Non-EU citizens who come to Cyprus for long-term purposes without employment rights should obtain special temporary permits, commonly referred to as a ‘’Pink Slip’’. The pink slip can be issued for 1-4 years with a limitation of absence period not more than 3 months per year. A Pink Slip could be issued for a period of 1-2 years upon first application and could be easily extended for a further 1-2 years period thereafter.
The physical presence of the applicants is required in order for the Migration Department to receive their biometric features (fingerprints and photographs) as well as their signatures prior to the submission of the temporary residence applications.
Temporary residence permit offers the following categories:
Pink Slip Cyprus – Visitor Visa
Visitor Visas are normally provided to applicants under the following categories:
- Spouses from third countries that are married to Cypriot citizens/or parents-in-law from third countries/or underage children of foreigners (younger than 18 years) who have applied for family reunification and a residence permit;
- Third-country nationals and their dependents that apply for an extension of their visitors visa and which have enough funds from abroad to support themselves (or foreigners who have enterprises in Cyprus);
- Applicants who have received temporary entry permits from consular authorities of Cyprus abroad; having the term FINAL on them, may apply for an extension when special reasons are taken into consideration (e.g. humanitarian reasons, householders of property in Cyprus etc.);
Pink Slip in Cyprus – Student Visa
Students who take a long-term course at a Cyprus educational institution must obtain permission for long stay. Students from non-EU countries can be issued visas by an Embassy / Consulate of the Republic of Cyprus in the student’s home country or by the Migration Department of Cyprus. International students must report to their educational institution immediately upon arrival to register and complete other formalities required for obtaining further temporary resident permits.
Pink Slip – Employment Visa
Applications for the issue of Entry and Temporary Residence and Employment Permits must be submitted by the Cypriot employer through the District Office of the Aliens and Immigration Unit of the Police or at the Central Offices of the Civil Registry and Migration Department in Nicosia. The applications should be submitted along with the contract of employment certified by the Department of Labor of the Ministry of Employment and Social Insurance, which is the competent Department for securing that there are no Cypriots or citizens of the Member States of the European Union, available or adequately qualified for the specific job or post prior to recommending the employment of third-country nationals. The applicant must register with the District Office of the Aliens and Immigration Unit of the Police. The maximum duration of employment in most cases is four years (exemptions may apply).
Companies which meet the criteria to be classified as foreign interest companies are also eligible to employ third-country nationals in Cyprus. They must meet the following requirements:
- The majority of the company’s shareholders or ultimate owners should be foreign;
- The company should have its own self-contained offices in Cyprus, which are not part of a private residence or another office;
- New companies should prove that they have direct foreign capital investment amounting to at least EUR 171,000 brought legally to Cyprus from abroad. The said funds should derive from legal sources from abroad.
*This guide contains information for general guidance and does not substitute professional advice which must be sought before taking any actions.