Cyprus Permanent Residence by Investment
The four €300,000 investment options, the separate income test, government fees, work restrictions, and the March 2026 closure of the pre-2023 transitional rules under Regulation 6(2).
A quick note before anything else: Cyprus's investment threshold, income bands, fees, and permit-maintenance rules are figures that CRMD periodically revises, and different sources report slightly different numbers depending on when they were published. This article relied on web search across multiple independent legal and advisory sources cross-checked against each other. Where sources agreed consistently, that is noted as a widely reported figure — not a confirmed government rule. Where sources genuinely disagreed, that disagreement is stated plainly rather than resolved by picking a side. Always confirm current thresholds and fees directly with Cyprus's Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD) or a licensed Cyprus immigration lawyer before advising a client.
Our Cyprus visa consultant software page covers how VisaBOS tracks Cyprus-bound case types generally and does not itself cover the legal detail of this specific residence route — this article fills that gap, following the same pattern as our UAE Golden Visa and Malta Permanent Residence Programme explainers: a destination page exists, but the underlying residence route itself had never been explained on this site.
What Regulation 6(2) structurally is
Regulation 6(2) — commonly called Category 6.2 — is a fast-track permanent residence route in Cyprus, administered by the Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD). Eligible third-country nationals who make a qualifying investment and meet a secured-income threshold can obtain permanent residence status for themselves and eligible family members. As with the other residence-by-investment programmes already covered on this site, it is worth being precise with a client about what this actually grants: permanent residence in Cyprus, not Cypriot or EU citizenship, and not a direct route to one. Sources are consistent on this point.
A fast-track route, not the only route
Regulation 6(2) — commonly called Category 6.2 — is a fast-track permanent residence route administered by Cyprus's Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD). Sources consistently report it grants permanent residence, not Cypriot or EU citizenship, and processing is commonly cited around 6 months when the file is complete.
Four investment options, €300,000 minimum
Sources report a minimum investment of €300,000 (plus VAT) in one of four options: a new residential property from a developer, non-residential real estate, shares in a Cyprus company with a physical presence and staff, or units in a Cyprus AIF/UCITS investment fund.
A separate secured-income test
On top of the investment, sources report the main applicant must show secured annual income from abroad of at least €50,000, plus €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 per dependent minor child — a solvency test distinct from the investment itself.
The pre-2023 transitional window closed in March 2026
Sources report CRMD formally closed, on 3 March 2026, the transitional grace period that had let some applicants file under the older, less strict pre-2023 criteria. Every fresh filing now needs to meet the stricter rules that took effect on 2 May 2023.
The four investment options
Sources report a minimum investment of €300,000 (plus VAT) in one of four options: a new residential property bought from a development company, which sources describe as the most commonly used route; non-residential real estate, new or resale; share capital in a Cyprus company that maintains a physical presence and employs staff in Cyprus; or units in a Cyprus Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) or UCITS. The €300,000 figure is the investment amount itself — it sits alongside, not instead of, the government fees and income test covered below, so a client should not assume €300,000 is the all-in cost of the programme.
The income test, separate from the investment
On top of the investment, sources report the main applicant must show secured annual income from abroad of at least €50,000. This rises by €15,000 if a spouse is included, and by €10,000 for each dependent minor child. An unmarried adult child aged 18–25 who is a financially dependent student abroad is reported to be eligible to apply separately, subject to showing an additional €10,000 of income for that child. What counts as qualifying income — pension, rental, dividends, salary, or a mix — is assessed case by case, so this should be confirmed with CRMD or a licensed lawyer for the specific applicant rather than assumed from a general list.
Government fees on top of the investment and income test
Sources report a government application fee of €500 for the main applicant, described as covering a spouse and any minor children on the same application, plus a smaller registration fee of around €70 per person for the residence permit itself. An adult child applying separately under the dependent-student provision is reported to pay the same €500 application fee plus the €70 registration fee for that individual filing. As with every fee figure in this article, confirm the current schedule with CRMD before quoting a client — these numbers are periodically revised.
Work restrictions: this is not a general work permit
Sources are consistent that Regulation 6(2) residence does not carry general local work rights. A holder cannot normally take up salaried employment with a Cyprus employer. Sources do report that a holder may hold shares in a Cyprus company and receive dividends or investment income from it, and may work remotely for an employer based outside Cyprus. A consultancy should set this expectation clearly with any client whose actual goal is local employment in Cyprus — this route is not built for that, and a separate employment-based visa route should be discussed instead.
Permit maintenance — and where sources disagree
Sources describe the underlying residence status as indefinite in principle rather than fixed-term, but they are not fully consistent on the mechanics of the physical permit card itself: some report a periodic card renewal, while others describe the status as not expiring at all beyond that renewal. What sources do agree on is that a holder must not be continuously absent from Cyprus for a period that puts the residence status at risk — commonly described as a maximum continuous absence of around two years — and that CRMD has, following a 2026 tightening, required an annual confirmation of income, the investment, and the absence of a disqualifying criminal record for adult family members. Given the genuine inconsistency on the card-renewal point, confirm current maintenance obligations directly with CRMD rather than relying on any single published figure, including this one.
What changed on 3 March 2026
Sources report that CRMD formally closed, effective 3 March 2026, a transitional grace period first introduced in August 2023. That grace period had allowed applicants who met certain earlier filing conditions to still be assessed under the pre-2023 version of Regulation 6(2), under which the reported income threshold was €30,000 rather than today's €50,000, with less extensive source-of-funds checks and a broader range of qualifying property. Every application submitted after 3 March 2026 is now assessed solely against the stricter criteria that took effect on 2 May 2023. This is a live compliance point worth flagging to any client who may have heard about the programme some years ago and expects the older, lower figures to still apply.
A proposed increase — not yet in force
Sources report that a further increase to the investment threshold — variously discussed as a range of €400,000–€500,000, particularly for property in high-demand or urban areas — has been raised in connection with Cyprus's anticipated accession to the Schengen area, but as of the most recent reporting this remains a proposal under discussion rather than an adopted rule. A consultancy should not tell a client the threshold has already increased; confirm the officially applicable figure with CRMD or a licensed lawyer before a client commits capital to a specific investment.
What a consultancy should actually verify before advising a case
Given that the investment threshold, income bands, fees, and permit-maintenance rules are all figures that move — and given that the March 2026 rule closure shows CRMD is actively tightening this programme — confirm the current requirements directly against CRMD's own published guidance, or through a licensed Cyprus immigration lawyer, rather than any single blog figure, including this one. Our Cyprus visa consultant software page covers how VisaBOS helps a consultancy track Cyprus-bound cases from intake, though it is a case-management tool, not a source of immigration law, and does not replace confirming current Regulation 6(2) requirements with CRMD or a licensed lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cyprus Permanent Residence by Investment (Regulation 6(2))?
Regulation 6(2), commonly referred to as Category 6.2, is a fast-track permanent residence route in Cyprus administered by the Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD). Sources consistently describe it as granting permanent residence status to an eligible third-country national (and their family) who makes a qualifying investment and meets a secured-income threshold. It grants residence, not citizenship — there is no direct route to a Cypriot or EU passport through this programme itself. This article relied on web search across multiple independent legal and advisory sources cross-checked against each other; given how often reported fee and threshold figures move, a consultancy should confirm the current requirements directly with CRMD or a licensed immigration lawyer before advising a client.
What are the four investment options, and is €300,000 the total cost?
Sources report four qualifying investment options, each requiring a minimum of €300,000 plus VAT: (1) a new residential property purchased from a development company — the most commonly used option; (2) non-residential real estate, new or resale (offices, shops, hotels, or similar); (3) share capital in a Cyprus company that has a physical presence in Cyprus and employs staff; (4) units in a Cyprus Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) or UCITS. The €300,000 figure is the investment itself, not an all-in total — government fees and the separate income test below sit on top of it.
What income does the applicant need to show, separately from the investment?
Sources report the main applicant must demonstrate secured annual income from abroad of at least €50,000. This rises by a further €15,000 if a spouse is included on the application, and by €10,000 for each dependent minor child. Sources also report that an unmarried adult child between 18 and 25 who is a financially dependent student abroad may apply separately, subject to an additional €10,000 of income being shown for that child. Confirm the current thresholds and what counts as qualifying income (pension, rental, dividends, salary) with CRMD or a licensed lawyer, since acceptable income sources are assessed case by case.
What government fees apply beyond the investment and income test?
Sources report a government application fee of €500 for the main applicant, which is described as covering a spouse and any minor children included on the same application, plus a smaller registration fee of around €70 per person for the residence permit itself. An adult child applying separately under the dependent-student provision is reported to pay the same €500 application fee plus the €70 registration fee for that individual application. These are commonly cited figures — confirm the current fee schedule with CRMD before quoting a client.
Can a Regulation 6(2) permit holder work in Cyprus?
Sources are consistent that this is not a general work permit. A holder cannot normally take up salaried employment with a Cyprus employer. Sources do report that a holder may hold shares in a Cyprus company and receive dividends or investment income from it, and may work remotely for a non-Cyprus employer. A consultancy should set this expectation clearly with a client who is planning to relocate for local employment — this route is not the right fit for that goal, and a separate employment-based route should be discussed instead.
Does the permit expire, and what maintenance obligations apply?
Sources describe the permit as indefinite in principle rather than fixed-term, but they are not fully consistent on the renewal mechanics of the physical permit card — some report a periodic card renewal, others describe the underlying status as not expiring at all. What sources do agree on: the holder must not be continuously absent from Cyprus for a period that puts the residence status at risk (commonly described as a maximum continuous absence of around two years), and CRMD has, since a 2026 tightening, required an annual confirmation of the income, the investment, and the absence of a disqualifying criminal record for adult family members. Given the inconsistency on the card-renewal point specifically, confirm current maintenance obligations directly with CRMD before advising a client on long-term compliance.
What changed on 3 March 2026?
Sources report that CRMD formally closed, effective 3 March 2026, a transitional grace period first introduced in August 2023. That grace period had allowed applicants who met certain earlier deadlines to still file under the pre-2023 version of Regulation 6(2) — under which the reported income threshold was €30,000 rather than today's €50,000, with less extensive source-of-funds checks and a broader range of qualifying property. Any application submitted after 3 March 2026 is now assessed solely against the stricter criteria that took effect on 2 May 2023. This is a live compliance point: a consultancy should not quote a client the older, lower income figure.
Is the €300,000 threshold about to increase?
Sources report that an increase — variously discussed as €400,000–€500,000, particularly for property in high-demand or urban areas — has been proposed in connection with Cyprus's anticipated Schengen accession, but as of the most recent reporting this remains a proposal under consideration rather than an adopted rule. Do not tell a client the threshold has already risen; confirm the current, officially applicable figure directly with CRMD or a licensed immigration lawyer before a client commits to a specific investment.
What should a consultancy verify before advising a case?
Because the investment threshold, income bands, fees, and permit-maintenance rules are all figures that move — and because the March 2026 rule closure shows CRMD is actively tightening this programme — confirm the current requirements directly against CRMD's own published guidance or through a licensed Cyprus immigration lawyer before quoting a client. Our Cyprus visa consultant software page covers how VisaBOS helps a consultancy track Cyprus-bound cases from intake, though it is a case-management tool, not a source of immigration law, and does not replace confirming current Regulation 6(2) requirements with CRMD or a licensed lawyer.
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