Business relocation

Residence: Maintain a qualifying residence status and establish actual lawful residence in Cyprus. Maintain qualifying residence: Continue the approved business or employment basis and document actual lawful residence. Long-term-resident status has its own eligibility rules, it is not a prerequisite for the qualifying highly skilled employee nationality route. Cypriot citizenship · ordinary basis: Normally seven cumulative years of lawful residence in the preceding ten years plus the final twelve months continuously (limited absences allowed). Greek B1, civic knowledge, means of support, accommodation, character and intention to remain are required. Holding a Cyprus residence card while living elsewhere is insufficient. Permanent residence is not a compulsory stage for every nationality applicant. Qualifying highly skilled employees of eligible companies may use a reduced nationality period: three prior years with B1 Greek or four with A2, plus the final twelve months. Company relocation alone is insufficient.

Register the qualifying foreign-interest company through the Business Facilitation Unit. Once the company and position qualify, submit the employee’s entry/residence and employment package with contract, salary and qualification evidence. Company registration alone does not authorise the individual to work.

The company must satisfy an eligible ownership or business category, establish a genuine operating presence and meet the applicable investment conditions.

Company and shareholder records, business profile, separate business premises and evidence of at least €200,000 qualifying investment where required. Registration does not itself grant staff residence: individual employment and immigration applications remain necessary.

Eligible registered companies can use the facilitated procedure for hiring highly skilled third-country staff.