Naturalisation due to years of legal residence in Cyprus – Recent Developments
On the 22nd of March 2024 the Ministry of Interior has announced that it has started accepting applications for naturalisation pursuant to the provisions of the Civil Registry (Amending) Law of 2023.
In order to qualify for naturalisation the applicant must cumulatively meet the following criteria:
(a) Legal and continuous stay in the Republic of Cyprus for 12 months immediately preceding the date of application. Periods of absence that do not exceed a total of 90 days do not interrupt this time period.
(b) During the 10 years immediately preceding the 12-month period, legal stay in the Republic for cumulative periods of not less than 7 years.
(c) Good character.
(d) Adequate knowledge of the Greek language at level B1.
(e) Adequate knowledge of basic elements of the modern political and social reality of the Republic.
(f) Adequate accommodation and stable and regular financial resources sufficient for the maintenance of the applicant and his/her family members.
(g) Intention to reside in the Republic.
According to the same law the criteria are differentiated for the persons residing in the Republic for the purpose of highly qualified employment in companies which are determined by the Decision of the Council of Ministers regarding the Strategy for Attracting Businesses for Activities and/or Expansion of their Activities, as well as for their family members. The following companies fall into this category:
1. Businesses/companies of foreign interests operating in the Republic of Cyprus and operating independent offices in Cyprus, which are housed in suitable premises, separate from any private residence or other office;
2. Cypriot shipping companies;
3. Cypriot hi-tech/innovation companies with products related to the aerospace industry, computers, IT, technology and communication, pharmaceuticals, biomedical equipment, research and development equipment, electrical machinery, chemicals, non-electrical machinery;
4. Cypriot pharmaceutical companies or Cypriot companies conducting business in the fields of biogenetics and biotechnology;
5. Companies that are already registered in the Register of Foreign Companies of the Civil Registry and Migration Department.
The difference in these cases is that the legal stay in the Republic, during the 10 years immediately preceding the 12-month period from the date of application, should not be less than 4 years or 3 years depending of the level of Greek language the applicants hold i.e.: A2 or B1, respectively. In addition, for these cases, periods of absence that do not exceed a total of 90 days per year are not considered to be as absence. The rest of the criteria remain the same.