checked for this page

1.Migration Department — MEU1 supporting documents lists (Dec 2025)Government
2.Migration Department — MEU1 application formsGovernment
3.Migration Department — Registration of EU citizens (MEU1)Government
4.Department of Labour — Procedure for the employment of EU citizens (yellow slip)Government
5.Migration Department — Document ratification (translations and apostille)Government
6.CRMD — Police Aliens and Immigration Unit appointment contacts (PDF)Government
7.Zeno Legal — Cyprus stamp duty abolition under Law 239(I)/2025Professional
8.gov.uk — Healthcare in Cyprus for UK nationalsGovernment
9.GESY — Beneficiaries eligibility FAQGovernment
10.gov.uk — Get a document legalised (apostille fees and timings)Government
11.Migration Department — Immigration permits (Category F)Government

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

Yellow Slip Cyprus Requirements: The Documents You Need for Every Category

Which yellow slip category are you?

Yellow slip requirements that apply to everyone

Yellow slip documents checklist by category

Get the printable yellow slip checklist for your category

Health insurance for the yellow slip

Translations, apostilles and certified copies

Yellow slip documents timeline: what to do when

Order certificates and apostilles in the UK

Sort health cover and statements

Sign the lease and certify it

Put the utilities in your name

Book the Paphos appointment

Attend with originals and two copies

Common reasons applications are sent back

Yellow slip documents FAQs

Sources checked for this page

Keep reading

Which yellow slip category are you?

Yellow slip requirements that apply to everyone

Yellow slip documents checklist by category

Get the printable yellow slip checklist for your category

Health insurance for the yellow slip

Translations, apostilles and certified copies

Yellow slip documents timeline: what to do when

Order certificates and apostilles in the UK

Sort health cover and statements

Sign the lease and certify it

Put the utilities in your name

Book the Paphos appointment

Attend with originals and two copies

Common reasons applications are sent back

Yellow slip documents FAQs

Yellow Slip Cyprus Requirements: The Documents You Need for Every Category

Which yellow slip category are you?

Yellow slip requirements that apply to everyone

Yellow slip documents checklist by category

Get the printable yellow slip checklist for your category

Health insurance for the yellow slip

Translations, apostilles and certified copies

Yellow slip documents timeline: what to do when

Order certificates and apostilles in the UK

Sort health cover and statements

Sign the lease and certify it

Put the utilities in your name

Book the Paphos appointment

Attend with originals and two copies

Common reasons applications are sent back

Yellow slip documents FAQs

What documents do I need for a yellow slip in Cyprus?

Is GESY accepted as health insurance for the yellow slip?

Do I need an apostille on UK documents?

Is there a minimum income for the yellow slip?

How long must my rental agreement be?

Does each child need a separate yellow slip?

What is the MEU1B form?

How many months of bank statements do I need for the yellow slip?

Where do I get an apostille for UK documents?

Do I need a criminal record certificate for the yellow slip?

Sources checked for this page

Keep reading

Which yellow slip category are you?

Yellow slip requirements that apply to everyone

Yellow slip documents checklist by category

Get the printable yellow slip checklist for your category

Health insurance for the yellow slip

Translations, apostilles and certified copies

Yellow slip documents timeline: what to do when

Order certificates and apostilles in the UK

Sort health cover and statements

Sign the lease and certify it

Put the utilities in your name

Book the Paphos appointment

Attend with originals and two copies

Common reasons applications are sent back

Yellow slip documents FAQs

What documents do I need for a yellow slip in Cyprus?

Is GESY accepted as health insurance for the yellow slip?

Do I need an apostille on UK documents?

Is there a minimum income for the yellow slip?

How long must my rental agreement be?

Does each child need a separate yellow slip?

What is the MEU1B form?

How many months of bank statements do I need for the yellow slip?

Where do I get an apostille for UK documents?

Do I need a criminal record certificate for the yellow slip?