Cyprus attracts expats by its mild climate, picturesque landscapes with moderate prices and friendly atmosphere towards migrants. In Cyprus everyone can find something for themselves: more than 330 sunny days a year, the sea with crystal clear water, the possibility of skiing for two or three winter months, and an extensive community of expats.
Immigration law allows non-EU citizens who arrived in Cyprus on a tourist visa to stay in the country for up to 90 days. Further stay in Cyprus is possible only after obtaining a temporary residence permit. Freelancers and independent income holders can apply for a so-called “Pink Slip”: temporary residence permit, which allows legal stay on the island for one year. With this residence permit, you have no right to work in the territory of Cyprus itself (which does not prevent you from receiving income from abroad).
Pink Slip also allows its holder to receive visas to various countries through the consulates located in Cyprus (Bulgaria, Lithuania, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Israel, Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovakia, USA, France, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Canada, Slovenia).
Pink Slip can be extended annually. After five years of legal residence in Cyprus, foreign nationals may apply for a Long Term Residence Permit. Holders of LTRP have the same rights as citizens of the Republic of Cyprus in everything except participation in elections. This residence permit is valid for five years, after which the document is automatically renewed for the same period.
What requirements do I have to meet to get a Pink Slip in Cyprus?
Your main task is to prove that you legally receive a certain amount in your home country, as well as to have funds on your Cyprus bank account.
If you have an official job, you will need a certificate from your place of work, stating that you are an employee of a certain company, that you work remotely and receive a fixed salary. If you are an individual entrepreneur, you must bring your business documents and a certificate of your personal income.
There are no official requirements for the amount of income. According to the experience of freelancers living in Cyprus, the minimum expected amount is €1000 euros per month for 1 adult and 1 small child or €1500 per month for 2 adults and 1 small child. Officials check the earnings for the last three months, but it is also possible to submit a report for six months. It does not matter how much you have earned before.
Pink Slip processing: a collection of documents
After arriving on the island on a tourist visa or you should go to the Migration Department (if you are staying in Nicosia) or the immigration department of the police (if it is a different city in Cyprus) to make an appointment. You should take your passport with you.
Before the interview, you should open an account in a bank and top it up with funds you plan to spend during the year in Cyprus. As with the monthly income, there are no exact requirements for the amount, but ideally, it should be at least €6,000 per adult. The optimal amount is about €10,000. If the amount is less, you may be given a Pink Slip for a shorter period of time: no more than six months.
If you plan to stay in Cyprus for more than a year, it is important to properly manage your bank account. As a general rule, throughout the year money should be sent repeatedly to your Cypriot account from abroad. And you must spend it. If you pay in cash, keep the checks for your purchases, because immigration authorities may ask you to provide them during the extension process.
Documents required for a Cyprus pink slip
Completed MVIS3 application form
You can download it at the Migration Department website.
Passport
The expiration date of the passport must be at least one year, as they can only give a visa before the expiration date of the passport.
Bank account statement with information about transactions
It should be received a few days before the interview with the immigration authorities.
Bank guarantee
This document is made in case of your deportation from Cyprus. The sum of the bank guarantee depends on how far your home country is located. You can check the exact sum for your country on this list. Typically it is €850 and €350 for nationals from countries around Cyprus.
You need to make a guarantee in a Cypriot bank, where you have an account. The amount is blocked for 10 years on your account. You will be able to use it in the following cases: 1) if you decide to move to another country, 2) if you obtain citizenship of the Republic of Cyprus, 3) if you change your immigration status, for example, get a job and get a work visa; in this case, the bank guarantee must be made by your employer. You must make a separate bank guarantee for each family member, including children.
Documents confirming the fact you have an income from abroad
This can be a bank reference for paying interest on deposits, a contract with your foreign employer stating your salary (if you work remotely), or contracts with clients (if you are a freelancer). The larger the amounts are in documents, the better.
Medical insurance
You can get it at the immigration service itself. The main difference between health insurance for the immigration service and the usual health insurance is the presence of a claim for transportation of the body to the home country in case of death. The price of the insurance starts at 175 euros per year.
Agreement on purchase or lease of real estate, certified by the tax department.
Application fee
If you are applying for the first time, you will need to get a foreigner’s passport (Alien Book) in addition to the first Visitor’s Pink Slip, which will indicate your personal registration number (ARC number). The amount for the Alien Book and the Pink Slip is €140 euros.
If you already have an Alien Book, the registration fee for the Pink Slip is €70.
Interview
Come to the interview on the appointed day.
If there are no questions about the documents, you will be sent to take fingerprints and photos. You will then have to pay the application fee.
A receipt of payment received at the consulate will indicate that you are in Cyprus legally until you get a pink slip. With the document you can fly to your home country and be absent in Cyprus for a maximum of three months.
You will be notified of your Pink Slip by mail sent to the address you specified when filling in the form MVIS3. It is necessary to pick up the pink slip personally. It should be done in the same place, where you applied.
