Obtaining Citizenship in Cyprus

Applying for citizenship in Cyprus

The main legislation under which foreign citizens can obtain Cypriot citizenship is the Nationality Law which was enacted in 1967. There are several ways of acquiring citizenship in Cyprus:

• by birth rights,
• by marrying a Cypriot citizen,
• by naturalization,
• by investment.

Obtaining a Cypriot passport by investment in 2022 has suffered several amendments. For information about the Citizenship by Investment Program you can refer to our lawyers in Cyprus who will provide you with the qualifying criteria.

Citizenship by marriage in Cyprus

Foreign citizens marrying a Cypriot national are allowed to apply for citizenship provided that they have lived together in the country for three continuous years. The documents required to submit for obtaining a Cypriot passport after marrying a national are:

• the birth certificate,
• a certificate of a clean criminal record,
• the marriage certificate,
• children’s birth certificates, where applicable,
• a passport copy,
• a copy after the spouse’s passport,
• a declaration of harmonious cohabitation signed before a District Administration Officer or a diplomatic authority, such as embassies or consulates,
• a statement of harmonious cohabitation issued by the local authorities,
• proof of fee payment.

In case the spouse has acquired Cypriot citizenship prior to the marriage he or she will be required to submit the certificate of acquisition of Cypriot citizenship. For more information about marriage registration you can ask our law firm in Cyprus.

Obtaining a Cypriot passport by naturalization in 2022

Another legal way of obtaining a Cypriot passport is by residing in the country for 7 uninterrupted years. Most foreign citizens will acquire a Cypriot permanent residence permit before applying for citizenship. Foreign citizens with Cypriot parents can apply for citizenship by naturalization after living in the country for 5 consecutive years. In order to apply for Cypriot citizenship by naturalization, the foreign citizen must know the country’s legal system and language. The examination of the application for citizenship by naturalization in Cyprus could take several years.

The easiest way of obtaining Cypriot citizenship in 2022

While there is no special recipe to obtain citizenship in Cyprus, at the level of 2022, foreign citizens can apply for Cyprus passports through several means, among which investment represents one of the quickest ways. However, this requires an important investment from the applicant.

There is also the option of moving here based on a work contract and obtain Cypriot citizenship by meeting the legal requirements which have not changed for 2022 and which can be explained by our lawyers.

There are no changes in respect to obtaining Cyprus citizenship in 2022, but if you have any questions, our law firm is at your service in order to answer them.

For details about the best way of acquiring citizenship, please contact our Cypriot lawyers.