FAQ

Fast Track is an accelerated naturalization procedure for high-skilled employees of companies of foreign interest (BCS), introduced by amendments to the citizenship law (Section 111B).

Under the standard naturalization path, you need to live in Cyprus for 7–8 years just to get the right to apply, and the processing of the case takes several more years (totalling 10–12 years). Fast Track, however, allows you to submit documents after 4–5 years of residence, and the application processing is reduced to ~8 months. The receipt of applications under Fast Track officially started on 21.06.2024.

Employees of companies approved under the “Business Attraction Strategy” (BCS).

There are two paths: holders of residence permits in the categories of Director / Specialist / Key personnel — and any employees of such companies with a gross salary of at least €2,500 and a university degree (or confirmed 2-year experience), who additionally need a confirmation certificate from BFU or CRMD. Both paths are described in detail in the About the Program section.

You need to live in Cyprus for a total of 4 years (if you pass the Greek exam at level B1) or 5 years (if you pass at level A2) within the last 10 years.

The final year before submission must be continuous: you can travel, but each day of absence shifts your submission date by one day — read more in the Days in Cyprus section. Additionally, you must work for a BCS company for at least 2 consecutive years immediately prior to submitting the application.

Yes, but absences can shift your minimum submission date.

In the final continuous year before submission, each day of absence shifts the submission date by one day. In the other years within the 10-year window, absences of up to 90 days per year do not count as absences, and the year is fully credited. Anything exceeding 90 days shifts the submission date by the difference: if you were absent for 120 days in a year, the date shifts by 30 days. Read more in Days in Cyprus.

For BCS work visa holders and their family members, absences of up to 90 days per year do not count as absences, and anything exceeding 90 days shifts the minimum submission date by the difference.

Days without legal status are not counted at all. Different types of residence permits can be combined, but the majority of the period must be spent on a BCS visa.

Yes, and that is exactly why this website was created. The procedure does not formally require hiring lawyers.

However, you need to prepare your documents very carefully and be ready for the interview.

The Fast Track fee is 5,000 euros per application. This amount covers not only the accelerated 8-month processing but also “compensates” for the missing years of residence compared to the standard term.

It is not possible to obtain high-skilled status for 500 euros without the additional payment — this lower fee is only relevant for the standard route through 8 years of residence and a B1 exam.

Generally, original documents issued by foreign authorities must be apostilled (or legalized if your country is not a member of the Hague Convention) before they can be officially translated and submitted. Some countries may have bilateral agreements with Cyprus that exempt certain documents from apostille, but translation by a certified translator from the official PIO registry is still required.

No — for document submission, only a Cypriot certificate issued by the local police is required. A criminal record certificate from your country of citizenship is not required.

How and where to obtain the Cypriot certificate is described in detail in the Documents section.

No. Such an application must first be officially withdrawn, after which a new one is submitted separately, paying the Fast Track fee.

Yes, while waiting for the decision (about 8 months), you can change employers — provided that the new company also meets the BCS criteria.

Be sure to bring your new employment contract to the interview and be prepared to answer the officer’s question about why you changed jobs.

The officer’s call to schedule the interview comes approximately 6 months after submitting documents. After passing the interview, it takes about another 2 months to receive the decision letter. In total, the procedure takes 8–9 months.

There is currently no official online service to check the status of application processing.

The interview is conducted individually, in Greek (clarifying questions can be asked or explained in English if necessary). The duration is from 10–15 minutes to an hour and a half.

During the interview, they verify your integration into Cypriot society, your knowledge of the country, and basic Greek language skills. The officer will ask about your life in Cyprus, work, family, and future plans.

The interview consists of three main parts:

1. Self-presentation (name, date and place of birth, family, education, work).
2. Purpose of obtaining citizenship (it is appropriate to mention owning property in Cyprus, children studying on the island, intention to stay).
3. Questions on current news of Cyprus, its geography, history, and culture.

For a detailed breakdown of the interview, preparation recommendations, and example questions with translation, see the Submission section.

Yes, your spouse can submit the application at the same time as you or later.

The main condition is that they must independently meet the requirements for residency duration in Cyprus and Greek language proficiency.

Children are not submitted under a single application with the parent. They receive citizenship separately, registering as children of a Cypriot citizen after the parent is naturalized. Form M126 is filled out for each child.

The child’s age is fixed as of the parent’s application submission date, not the approval date.

If a child turns 18 during the processing of the parent’s application, form M127 is completed for them instead of form M126, and a fee of €5,000 is paid, but Greek language and culture exams do not need to be taken.

Read more about the procedure in the section about children.

A citizenship rejection can be appealed in court. You also have the right to re-apply if you have resolved the reason for the previous rejection.

The most common reasons for rejection are insufficient integration into Cypriot society or poor language level during the interview.

Most often, rejections occur due to incorrect interpretation of BCS criteria and the high-skilled program. Applicants mistakenly assume that a high position and citizenship of a third country automatically qualify them for the program, whereas the working conditions or the employer company itself do not meet the strict BCS requirements.

Property ownership in Cyprus is not a strict requirement for Fast Track, but it significantly increases the chances of approval, demonstrating to the officer your intention to stay on the island.

The Republic of Cyprus fully allows its citizens to hold second/dual citizenship — you are not required to renounce your current passport. However, please note that your country of origin may have legislative requirements to notify local authorities about obtaining foreign citizenship or a residence permit within a specified timeframe.

For details on terms of service, deferments, and the exemption procedure, see in the section about the army.