Retirement visa in Cyprus

• Category F is for people who have, fully and freely at their disposal from abroad, a secured annual income that allows a decent living in Cyprus without engaging in any business, trade or profession there. The page sets no minimum age and no deposit.
• Dependants are a spouse and children under 18, who can be included on the permit. The Immigration Control Committee examines each application and recommends; the Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection decides, so approval is not automatic.
• Submitting an application gives no right to enter or stay in Cyprus without a valid permit or visa while it is examined; if you live abroad, the permit ceases to be valid unless you take up residence in Cyprus within one year of approval.

Sources: Migration Department. Checked 16 October 2026.

• The income test is a secured annual income of about €9,600 for the applicant and about €4,600 for each dependant. To be safe, have more than €9,600 a year for one person; on our own sum, more than €15,000 for two people and more than €19,000 for three.
• The income may include pensions, dividends from shares, fixed deposit interest and rents. The document list asks for proof of income (original documents and a written declaration) and original bank statements for accounts held in Cyprus.
• The page gives no savings or capital requirement alongside the income test, and no figure for a minimum age.

Sources: Migration Department. Checked 16 October 2026.

• The list asks for passport copies for you and your dependants, a short CV, a copy of your residence permit if you already live in Cyprus, and a title deed, sale contract with proof of payment, or rental agreement for your home.
• It also asks for an original criminal record certificate for you and your spouse, officially translated and certified, from your country of residence (or from Cyprus if you live there), plus the marriage certificate and your children’s birth certificates, translated and certified.
• Documents must be in Greek or English or officially translated, and public documents from a state in the Hague Apostille Convention must carry an apostille.

Sources: Migration Department. Checked 16 October 2026.

• You submit the application, with the original documents, only at the Migration Department’s offices in Nicosia, in person or through an authorised representative. Applications missing any required document are not accepted for consideration.
• Category F applications are on the Department’s list of services that need an appointment. The page gives no examination time for Category F, so how long a decision takes is unknown.

Sources: Migration Department. Checked 16 October 2026.

• The application fee is €500 for all persons included in the application, plus €70 for each person who needs an Aliens Registration Certificate. Adding a family member to an approved permit costs €50 per person, plus €70 if they need the certificate.

Sources: Migration Department. Checked 16 October 2026.

• The right of residence is of unlimited validity for the holder and adult dependants. The permit card expires ten years after issue and is replaced; a permit for an underage dependant is valid until the age of 18.
• The permit ceases to be valid if you acquire permanent residence abroad or are absent from Cyprus for two years.

Sources: Migration Department. Checked 16 October 2026.

• The right of residence has no end date from the start, and the Department files these permits in its "Companies, investors, permanent residence" section. The page describes no step from Category F to citizenship and does not say what happens when a dependent child turns 18.

Sources: Migration Department. Checked 16 October 2026.

• The Tax Department says more than 183 days in Cyprus in a tax year makes you tax resident. Its 60-day alternative needs at least 60 days in Cyprus, no more than 183 days in any other country, a business or job in Cyprus and a permanent home you own or rent.
• The Ministry of Finance says Cyprus tax residents who receive foreign pensions can choose normal tax rates or a flat 5% on the part of the pension above €5,000 a year, and that any double taxation agreement should be checked. Income tax rates from the 2026 tax year run from 0% up to €22,000 to 35% above €72,000.
• The Tax Department says people who are not domiciled in Cyprus, or who are not tax resident, are not subject to the special defence contribution on rental, interest and dividend income. You are deemed domiciled after 17 of the previous 20 years as a Cyprus tax resident.

Sources: Republic of Cyprus. Checked 17 October 2026.

• Digital nomad visa in Cyprus
• Work permit in Cyprus
• Family visa in Cyprus
• Golden visa in Cyprus

• Visas in Cyprus
• Cyprus

1. Categories of persons and countries whose nationals do not require a visa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus (gov.cy). Checked 15 October 2026. Internet Archive copy of 6 December 2025. Lists Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States for a stay up to 90 days as bona fide visitors.
2. Cyprus country information for US travellers, Internet Archive copy of 9 July 2026, US Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. Checked 16 October 2026. Up to 90 days without a visa for tourism or business, a temporary residence permit for longer; six months' passport validity recommended and two blank pages; sufficient funds and a return ticket; Cyprus is in the EU but not in Schengen; no residence permit for work or study for a US citizen who tests positive for HIV; enter and leave the Republic only at Larnaca and Paphos airports and the seaports of Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos. The page itself shows "Last Updated: January 21, 2025".
3. Identity History Summary Checks (FBI criminal record check), Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 6 October 2026, read on 15 October 2026. Gives the US$18 fee and says the FBI does not forward requests to the State Department for the apostille, so the apostille is a separate step.
4. Apostille requirements, Internet Archive copy, US Department of State (Internet Archive copy of 24 June 2024). Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 20 May 2024.
5. Documents for an immigration permit, Category F (Greek Word file on the Migration Department site), Internet Archive copy of 7 March 2026, Migration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection (gov.cy). Checked 16 October 2026. File posted December 2025, in Greek (read and translated on 16 October 2026). Lists passport copies, a short CV, bank statements for accounts in the Republic, proof of income with a written declaration, a title deed, sale contract or rental agreement, criminal record certificates, and marriage and birth certificates.
6. Tax convention with the Republic of Cyprus (signed 19 March 1984; in force 31 December 1985), Internal Revenue Service (treaty text). Checked 16 October 2026. Article 4(3) lets each country tax its own citizens as if the convention did not exist; article 5 gives credits for tax paid to the other country; articles 17 and 18 cover independent and dependent services (183-day tests); article 23 pensions and annuities taxable only in the country of residence; article 24 social security payments taxable only in the paying country.
7. Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Checked 15 October 2026. Reportable when the foreign accounts together exceed 10,000 dollars at any time in the calendar year.
8. Social Security agreements with other countries, Internet Archive copy of 10 October 2026, US Social Security Administration. Checked 16 October 2026. Lists the countries with a totalization agreement (the latest, Romania, in force from 1 September 2026); Cyprus is not on the list. Explains that US Social Security covers US citizens employed abroad by American employers, which can produce dual coverage without an agreement.
9. Cyprus travel advice and advisories (entry and exit requirements), Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca). Checked 16 October 2026. Last updated 11 August 2026. Tourist and business visa not required for stays up to 90 days; student visa required; a Canadian passport must be valid at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave (Cyprus's own visa page asks for 3 months for visa applicants); customs may ask for a return ticket and proof of funds; ETIAS applications "not yet open", 30 European countries; an exit permit may be needed for dual citizens aged 16 or over or people eligible for Cypriot citizenship; entering through the north of the island is illegal; permits issued by the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" are not recognised.
10. Criminal record checks: processing times and fees, Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Checked 16 October 2026. Federal fee 25 Canadian dollars per check, collected with any local fingerprinting charge; 3 business days or less with no match, up to 120 business days if manual processing is needed.
11. Authentication of documents: requirements, Global Affairs Canada. Checked 16 October 2026. Opened 16 October 2026. Global Affairs Canada authenticates and issues apostilles for Government of Canada documents and for documents issued or notarized in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island and Yukon; the competent authorities of the other provinces issue apostilles for their own documents; documents must be paper originals with a recognised signature.
12. Convention between Canada and the Republic of Cyprus for the avoidance of double taxation (signed 2 May 1984), text (CTS 1985 No. 12), Government of Canada (Global Affairs Canada, Treaty Law Division). Checked 16 October 2026. Opened 16 October 2026. Article 4 residence and tie-breaker (permanent home, centre of vital interests, habitual abode, nationality); article 14 independent services taxable only in the country of residence unless there is a fixed base; article 15 employment taxable where the work is done, unless 183 days or less in the calendar year and either pay of C$3,000 or less or pay from a non-resident employer not borne by a local establishment; article 18 pensions and annuities (tax in the paying country limited above C$10,000 and 15%), and social security pensions taxable only in the paying country; article 24 relief from double tax; article 25 non-discrimination; no clause letting a country tax its own citizens living in the other (article 29 keeps only Canada's foreign-affiliate rules); the text gives no entry-into-force date.
13. Lived or living outside Canada: do you qualify for CPP and OAS, Government of Canada. Checked 16 October 2026. Opened 16 October 2026. OAS pension abroad needs 20 or more years of residence in Canada after age 18; the Guaranteed Income Supplement is payable abroad for 6 months only.
14. Cyprus travel advice, Internet Archive copy of 12 October 2026, Smartraveller (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade). Checked 16 October 2026. Page updated 23 July 2026 and marked still current at 13 October 2026: Australians do not need a tourist visa for stays of up to 90 days in a 6-month period; anyone staying longer must apply for a visa, which can be done in Cyprus; overstayers can be put on a stop list and refused re-entry for up to five years; advice is to exercise a high degree of caution; Australia does not recognise the Turkish Cypriot administration in the north.
15. National Police Checks, Australian Federal Police. Checked 16 October 2026. A National Police Check can be used for working overseas; each application costs 57 Australian dollars, or 114 with fingerprints; identity documents worth 100 points are needed. The page does not say whether Cyprus accepts it, and the Cypriot list does not name the document.
16. Notarial services (legalising documents) in Australia, Internet Archive copy of 12 March 2026, Smartraveller (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade). Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 4 March 2026: DFAT legalises Australian public documents and notarised copies by apostille or authentication for 105 Australian dollars; it cannot say whether the overseas authority needs it, so ask that authority.
17. Income tax treaties: treaties in force (Australia), Australian Treasury. Checked 16 October 2026. Table last updated 24 March 2026: no entry for Cyprus, so there is no income tax treaty between Australia and Cyprus.
18. Social Security Agreement between Australia and Cyprus: text, Internet Archive copy of 19 November 2024, Department of Social Services (Australian Government). Checked 16 October 2026. Articles 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9 read: the agreement covers Australian age pension, disability support pension for the severely disabled, widows' pensions and carer pension, and Cyprus social insurance benefits for age, invalidity and work injury, survivors and funerals; a person working in Cyprus is insured under Cypriot law even if they live in Australia; residence in Cyprus counts as residence in Australia for claiming.
19. Annex 1: list of third countries whose nationals need, or are exempt from, a visa to cross the external borders (hosted on gov.cy), Cyprus Government Portal (gov.cy), linked from the Visas page as the list for ordinary passports. Checked 16 October 2026. Part B, the list of third countries whose nationals are exempted from holding a visa when crossing the external borders, includes New Zealand. The PDF is dated by its upload folder (January 2026).
20. Criminal records: get your own, Ministry of Justice (New Zealand). Checked 16 October 2026. Opened on 16 October 2026. The Ministry aims to respond to criminal record check requests within 20 working days (Privacy Act 2020); if a country asks for the record to be Apostille-certified, you send the record you get to the Department of Internal Affairs Apostille service.
21. Use your NZ documents overseas (apostille and authentication), New Zealand Government (govt.nz), Department of Internal Affairs Authentication Unit. Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 15 September 2026. Lists Cyprus as an apostille country; NZ$37 for one apostille certificate and 15 working days; an urgent service of 5 working days costs NZ$120.
22. Tax treaties (New Zealand double tax agreements in force, signed and under negotiation), Inland Revenue (New Zealand), Tax Policy. Checked 16 October 2026. Opened on 16 October 2026. 41 agreements in force; Cyprus is on none of the lists (in force, signed, or being negotiated).
23. Living overseas if you get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension, Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development). Checked 16 October 2026. Updated 24 June 2026. You can't get these payments once you leave New Zealand unless you apply and meet criteria; call International Services at least 6 weeks before you leave. In a country without an agreement you may get your full payment depending on months lived in New Zealand between ages 20 and 65; no New Zealand tax on the payment but you may owe tax where you live.
24. Immigration Permits (categories A to F): procedure, fees and categories, Internet Archive copy of 31 August 2026, Migration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection (gov.cy). Checked 16 October 2026. Page posted 29 December 2025. Exact figures for Category F: secured annual income of at least €9,568 for the applicant and €4,613 for each dependant (CY£5,600 and CY£2,700 in the page).
25. Document certification and apostille, Migration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection (gov.cy). Checked 16 October 2026. Opened live on 16 October 2026. Documents must be in Greek or English or carry an official translation by a sworn translator, the issuing country's consular authority or a government department; public documents from states that ratified the Hague Apostille Convention must carry an apostille; copies are certified in the same way; non-public documents must be certified by a certifying authority of the issuing state.
26. Appointments at the Migration Department, Migration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection (gov.cy). Checked 16 October 2026. Opened live on 16 October 2026. An appointment is required only for Migration Permits (Categories A to F), Regulation 6(2) permits, long-term resident status, card renewals for those permits, and the student service point; the nomad permit is not on that list. Submission of other applications, biometrics and collection of documents are served without an appointment, first come first served, Monday to Friday 08:00 to 14:30 (last entry 14:00). People who live outside the Nicosia district are served by the district units of the Aliens and Immigration Unit, while the nomad page says to file at the central offices in Nicosia.
27. Tax Residency/Domicility, Republic of Cyprus, Ministry of Finance, Tax Department. Checked 17 October 2026. Page posted 8 July 2026. 183-day rule, 60-day rule, domicile for Special Defence Contribution, 17-of-20-years rule, and the tax consequences for non-domiciled and non-resident individuals.
28. Guide for the completion of the income tax return for individuals 2025, Republic of Cyprus, Ministry of Finance, Tax Department. Checked 17 October 2026. Part 3 (tax residence) and Part 4A1 codes for first-employment allowances (50% for 17 years, 20% capped at 8,550 euros for 7 years) and for employment outside the Republic for over 90 days. Written for the 2025 tax year.
29. Tax Incentives, Republic of Cyprus, Ministry of Finance. Checked 17 October 2026. Page posted 15 January 2026. Foreign pensions: normal rates or a flat 5% on pension income above 5,000 euros a year; Special Defence Contribution rates; the 17-of-20-years domicile rule.
30. Individual Income Tax Return: tax bands from tax year 2026, Republic of Cyprus, Ministry of Finance, Tax Department. Checked 17 October 2026. Page updated 6 July 2026. Tax bands from tax year 2026: 0% up to 22,000 euros, 20% to 32,000, 25% to 42,000, 30% to 72,000, 35% above.