Advantages of Cyprus citizenship:
- free trade with the European Union and low taxes;
- unlimited rights to life, work and study in Europe;
- the right to own property in the states of the European Union;
- due to its unique geographical position, Cyprus is a bridge between the European Union, the Middle East and North Africa, while having access to the Mediterranean Sea;
- almost no crime, excellent education system, high standard schools and universities, high level of health care;
- resort area;
- children under the age of 28 who are dependent can acquire citizenship at the request of their parents;
- you can have dual citizenship.
Cypriot citizenship programs and stages
The acquisition of Cypriot citizenship is regulated by the Citizenship Law of 1967 and Article 14 of the Constitution of Cyprus. The reasons are as follows:
- by birthright. It affects children whose parents are citizens of the island;
- marriage with a Cypriot. Citizenship is granted after 3 years of marriage;
- naturalization.
Citizenship by naturalization
Naturalization is a standard option for anyone who plans to get Cypriot citizenship. Be prepared for the fact that you will be required to live in the country for at least seven years almost without a break, learn and pass an exam in the Greek language, and also collect a package of documents:
- form M. 127;
- 7-year statement of entries and exits, if there were such cases;
- police clearance certificate;
- 2 photos;
- originals and copies of certificates of birth, marriage, divorce;
- original and copies of the passport;
- residence permit;
- Cypriot Identity Card (“Alien Book”);
- check for payment of state duty.
The registration process is standard: you receive a residence permit, and after 7 years you can apply for Cypriot citizenship.
Citizenship by origin (by birth)
In this category there are several options for applications, you must select the appropriate one. These differ depending on the applicant’s year of birth, parentage and relationship with the UK.
All options do not require large registration costs, but only the payment of a state fee of 20 – 80 €.
- A consular birth certificate (Form M121) can be applied for by minors or adults born abroad after August 16, 1960, whose father was a Cypriot citizen at the time of birth. And those born after June 11, 1999, whose mother was a Cypriot citizen at the time of their birth.
- The application for registration of minors (Form M126) can only be issued to people born before 11 June 1999 in Cyprus or abroad, if their mother is a Cypriot citizen and the father is a foreigner.
- The application (form M123) is for people over 21 years of age who were born on August 16, 1960 or later, if none of their parents at the date of their birth was a citizen of Cyprus and received this status later.
In addition, children born abroad can obtain citizenship if one of the parents is a Cypriot citizen. Of course, paternity or maternity must be officially registered.
When Cyprus received the status of an independent state, it entered the Commonwealth of Nations. Citizens of Great Britain or one of the Commonwealth countries who have lived in Cyprus for at least a year can now obtain a Cypriot passport.
Origin is the easiest and fastest way to get Cypriot citizenship compared to marriage and residency.
Citizenship by marriage
It seems that marriage to a Cypriot is an easy way to obtain Cypriot citizenship, but it is not. The spouse or spouse of a Cypriot citizen must live with him for at least 3 years in an official marriage and spend 2 of them in the island. Only then you can apply for citizenship in Cyprus.
If a couple has lived for more than 5 years and has a child, the authorities will not even require an explanation of the reasons why the wife or husband wanted to obtain citizenship of the country. Application processing takes 1 to 2 years on average.
It is important to consider that when applying for Cypriot citizenship by marriage, the package of documents will include a statement of harmonious residence, signed by the servant of the district administration or diplomatic authorities, and a statement of cohabitation issued by the local authority.
Unfortunately, cultural differences, different mentalities are a common cause of divorce proceedings in international marriages. According to statistics, 9 out of 10 marriages of a foreign woman with a Cypriot end in divorce. Unfortunately, on the Internet you can find a lot of similar stories.
For example, a young wife, after 3 years of marriage, applied for citizenship and waited for a response from the state for another 2 years. During this time, relations with her husband got poisoned, and the girl received a divorce instead of a Cypriot passport. The option of obtaining Cypriot citizenship by marriage cannot be called easy and guaranteed.
Take into account the fact that the government is fighting fake marriages. A Cypriot citizen who participates in the scam is fined € 5,000. Moreover, a foreigner can be taken into custody until the moment of deportation.
When applying for citizenship by marriage, naturalization or descent, the Department of Immigration considers cases on average for 2 to 3 years. But the procedure can be delayed.
Citizenship by investment program
From 01.11.2020 Cyprus has suspended the program of “golden passports”, according to which it was possible to get Cypriot passport in exchange for an investment of at least 2 million Euros. The decision was made during an emergency meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers.
The Minister of Finance and the Minister of Internal Affairs made a proposal to suspend the issuance of “golden passports” due to the vulnerability of the program and a large number of violations.
So now only two European countries – Malta and Bulgaria issue “golden passports”. Another two dozen EU states give “golden visas”.
The European Commission was pleased with the Cyprus decision. Now Brussels is awaiting a similar decision from Valletta and Sofia.