Cyprus has a permanent permit for people with foreign income, a fast-track for investors, a renewable visitor permit, and a digital nomad visa. Here they are with 2026 numbers — no salesmanship.
Figures verified July 8, 2026| Route | Who it's for | Money requirement (2026) | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category F Full guide → | Retirees and the financially independent — pensions, rents, dividends from abroad | €9,568/year secured foreign income (+€4,613 per dependant) — official floor; expect to show comfortably more | Permanent residence permit — no expiry, no renewals of status. No work in Cyprus. |
| Fast-track PR Regulation 6(2) | Investors who want permanence quickly | €300,000 + VAT in new residential property from a developer (or shares/fund routes), plus €50,000/year secured income (+€15,000 spouse, +€10,000 per child) | Permanent residence, commonly decided in 2–6 months. Visit at least once every 2 years. |
| Pink slip Temporary residence (visitor) | People testing the island beyond 90 days, or waiting on Category F | €24,000/year income from abroad (+20% spouse, +15% per child), in a Cyprus bank account | 1-year permit, renewable annually. No work. Lapses if you leave Cyprus 90+ consecutive days. |
| Digital nomad visa | Remote employees and freelancers working for clients outside Cyprus | €3,500/month net remote income (+20% spouse, +15% per child) | 1 year + 2-year renewal. Annual cap: 1,000 permits (doubled October 2025). |
Category F is filed with the Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD) — from abroad or from Cyprus on a pink slip. Official processing is about a year; the fast-track 6(2) route commonly takes 2–6 months.
Category F and Regulation 6(2) grant permanent status from the start — no 2-year, then 3-year renewal ladder. The biometric card is what gets renewed, not the status.
Citizenship needs 7 years of cumulative legal residence within the 10 years before applying, plus 12 continuous months immediately before. Track your days.
Naturalisation under the December 2023 law: 7 cumulative years, Greek at B1, knowledge of Cypriot civic life, good character. Processing currently estimated at 2–3 years.
Income requirements, documents, fees, and the step-by-step process — for the permit most retirees use.
Read the guide →Which investments qualify, the €50,000 income test, and the conditions that keep the permit alive.
Using the temporary visitor permit to stay past 90 days — and its 90-day absence trap.
How cumulative residence is counted, the B1 Greek test, and who qualifies for the faster tracks.
€3,500/month net, the 1,000-permit cap, and the tax residency consequences.
How Cyprus's own 90/180 counting works — and why it's separate from Schengen (for now).
Visa applications fail on paperwork details. We'll introduce you to an English-speaking immigration lawyer we've independently vetted — licensed, and experienced with expat cases in Cyprus.