Cyprus permit help, without the lawyer price tag
A Cyprus residence permit is the document that lets a foreign national live in Cyprus for longer than three months. It is issued by the Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD) under the Ministry of Interior. EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens register for the Yellow Slip (MEU1); non-EU nationals apply for a Temporary Residence Permit. This service helps you apply for either.
Here is what the hub does: it checks your application documents against current Cyprus requirements with a free AI check, then, on the reviewed tier, has a licensed Cyprus advocate sign off before you submit. It is built for EU citizens registering residence, non-EU nationals filing a temporary permit, and anyone renewing.
Two costs always stay separate. The government fee, which varies by permit and is paid to the CRMD. And our service fee, from €29, for checking and preparing your application. The €20 Yellow Slip government fee is one example. Verified against eures.gov.cy on 2026-06-17.
Which Cyprus residence permit do you need?
Pick your route before you start, because the wrong form is one of the most common reasons applications get returned.
- EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen staying more than three months: the Yellow Slip (MEU1 Registration Certificate).
- Non-EU national staying more than three months: a Temporary Residence Permit (Pink Slip), by category (employment, self-sufficient, student, digital nomad, or family reunification).
- Non-EU family member of an EU citizen: the MEU2 Residence Card.
- Five years of legal residence: MEU3 permanent residence for EU citizens, or Category F for financially self-sufficient non-EU nationals.
- Investors and citizenship applicants: a higher-touch route handled as full legal representation by Koufettas Law, not this self-serve product. We refer you.
This service covers Republic-of-Cyprus (Greek-side) permits only. Verified against the EU Immigration Portal and gov.cy/mip-md on 2026-07-18. Not sure which applies? The Cyprus residence permits guide walks through each in detail.
Every Cyprus permit we help with
One entry per permit, with an honest status. Only the Yellow Slip has a live application flow today; the rest open a "Notify me" email capture so you hear the moment each ships. No fake availability.
| Permit | Who it's for | Status | What's involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Slip (MEU1) | EU/EEA/Swiss citizens, over 3 months | Live: Start free check | EU registration certificate, valid for life |
| Pink Slip (Temporary Residence Permit) | Non-EU nationals, over 3 months | Notify me | By category; annual renewal |
| MEU2 Residence Card | Non-EU family of an EU citizen | Notify me | Family registration |
| MEU3 permanent residence | EU citizens, after 5 years | Notify me | Permanent residence certificate |
| Category F permanent residence | Self-sufficient non-EU nationals | Notify me | Income-based permanent residence |
| Digital Nomad Visa | Remote workers for non-Cyprus employers | Notify me | Income threshold applies |
| Work permit | Non-EU employees | Notify me | Often via the Business Facilitation Unit |
| Student permit | Non-EU students | Notify me | Enrolment-based |
| Renewals | Existing permit holders | Notify me | Streamlined re-check |
The live Yellow Slip flow starts at the Yellow Slip service. Each permit above also has a background guide in the residence permits section, so you can read the what and why before you apply. Permit types verified against gov.cy/mip-md and the EU Immigration Portal on 2026-07-18.
Two facts worth citing before you file: the Yellow Slip (MEU1) is valid for life with no renewal, and EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens must register within four months of arriving in Cyprus. Verified against eures.gov.cy on 2026-06-17.
What every Cyprus permit application needs, and the free document check
Most permits share a core document set. Upload what you have and the AI check tells you what is missing or wrong before you book an appointment.
- Valid passport or national ID, plus copies
- Recent passport photos
- Proof of address, usually a registered rental agreement
- Comprehensive health insurance, where the permit requires it
- Proof of sufficient financial means
- A clean criminal-record certificate from your country of origin
- Category-specific extras, such as proof of employment or enrolment
Core document set verified against eures.gov.cy and gov.cy/mip-md on 2026-07-18. Category-specific extras vary by permit and status.
Two rules cause most rejections. Foreign documents must be in Greek or English; anything else needs an official translation and an apostille. And incomplete files are returned, which pushes your timeline back weeks. The free AI check is built to catch exactly these gaps.
Health insurance for these permits must be comprehensive cover, not travel insurance. If you still need a policy, DigiCare's Cyprus health insurance meets the requirement. Certified translations are handled through a registered sworn-translator partner.
How the service works
Five steps, from free check to ready-to-file pack.
- Sign up free and run the AI check. Upload your documents and see your issue count, no payment needed.
- Pick your permit and tier, then pay through Stripe. You only pay once you have seen what your file needs.
- Answer a guided questionnaire that pre-fills your permit form.
- Optional Koufettas Law review. On the reviewed tier, a Cyprus advocate checks your file and signs off before you file.
- Get your ready-to-file pack plus guidance on booking your appointment.
You file in person at your district Immigration Unit or the CRMD, where biometrics and your own attendance are required. There is no postal option, so the service prepares your file and guides the appointment; it does not attend for you. You can confirm your district office and its details on the Cyprus immigration offices page.
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. For permits that are not live yet, step one is "get notified" instead of a free check.
What Cyprus permit help costs
Three cost layers, shown separately so you can see exactly where your money goes:
| Cost | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Government fee (Yellow Slip / MEU1) | €20 per person | CRMD (at filing) |
| Government fee (Temporary Residence Permit) | typically around €70 plus a card fee | CRMD (at filing) |
| Certified translation (if needed) | €30-80 per document | Sworn translator |
| Apostille (if needed) | €10-50 per document | Issuing authority |
| Comprehensive health insurance (if required) | €120-200 per year | Insurer |
| Our service (self-serve tier) | from €29 | New to Cyprus |
The €20 Yellow Slip figure is the full statutory fee. Verified against eures.gov.cy on 2026-06-17. The Temporary Residence Permit fee is shown as an approximate figure and is being confirmed against the government schedule, so treat it as indicative. The ancillary third-party costs above, translation, apostille, and insurance, are typical market ranges and vary by provider and document. Some agencies quote a single price that folds the government fee inside it; we keep them apart so you know what is a state charge and what is service. Service-tier prices are shown live at checkout.
Service tiers
Government fees are always shown separately from the prices below. The reviewed tier is the one most applicants want: the AI catches the gaps, and a Koufettas Law advocate signs off your file. Today the ladder applies to the live Yellow Slip; other permits show "Notify me" until their flow ships.
| Tier | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free AI check | Document check plus an issue count, before you pay | €0 |
| Self-serve | AI checker, permit-form pre-fill, document checklist | €29-49 |
| Reviewed(most popular) | Everything in self-serve, plus Koufettas Law human review and sign-off before filing | €99-149 |
| Done-with-you | Everything in reviewed, plus a 30-minute consult and appointment guidance | €199-299 |
| Renewal | Streamlined re-check for permits where renewal applies | €19-29 |
Add-ons: an "Ask My Lawyer" 30-minute call, around €49, and a sworn-translation reseller service, about €20-50 per document. Live prices are shown at checkout. We do not promise a government approval, and no service can.
Do you need an immigration lawyer in Cyprus?
For a straightforward permit, an EU registration, a standard temporary permit, or a renewal, you do not need full legal representation. What you want is confidence your documents are right before you queue. That is the reviewed tier: the AI catches gaps, a Koufettas Law advocate signs off, and it costs roughly 80-90% less than full representation.
Firms that argue you always need a lawyer point to delays, document errors, and the language barrier. Each is covered without full-representation rates. The agency (€300-900) and full-lawyer (€500-2,000) figures below are market quote ranges from comparable Cyprus firms as of July 2026, shown for comparison only.
| DIY (government only) | Our reviewed tier | Full immigration lawyer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service cost | €0 (gov fee only) | €99-149 | €500-2,000 |
| Government fee | separate | separate, shown transparently | usually bundled into an opaque quote |
| Document check | none, you guess | AI check, issue count, fixes | manual, at lawyer rates |
| Legal sign-off | none | licensed Koufettas Law advocate signs off | full representation |
| Effort on you | high | low, guided and pre-filled | lowest, hands-off |
| Best for | confident, simple cases | a straightforward permit or renewal you want checked | complex cases, refusals, appeals, investment residency, citizenship |
Genuinely complex, an investment residency, a special category, a family reunification, or appealing a refusal? That is what full legal representation is for. Our reviewer's own firm, Koufettas Law, takes those cases on directly. Disclosed referral partner.
No one can guarantee a government approval, and we do not claim to. What the reviewed tier confirms is that a licensed advocate has checked your file before you submit it.
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. The AI tier is not legal advice; the human reviewed tier is where a licensed advocate owns the verdict. New to Cyprus is part of the DigiCare Insurance family, its disclosed parent company. Read more in our editorial standards.
Frequently asked questions
- What residence permits does Cyprus offer?
- EU citizens register for the Yellow Slip (MEU1); non-EU nationals apply for a Temporary Residence Permit (Pink Slip) by category, then Category F or MEU3 for permanent residence, plus work permits, the Digital Nomad Visa, and student permits.
- How do I apply for a residence permit in Cyprus?
- Applications are filed in person at the Civil Registry and Migration Department (your district Immigration Office), where biometrics are taken. Our service checks your documents with AI first, optionally has Koufettas Law review them, then gives you a ready-to-file pack.
- Do I need a lawyer to get a Cyprus residence permit?
- Not for a straightforward permit or renewal. The reviewed tier gives you a Koufettas Law sign-off at roughly 80-90% less than full representation. Complex cases, refusals, investment residency, or citizenship do warrant full representation.
- How much does a Cyprus residence permit cost?
- The government fee varies by permit: the Yellow Slip is €20 per person, and a Temporary Residence Permit is typically around €70 plus a card fee. Ancillary costs such as translation, apostille, and insurance are extra. Our help starts at €29 and is shown separately from the government fee.
- How long does a Cyprus residence permit take?
- The Yellow Slip (MEU1) is often issued same-day to about a month once you attend your appointment. A Temporary Residence Permit typically takes one to three months, longer if documents are incomplete. These are typical practice timelines, not guarantees; only the authorities set the actual processing time.
- Which permits can I apply for through you right now?
- The Yellow Slip (MEU1) is live today, start a free AI check. Pink Slip, Category F, MEU3, Digital Nomad, work and student permits, and renewals are rolling out; choose "Notify me" and we email you when each opens.
- Do you handle residency by investment or citizenship?
- Those higher-value routes are handled as full legal representation by Koufettas Law, not the self-serve product. We refer you.
- 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 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.
- 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 permits only.
- The free AI check covers standard permit documents. It does not handle special-category medical data or the investment-residency and citizenship routes, which are referred to Koufettas Law.
- Government fees are shown separately from service fees. Questions about your own case? Contact us before you start.
- This page is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Confirm your own case with the relevant authority or a qualified professional.
Last updated: 2026-07-18