Cyprus’s Digital Nomad Visa Scheme allows qualifying non-EU/non-EEA nationals to reside in Cyprus while working remotely for employers or clients abroad. The current Migration Department page retains a ceiling of 500 permits, raised from 100 on 3 March 2022.
Who can apply?
The program targets non-EU/non-EEA nationals who:
- Work remotely using telecommunications technology
- Work for an employer registered abroad, or provide self-employed services to clients located abroad
- Have stable net monthly income of at least EUR 3,500, after tax and contributions
Working for a Cyprus-registered employer or providing services to clients in Cyprus is prohibited under the scheme.
What are the requirements?
Income
| Applicant | Minimum Net Monthly Income |
|---|---|
| Primary applicant | EUR 3,500 |
| With spouse/civil partner | EUR 4,200 (+20% of the base) |
| Each child | +EUR 525 (+15% of the base) |
The official applicant checklist requires income evidence and detailed bank statements for the last six months showing income from abroad. If the applicant cannot prove net income, an affirmation must certify that income after tax and contributions meets the applicable threshold.
Initial application documents
Use the checklist for your own circumstances. The principal applicant’s checklist includes:
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Passport/travel document | Valid for at least three months from application submission, plus the last-entry page |
| Employee’s employment contract | Indefinite or covering at least the requested permit period |
| Employee’s employer documents | Confirmation of remote work and no Cyprus-registered employer work; foreign company registration, contact details and the applicant’s status in the company |
| Self-employed applicant’s contracts | Project or service contracts covering at least the requested permit period, plus confirmation of remote work and no services to clients in Cyprus |
| Income evidence | Applicable net-income threshold and detailed foreign-income bank statements for the last six months |
| Insurance certificate | Plan A: inpatient and outpatient care and transportation of remains |
| Housing evidence | Title deed or rental agreement for a house/apartment, and a corresponding utility bill |
| Original criminal-record certificate | Country of origin, or country of residence if different |
| Original medical results | Blood tests for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C; a chest X-ray for tuberculosis, certified by a specialized doctor |
| Affirmation | Applicant and family will not work for a Cyprus-registered employer or serve clients in Cyprus |
The MVIS8 form requires documents in Greek or English, or a certified translation into one of those languages. It sets out apostille or diplomatic legalization requirements for foreign-issued documents. Applicable exemptions depend on the document and issuing country; see the apostille guide.
The March 2025 checklist still mentions stamping some rental agreements. The Tax Department says stamp duty was abolished from 1 January 2026, while documents first signed by at least one party by 31 December 2025 remain subject to the earlier rules.
How does the application process work?
- Enter lawfully using a tourist visa where required or visa-free entry where eligible. The scheme also permits applications by people already lawfully residing under another status.
- Prepare the relevant form and checklist documents. Incomplete applications are not accepted.
- Apply within three months of arrival, personally or through an authorized representative, at the Migration Department in Nicosia. Follow the appointment instructions on the scheme page.
- Provide biometrics and a signature. The scheme page allows this at submission or afterward at the Migration Department or a district Police Aliens and Immigration unit, with a valid travel document and receipt. Children under six provide a photograph only. Biometrics are also required on renewal.
- Await examination. The department publishes a five-to-seven-week examination time. Treat it as a published administrative estimate, not a guaranteed decision date. Notify the department immediately if your details change during examination.
- Follow the decision notification. An approval letter explains collection; a rejection letter gives reasons.
The generic MVIS8 form mentions district application offices and biometrics at submission; the scheme-specific page gives the Nicosia application procedure and the additional biometric options above. Follow the current category-specific instructions and confirm arrangements when booking.
Confirm your own lawful-stay documentation with the department while waiting for a decision.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Permit issuance | EUR 70 |
| Initial Aliens’ Registry registration, if required | EUR 70 |
| Permit renewal | EUR 70 |
The primary applicant’s two official charges total EUR 140 when initial registry registration is needed. This excludes insurance, medical tests, translations and other document expenses. Check the corresponding issuance and initial-registration charges for each accompanying applicant.
What is the duration and renewal process?
- Initial validity: one year
- Possible renewal: up to two further years
- Renewal application: at least one month before expiry, at the Migration Department in Nicosia
The renewal checklist requires qualifying contracts, the applicable net income and six-month bank evidence, Plan A insurance, housing evidence and the no-Cyprus-work affirmation. The employer’s remote-work confirmation, registration/contact details and employee-status evidence are requested if the employer changes; the self-employed remote-work confirmation is requested if the project contract changes. The renewal checklist does not list repeat criminal-record or medical tests.
What are the rules for family members?
Spouses, civil union partners and minor children may obtain permits for the same duration as the principal applicant. Under this family route they cannot work or undertake economic activity in Cyprus.
The spouse/partner checklist requires the marriage or civil-union certificate. The child checklist requires a birth certificate and, where applicable, a custody decision or the other parent’s affidavit. Both require the sponsor’s income evidence, insurance and housing documents.
For an initial child application, the checklist specifies medical results from the country of origin or residence. Children under 15 take a Mantoux test instead of a chest X-ray; children under 16 are exempt from the criminal-record certificate. School/institution registration and attendance evidence is required where applicable. Although the generic child checklist heading mentions adults, the digital nomad policy and current MVIS8 digital nomad category specify minor children.
What are the key tax implications?
Tax residency
Residence permission and tax residence are separate. The Tax Department’s guidance, updated 31 August 2026, applies these tests:
- 183-day rule: more than 183 days in Cyprus during the calendar tax year.
- 60-day rule: all four conditions must be met: at least 60 days in Cyprus; no more than 183 days in any other country; a Cyprus business, employment or office in a Cyprus tax-resident entity; and a permanent home in Cyprus, owned or rented. Ending that business, employment or office during the year prevents qualification under this test for that year.
From 2026, the separate restriction on being tax resident in another country was removed from the 60-day test. Remote work and a digital nomad permit do not by themselves establish all its conditions.
Personal income tax rates (2026)
These marginal rates apply to annual taxable income, after applicable exemptions and deductions, according to the Tax Department’s May 2026 reform guide.
| Annual Taxable Income (EUR) | Rate |
|---|---|
| 0 — 22,000 | 0% |
| 22,001 — 32,000 | 20% |
| 32,001 — 42,000 | 25% |
| 42,001 — 72,000 | 30% |
| 72,001+ | 35% |
The scheme’s EUR 3,500 net monthly resources requirement is not a taxable-income figure. Do not use it directly to calculate your annual tax bill.
Non-dom status
Non-dom eligibility depends on the domicile-of-origin and other rules described by the Tax Department. Having fewer than 17 Cyprus tax-resident years in the preceding 20 does not, by itself, prove eligibility. Qualifying non-doms are exempt from Special Defence Contribution on dividends and interest; this does not mean exemption from every tax or contribution. SDC on rental income was abolished from 2026 generally.
Use the non-dom guide and confirm the relevant declaration and your circumstances with the Tax Department.
How does GeSY work?
The digital nomad checklist requires a Plan A insurance certificate covering inpatient care, outpatient care and transportation of remains.
A digital nomad permit alone does not establish GeSY beneficiary eligibility. The Health Insurance Organisation’s rules require ordinary residence and an applicable beneficiary category; for third-country nationals, the relevant permanent-residence, equal-treatment or family conditions matter. Assess any entitlement separately rather than assuming that this permit grants it or that every digital nomad is excluded in all circumstances.
Does this residence count toward citizenship?
The current citizenship law, section 111B, expressly excludes student-permit periods and periods as an international-protection applicant, subsidiary-protection holder or temporary-protection holder from the residence calculation. It does not expressly exclude digital nomad residence.
This does not guarantee that every day qualifies: the residence must satisfy the legal formalities and physical-presence rules, and the applicant must meet all other citizenship requirements. The reduced-residence route separately requires qualifying company employment; a digital nomad permit alone does not establish that eligibility.
See the standard naturalization guide and highly skilled route before making a citizenship plan.
What practical tips should I know?
- Use the current official checklist for your employment category and each family applicant.
- Arrange the required insurance and housing evidence before filing.
- Keep contracts and detailed income statements for renewal.
- Confirm lawful stay, appointment arrangements and any document-specific legalization exemption with the department.
- Assess tax residence, non-dom status and healthcare entitlement separately.