A blistering report from Cyprus’s Auditor-General, released on 13 February 2026, paints a picture of an immigration system struggling under the weight of back-logs, weak controls and costly mistakes. The audit examined the Civil Registry & Migration Department’s (CRMD) operations between January 2020 and July 2023 and found nearly 11,900 citizenship applications still pending—some dating back to 2007. Average processing time for a naturalisation file now stands at 37.7 months, almost triple the EU average.
Investigators discovered an alarming identity-management lapse: a Turkish-Cypriot applicant was able to obtain five different passports and identity cards by repeatedly submitting photos of other individuals. Poor document-verification procedures also allowed unqualified foreign workers to present falsified language certificates and employment histories, raising risks that residence permits were issued on fraudulent grounds.
Back-logs have been compounded by policy mis-steps. In November 2019 the Interior Ministry verbally ordered a freeze on new permanent-residence permits without issuing a legal notice. By July 2023 roughly 3,000 applications were languishing in limbo—a situation the Attorney-General has since ruled unlawful.
![Audit Exposes Systemic Failures in Cyprus Immigration Department]()
Financial stewardship is equally troubling. The audit cites €4.36 million in uncollected administrative fines as well as €1.9 million in bank guarantees that have sat idle in a special fund for more than two decades.
Amid these challenges, VisaHQ can help companies and individuals navigate Cyprus’s complex immigration landscape by pre-screening documentation, securing priority appointments, and tracking application milestones through its online platform. Their dedicated Cyprus page (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) outlines available services and up-to-date requirements, reducing the risk of costly delays or rejections.
For multinational employers and global-mobility managers, the findings translate into longer lead-times for work and residence permits, greater due-diligence requirements when hiring third-country nationals, and heightened reputational risk should fraudulent documents slip through. The Auditor-General has urged the Deputy Ministry of Migration & International Protection to automate file-tracking, tighten biometric controls and accelerate a full transition to the upcoming EU Entry/Exit System to restore confidence ahead of the island’s EU Council presidency in 2026.
Investigators discovered an alarming identity-management lapse: a Turkish-Cypriot applicant was able to obtain five different passports and identity cards by repeatedly submitting photos of other individuals. Poor document-verification procedures also allowed unqualified foreign workers to present falsified language certificates and employment histories, raising risks that residence permits were issued on fraudulent grounds.
Back-logs have been compounded by policy mis-steps. In November 2019 the Interior Ministry verbally ordered a freeze on new permanent-residence permits without issuing a legal notice. By July 2023 roughly 3,000 applications were languishing in limbo—a situation the Attorney-General has since ruled unlawful.
Financial stewardship is equally troubling. The audit cites €4.36 million in uncollected administrative fines as well as €1.9 million in bank guarantees that have sat idle in a special fund for more than two decades.
Amid these challenges, VisaHQ can help companies and individuals navigate Cyprus’s complex immigration landscape by pre-screening documentation, securing priority appointments, and tracking application milestones through its online platform. Their dedicated Cyprus page (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) outlines available services and up-to-date requirements, reducing the risk of costly delays or rejections.
For multinational employers and global-mobility managers, the findings translate into longer lead-times for work and residence permits, greater due-diligence requirements when hiring third-country nationals, and heightened reputational risk should fraudulent documents slip through. The Auditor-General has urged the Deputy Ministry of Migration & International Protection to automate file-tracking, tighten biometric controls and accelerate a full transition to the upcoming EU Entry/Exit System to restore confidence ahead of the island’s EU Council presidency in 2026.
