Every long-stay destination produces the same conversation on the third visit. The flights are short, the winter is mild, the coffee is good — could we live here?
Cyprus answers that question with an unusually wide menu of residence routes, priced from €140 to €300,000. Most people discover only the expensive one, because it is the one with a marketing budget. Here is the full comparison, and what each option genuinely delivers.
The visitor route, which almost nobody mentions
A “pink slip” is a visitor permit for non-EU nationals. It requires stable income from abroad of at least €24,000 a year for the main applicant, rising by 20% for a spouse and 15% per child, and state fees of €70 for the permit plus €70 for first registration in the Aliens’ Register. The first application also requires a transfer from abroad of at least €10,000, and at renewal the account balance must not fall below €6,000.
What it does not allow is work or business activity of any kind. It is a lawful way to live in Cyprus on foreign income, renewable annually, and for many people testing the island it is the correct first step.
The remote-work route
The digital nomad permit is for non-EU nationals working remotely for employers or clients outside Cyprus. The requirement is net income of at least €3,500 a month, after tax and contributions. The permit runs for a year and is renewable for two more, and family members can be included.
One detail worth knowing before building plans on it: the scheme is capped at 500 permits in total. A number of agency blogs published in late 2025 claimed the cap had risen to 1,000; the Migration Department page, updated on 31 December 2025, still says 500.
The business route
If the plan involves running something from Cyprus, neither of the above works. The company needs more than half its shares held by third-country nationals — or, where that share is 50% or less, third-country participation worth at least €200,000. An initial investment of €200,000 must be transferred from abroad into the company’s account at a licensed Cyprus credit institution. The company needs its own commercial premises, not a residential address. Employees hired on the highly-paid categories need a gross salary of at least €2,500 a month plus a degree or two years of relevant experience.
The investment route
Permanent residency under Regulation 6(2) — universally advertised as the “Cyprus golden visa” — requires at least €300,000 plus VAT invested in qualifying assets, and secured income from outside Cyprus of at least €50,000 a year, rising by €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 per child. The investment funds must be shown to have come from abroad. Examination takes roughly six months.
Four categories qualify, and they are not equivalent in practice. Residential property must be a new build bought from a developer — a first sale, which excludes the entire resale market and is the most common reason a file fails after the money has moved. Commercial property allows resales. Company shares require a Cyprus company with physical presence and at least five employees, which means real payroll: employer social insurance at 8.8% up to insurable earnings of €68,904 a year, healthcare at 2.90%, and a social cohesion contribution of 2% with no ceiling at all. Fund units are the quietest option, with the fewest ongoing local obligations.
Two things the status does not include. It does not permit local employment: the scheme assumes foreign income. And it does not make you a Cyprus tax resident — that is decided separately, by the 183-day rule or the 60-day rule, whatever permit you hold.
Choosing between them
The order is unglamorous but reliable. Decide first whether you need to work in Cyprus, because that single answer eliminates most of the menu. If you do not, compare the visitor permit at €140 in state fees against permanent residency at €300,000 — they buy different degrees of permanence, not different qualities of life.
For anyone weighing the investment option specifically, the full requirements, ongoing obligations and failure modes of permanent residency in Cyprus are set out with the date each figure was last verified.
The mistake that costs the most is booking the move before choosing the route.
