Fresh statistics released by Deputy Migration Minister Nikolas Ioannides show that Russians hold 40,735 of Cyprus’s 175,677 valid third-country residence permits—more than 23 % of the total. They are followed by citizens of the U.K. (16,279), Nepal (15,607), India (14,237) and Syria (12,868).
Despite the sizeable legal population, the ministry is grappling with 16,000 pending asylum applications and a further 6,500 migration cases before the courts. Ioannides noted that 70 % of asylum claims are ultimately rejected, underscoring the importance of robust appeal and return mechanisms.
![Russians top Cyprus residency permits as 16,000 asylum claims remain pending]()
The ministry’s 2026 plan includes €8 million to strengthen return policies and €17.3 million to build new migrant-housing infrastructure. Projects under way range from digitising the Civil Registry and Migration Department to issuing next-generation biometric residence cards.
Several new visa pathways are also being rolled out, including the EU Blue Card for highly skilled talent and a “Visitor Scheme” that lets foreign trainees attend accredited maritime and aviation academies. The reforms aim to align Cyprus with EU mobility norms before its expected Schengen accession in 2027.
Businesses employing Russian and other non-EU nationals should anticipate faster—but more data-driven—compliance checks once the biometric-ID project goes live. HR teams are advised to audit document-retention practices and prepare for online renewals.
Despite the sizeable legal population, the ministry is grappling with 16,000 pending asylum applications and a further 6,500 migration cases before the courts. Ioannides noted that 70 % of asylum claims are ultimately rejected, underscoring the importance of robust appeal and return mechanisms.
The ministry’s 2026 plan includes €8 million to strengthen return policies and €17.3 million to build new migrant-housing infrastructure. Projects under way range from digitising the Civil Registry and Migration Department to issuing next-generation biometric residence cards.
Several new visa pathways are also being rolled out, including the EU Blue Card for highly skilled talent and a “Visitor Scheme” that lets foreign trainees attend accredited maritime and aviation academies. The reforms aim to align Cyprus with EU mobility norms before its expected Schengen accession in 2027.
Businesses employing Russian and other non-EU nationals should anticipate faster—but more data-driven—compliance checks once the biometric-ID project goes live. HR teams are advised to audit document-retention practices and prepare for online renewals.
