Cypriot citizenship in 4-5 years

On Thursday, November 30, a Parliament meeting was held in Cyprus, during which the “Law on granting citizenship in an accelerated manner to highly qualified foreign specialists” was approved by a majority vote.

Thus, workers from third countries will now be able to obtain Cypriot citizenship in 4-5 years (depending on the level of knowledge of the Greek language), instead of the current 7 years.

In particular, according to the new rules, in order to obtain a passport as part of naturalization, a foreign specialist will have to meet the following requirements:

     • Be legally and permanently resident in the Republic of Cyprus during the last 12 months immediately preceding the date of submission of his application for naturalization (exceptions are possible)

     • Persons with knowledge of Greek at level A2 will be able to apply for a Cyprus passport after five years, and at level B1 after four years. Family members of these persons will also enjoy the same rights and obligations. It is worth noting that knowledge of Greek at A2 level refers to the basic ability to use Greek in specific and specific situations, in a wide range of linguistic functions, but in a very simple way. On the other hand, with knowledge of Greek at level B1, the candidate can act autonomously and effectively in normal communicative situations.

     • The person applying for naturalization must also prove that he has no criminal record: is not on the international wanted list, has not been sentenced to prison for any crime in the Republic of Cyprus or abroad, has not entered or left the island through the unrecognized territories of the TRNC, does not pose a danger to public order and security of the Republic of Cyprus.

     • Have suitable housing and a stable income to support yourself and your family members in the amount of at least 2.5 thousand euros. This takes into account income from full-time paid work or income from other stable and legal sources.

     • The applicant must demonstrate high academic and professional qualifications.

Applications are planned to be considered under an accelerated procedure not exceeding four months.

More detailed information will be published in the official gazette in the next two weeks.