The Civil Registry & Migration Department announced on 3 March 2026 that the transitional window allowing applications for Permanent Residence (Immigration Permit) under the pre-2023 Regulation 6(2) criteria has closed with immediate effect. The grace period, introduced in August 2023 to ease the switch to stricter investment and due-diligence rules, officially expired at midnight. Any submissions stamped after 3 March will now be assessed solely against the fourth-revision criteria that came into force on 2 May 2023. Under the retired rules, third-country nationals could secure permanent residence by investing €300,000 in real estate and demonstrating an annual income of €30,000. The 2023 revision lifted the minimum income to €50,000, introduced enhanced source-of-funds checks and narrowed the range of qualifying property. Applicants already holding submission receipts remain in the pipeline, but fresh filings must meet the tougher benchmarks or risk rejection.
![Cyprus Ends Grace Period for Investor Residence Permits Under Old Criteria]()
For individuals navigating these shifting requirements, VisaHQ can streamline the process. The firm’s Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) provides updated checklists, personalised eligibility assessments and end-to-end document handling, ensuring investors and HR teams adapt quickly to the post-2023 landscape.
For immigration counsel the update removes a popular fast-track option frequently used by multinational employees looking to base families in Cyprus while working across the wider EMEA region. Corporations planning to relocate non-EU staff will need to budget for the higher income threshold and anticipate longer adjudication times as background verifications intensify. Practical next steps include auditing pending cases to confirm eligibility under the new criteria, recalculating cost-of-living allowances to satisfy income proofs and accelerating alternative work-permit routes (especially ICT transfers) where residence ambitions may now be unrealistic. The Migration Department has hinted at further digitalisation of the permit process later in 2026, but for now paper files and in-person biometrics remain mandatory.
For individuals navigating these shifting requirements, VisaHQ can streamline the process. The firm’s Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) provides updated checklists, personalised eligibility assessments and end-to-end document handling, ensuring investors and HR teams adapt quickly to the post-2023 landscape.
For immigration counsel the update removes a popular fast-track option frequently used by multinational employees looking to base families in Cyprus while working across the wider EMEA region. Corporations planning to relocate non-EU staff will need to budget for the higher income threshold and anticipate longer adjudication times as background verifications intensify. Practical next steps include auditing pending cases to confirm eligibility under the new criteria, recalculating cost-of-living allowances to satisfy income proofs and accelerating alternative work-permit routes (especially ICT transfers) where residence ambitions may now be unrealistic. The Migration Department has hinted at further digitalisation of the permit process later in 2026, but for now paper files and in-person biometrics remain mandatory.
