Temporary residence for 3rd country nationals

| 21 Aug 2017

company-formation

Third-country nationals seeking temporary residence in Cyprus will generally require a Temporary Residence Permit, more commonly known as the Pink Slip. The Pink Slip is a permit which can be issued for 1 to 4 years, or alternatively, it can be issued for 1-2 years upon first application and easily extended for a further period of 1-2 years thereafter.

The Temporary Residency Permit is sought by visitors, including non-EU nationals (such as spouses or minor children) who are related to Cypriot citizens or EU citizens and who seek to apply for family reunification and a residency permit, as well as third country nationals such as students seeking to take a long-term course in a Cypriot educational institutions and workers seeking employment in Cyprus. However, one should note that the temporary residence permit itself does not grant third-country nationals the right to work in Cyprus. To be eligible for employment, an employer will need to apply for a work visa on behalf of the non-EU employee.

For a thorough overview of who requires a Temporary Residence Permit, please click here.

Temporary residence permit for third country nationals who wish to be employed by international companies based in Cyprus

In order to set up a Cyprus company of foreign interests which can employ third country nationals, the following requirements must be fulfilled:

  1. The majority of the company’s shareholders should be foreign shareholders and in the case of shareholders whose ultimate owners are foreign companies, the details of the physical persons behind those foreign companies should be declared;
  2. The direct foreign capital investment amounts to a minimum of EUR 171,000 and should be evidenced by banking and other documents. In addition, the said funds must be brought into Cyprus legally from sources abroad;
  3. The Company should have its own self-contained offices in Cyprus which are not part of a private residence or another office.

A company which fulfills the aforementioned requirements will be permitted to employ third country nationals for the following positions:

  1. Executive Director (maximum number of such executives is five);
  2. Middle-management staff, executive staff (maximum number permitted in this category is ten);
  3. Supporting staff (nationals employed in other positions and do not fall under the categories (a) and (b) mentioned above), provided there are no available or suitable Cypriots or European citizens with the required qualifications for such positions.

Such Company may employ Cypriots or nationals from other EU countries. For EU nationals relocating to Cyprus to work, there is a separate visa/permit to be acquired as per the applicable laws and regulations.

In order to proceed with the application for a temporary residence permit in the current case, there are a number of documents which both the company and the employee will need to present:

For the Company:

  1. Certificate of Incorporation (original and stamped by the Registrar of Companies (“ROC”));
  2. Certificate of Registered office (original and stamped by  ROC);
  3. Certificate of Directors (original and stamped by  ROC);
  4. Certificate of Shareholders (original and stamped by  ROC);
  5. Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company (original and stamped by  ROC);
  6. Profile describing the nature of the company’s business and details of its operations;
  7. List with the details of the initial shareholders of the applying company;
  8. List of Company’s personnel (applicants and employees);
  9. Bank account with the amount of EUR 41,000;
  10. Domicile deed title of lease agreement or contract of sale and purchase of the offices in Cyprus;
  11. Deposited amount of EUR 171,000 which can be evidenced by banking and other documents.

For the employee (third country national):

  1. Duly completed and signed M58 application form;
  2. Duly completed and signed M64 application form;
  3. Copy of passport pages;
  4. Bank guarantee in the amount of EUR 855 which should be valid for at least 12 months beyond the expected employment period of the contract;
  5. Original certificate of good character;
  6. Contract of employment stamped by Commissioner for Stamp duty;
  7. Fee of EUR 70.
  8. Medical Examination Certificate [AIDS (hiv), Syphilis (vdrl (rpr), Hepatitis B (hbsag / hbsab), Hepatitis C (hcv / anti-hcv)] and chest x-ray for tuberculosis (TB) from doctors in Cyprus, certified by Government.

The Directors will need to be physically present in Cyprus since the Immigration Authorities must obtain their biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) as well as their signatures prior to the submission of the temporary residency applications. (Captured fingerprints are deleted from the Aliens’ Register 48 hours after the issuance of the residence permit.)

All the documents issued by a foreign authority (either for applying for temporary or permanent residence permit) should be translated to either Greek or English and be duly authenticated (they should bear the stamp «APOSTILE», if they are issued by countries that have signed the Hague Convention, otherwise thy should be sealed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country and the diplomatic mission of the Republic of Cyprus in the issuing country).


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Key Contacts

Dr Jean-Philippe Chetcuti

Senior Partner, Tax & Immigration

+356 22056411

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