Cyprus Immigration Services: Find Your Route to Moving to Cyprus, AI-Checked and Koufettas-Law-Backed

Moving to Cyprus? Start here: what this service does

Cyprus immigration is the set of routes and permits that let a foreign national live in Cyprus for longer than 90 days, administered by the Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD) under the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection. Which route you need depends on your nationality and your reason for moving.

This page orients you and routes you. It figures out which route fits, checks your documents with a free AI check, optionally puts a Koufettas Law advocate on your file, and sends you to the right door. It is for anyone relocating: EU citizens registering residence, non-EU nationals filing a permit, UK movers, retirees, students, and families.

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Do you even need to deal with immigration? EU vs non-EU vs UK

If you are staying more than 90 days, yes. Which fork you are on decides everything that follows.

• EU, EEA, or Swiss citizens. You can live and work in Cyprus freely, but you must register and get the Yellow Slip (MEU1 Registration Certificate) within four months of arriving. This is the simplest route. Verified against eures.gov.cy on 2026-06-17.
• Non-EU nationals (third-country nationals). You need a residence permit matched to your reason for moving: work, retirement or self-sufficiency, study, family, or investment. Any stay over 90 days needs one. Verified against the EU Immigration Portal and gov.cy/mip-md on 2026-07-18.
• UK citizens. It depends on your Brexit status. If you were lawfully resident before 1 January 2021 you hold Withdrawal Agreement rights and exchange your old certificate for a biometric MUKW document: MUKW1 (under five years' residence, valid five years), MUKW3 (five years or more, permanent, valid ten years), or MUKW2 for qualifying family. If you moved after that date, you follow the non-EU routes. Verified against gov.uk/guidance/living-in-cyprus on 2026-07-18.

Every route ends at the CRMD, and the Police Immigration Unit enforces immigration law. Note that Cyprus is in the EU but not in the Schengen Area, so non-EU nationals need a separate Cyprus national visa for short stays, not a Schengen visa. Verified against the EU Immigration Portal on 2026-07-18. Many movers, especially from Germany, come for the Non-Dom tax residency; that is a separate question we cover in the guides. We handle Republic-of-Cyprus immigration only.

Which route fits your situation? The route-selector

Match your situation to your likely route, then follow the link to the right door. This is a signpost, not the full permit catalog: the detail and the apply-flow are at the permits hub.

The UK Withdrawal Agreement route and the investment and citizenship routes are the two that most Cyprus pages bury. We name them and route them. Investment residency and citizenship are out of the self-serve product and handled directly by Koufettas Law through a consultation, so you are never pushed into the wrong tier. Permit purposes and types verified against the EU Immigration Portal and gov.cy/mip-md on 2026-07-18.

Do you need an immigration lawyer, a consultant, or can you do it yourself?

It depends on how complex your route is, and the honest answer is that most movers do not need full representation.

For a straightforward route, an EU registration, a standard temporary permit, or a renewal, you do not need a €500-2,000 lawyer or a €300-900 agency. What you need is assurance your documents are right before you queue. That is the free AI check plus the optional Koufettas Law Reviewed tier, at roughly 80-90% less than full representation.

For a complex case, a refusal, an appeal, investment residency, citizenship, or a contested family matter, you do want a lawyer, and we route you to a consultation with the same firm. No conflict; it is the right tier for the case.

The three models you will meet elsewhere all have a gap. The opaque "free consultation" law firm gives you no price until you call. The done-for-you agency lists packages with no published price. The relocation agency handles the move but not the legal check. Our wedge is a published price, a free document check, and a disclosed licensed reviewer.

What immigration help costs in Cyprus overall

There are three separate cost layers, and keeping them apart is the point.

First, the government fee, paid to the CRMD. It varies by route: the Yellow Slip (MEU1) is €20 per person; other permits are typically higher, and the exact figure is confirmed on the permit's own page. Yellow Slip fee verified against eures.gov.cy on 2026-06-17. Second, ancillary costs you might need: certified translation, apostille, and comprehensive health insurance. Third, our service fee, from €29.

The Reviewed tier is the one most applicants want: the AI catches the gaps, and a licensed advocate signs off. Live prices are shown at checkout; the ranges above are for planning. Government fees are always shown separately, unlike agencies that fold them into one opaque number. Against €300-900 for an agency or €500-2,000 for a lawyer, this is 80-90% cheaper and Koufettas-Law-backed. We do not promise a government approval, and no service can.

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How it works: free check, then your route, then the right next step

Five steps, from telling us your situation to a ready-to-file pack.

1. Tell us your situation and sign up free. No card needed.
2. Run the free AI document check at app.newtocyprus.com. It returns an issue count, what is missing or wrong, before you commit to anything.
3. We route you to your door. The live self-serve flow for the Yellow Slip, a "Notify me" for other permits, or a consultation for complex cases.
4. Pick a tier and pay through Stripe. On the Reviewed tier, a Koufettas Law advocate checks your file and signs off before you file.
5. Get your ready-to-file pack plus guidance on booking your appointment and biometrics at your district CRMD office.

One thing to be clear about: the AI flags issues, it never declares your application approved. On the Reviewed tier, the Koufettas Law advocate owns that verdict, not the software. The free check exists because incomplete files get returned and missing documents push your timeline back weeks, so catching that early is most of the value. Required documents and filing location verified against eures.gov.cy and gov.cy/mip-md on 2026-07-18.

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Beyond the permit: the rest of your move

The permit is one part of a move. Once it is sorted, here is the rest of the checklist, with a guide for each.

• Open a bank account. Cyprus banks want your permit or registration and proof of address.
• Register with GeSY, the national health system, once you are resident. Verified against gov.uk/guidance/living-in-cyprus on 2026-07-18.
• Enrol children in school. State or private; our schools guide walks through enrolment.
• Exchange your driving licence within six months of becoming a resident. Verified against gov.uk/guidance/living-in-cyprus on 2026-07-18.
• Arrange comprehensive health insurance. It is a required document for most permits; if you still need cover, DigiCare offers a Cyprus policy that meets the requirement.
• Translate and apostille foreign documents. Anything not in Greek or English needs an official translation, handled through a registered sworn-translator partner.

If you are moving for tax reasons, the Non-Dom regime is the usual draw, especially for German movers; the guides cover it. This is a signpost, not a full relocation manual. Each item links to its own guide.

Who's behind this service

New to Cyprus is a portal and technology provider, not a law firm. The legal review and sign-off on the Reviewed tier is provided by Koufettas Law, a licensed Cyprus firm. The reviewer is Harris Koufettas, advocate of the Cyprus Bar Association (R.N.4466), who also trains the AI and handles the premium consultation cases. The AI tier is not legal advice; only the human Reviewed tier carries a licensed advocate's sign-off, and the reviewer owns the verdict. The AI never autonomously declares an application approved. New to Cyprus is part of the DigiCare Insurance family, its disclosed parent company. This is why there is no author byline: the trust comes from a disclosed operator and reviewer, not a persona. Read our editorial standards.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to deal with Cyprus immigration to move there?

If you stay more than 90 days, yes. EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens register for the Yellow Slip within four months; non-EU nationals need a residence permit matched to their reason; UK citizens' route depends on Brexit status, with MUKW documents for those resident before 1 January 2021.

How do I immigrate to or move to Cyprus?

Pick the right route first: EU registration, a non-EU permit by category, or the UK Withdrawal Agreement route. Then file at the Civil Registry and Migration Department. Our service checks your documents with AI, optionally has Koufettas Law review them, and sends you to the right door.

Do I need an immigration lawyer in Cyprus?

Not for a straightforward route or renewal. The free AI check plus an optional Koufettas Law Reviewed sign-off costs 80-90% less than full representation. Complex cases such as refusals, appeals, investment residency, and citizenship do warrant a lawyer, and we route you to a consultation.

How much does immigration help in Cyprus cost?

The government fee varies by route: the Yellow Slip is €20 per person; other permits are typically higher. Ancillary costs such as translation, apostille, and insurance are extra. Our help starts at €29, against €300-900 for an agency or €500-2,000 for a lawyer, and is shown separately from the government fee.

How much money do you need to move to Cyprus?

It depends on your route and family size. Budget the government and service fees, health insurance, a shipping or removals cost, and living costs. Some non-EU routes also require a secured income or investment.

I'm moving from the UK, is it different after Brexit?

Yes. If you were lawfully resident before 1 January 2021 you exchange your old certificate for an MUKW Withdrawal Agreement residence document; if you moved after, you follow the non-EU routes for work, family, study, or self-sufficiency.

Can you handle residency by investment or citizenship?

Those higher-value routes are handled as full legal representation by Koufettas Law through a consultation, not the self-serve product. We route you there.

Which permits can I apply for through you right now?

The Yellow Slip (MEU1) is live today, so start a free AI check. Other permits (Pink Slip, work, student, digital nomad, family, permanent residence) are rolling out; choose "Notify me" and we email you when each opens.

Is this a law firm?

No. New to Cyprus is a portal and technology provider, not a law firm. Legal review and sign-off is provided by Koufettas Law; the AI tier is not legal advice.

Important to know

• New to Cyprus is not a law firm. It is a service that helps you find your route and prepare your application.
• The AI document check is not legal advice. The AI flags issues in your documents; it never declares an application approved.
• Legal review and sign-off are provided by Koufettas Law. Harris Koufettas, advocate of the Cyprus Bar Association (R.N.4466), is the disclosed operator and reviewer who owns the verdict on the Reviewed tier.
• Refunds exclude government decisions and timing. We prepare a correct submission; we do not control CRMD outcomes or processing speed.
• Sworn translations are provided through a registered sworn-translator partner (Law 45(I)/2019); the AI never produces official certified translations.
• New to Cyprus is part of the DigiCare Insurance family, its disclosed parent company.
• This service covers Republic-of-Cyprus immigration only.
• Government fees are shown separately from service fees.
• This page is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Confirm your own case with the relevant authority or a qualified professional.

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