Family reunification visa in Cyprus is regulated under the local legislation, this being one of the immigration pathways available for foreigners. However, there are some eligibility criteria that must be respected, which implies that not all foreigners who have relatives in Cyprus can apply for a visa.
This immigration pathway is open only for foreigners who arrive from third-party countries, which are countries from outside the European Union (EA) or other countries with which Cyprus hasn’t established any particular immigration agreements. For advice on the list of countries whose nationals have to apply for a visa, you can address our Cyprus immigration lawyers.
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The Cyprus immigration legislation defines family reunification programs as the legal procedures through which foreigners are allowed to arrive and stay in Cyprus with their close family member who is already living in this country.
The purpose of a Cyprus family visa is to preserve the unity of the family, separated due to various reasons (such as a family member relocating to Cyprus for employment opportunities).
Please mind that a family reunification visa in Cyprus is not open to all family members, it is limited solely to close family members, meaning those who are part of a “family unit”. In other words, applicants have to comply with minimum requirements to qualify for this visa, but the person living in Cyprus must also meet some basic conditions.
According to the Civil Registry and Migration Department, a family unit can qualify for the Cyprus family visa if the following conditions are met:
With regards to the persons who can qualify for the family reunification visa in Cyprus, the following apply: 1) the spouse of the sponsor (if they are legally married, as presented above), 2) the spouse and the minor children, including adopted children, 3) the minor children (and adopted children) who are in the custody of the person living in Cyprus and 4) the children (and adopted children) of the applicant.
When moving to Cyprus to reunite with a close family member, applicants will be required to prepare a large set of papers that attest the family tie with the person living in Cyprus. In the list below, our immigration lawyer in Cyprus presents some of the main documents:
Yes, foreigners moving to Cyprus on grounds of family reunification must provide their biometric data as well. Biometric information refers to the applicant’s recent photo and fingerprints. Along with these, the foreigner must present a specimen signature and a valid travel document.
The biometric data is limited solely to a photo in the case of foreigners with an age below 6 years. Please know that this procedure can be completed during the application for a family reunification visa in Cyprus or after the application has been submitted, depending on the case.
Those who complete the biometric data process after the visa application must address the District Immigration Unit working under the Cypriot police.
There are different visa processing thresholds, regulated under the Cyprus immigration law. These timeframes can be influenced by the legal procedure that must be initiated by the applicant and the authorities, but also based on the demand for a specific visa program.
In the case of a family reunification visa in Cyprus, the processing times can take up to 9 months for applications that meet, from the start, all the legal requirements. Provided that the applicant has not submitted all the documentation or if the papers are not completed correctly, the processing times can increase.
We highly recommend you address our Cyprus immigration lawyers for legal assistance during the visa submission formalities, so that you can be sure the file meets all the requirements imposed by law, in order to avoid any further issues that can appear during the processing of your documentation.
When a person applies for the family reunification visa Cyprus, the local authorities will issue a residence permit that is granted based on family reunification. At first, the applicant will receive an entry permit.
This type of permit is granted based on the application submitted by the sponsor. In 7 days after the arrival in Cyprus, the persons who receive the entry permit as a family reunification visa Cyprus must register with the Civil Registry and Migration Department, which will issue the residence permit requested on family reunification grounds.
Once the document is issued, it will be valid for a period of 1 year. After this, the family reunification visa in Cyprus can be renewed (as a residence permit) for a period that will not exceed the validity of sponsor’s residence permit.
Please mind that the family reunification visa in Cyprus can also be obtained if the family member is relocated here as an intra-company transfer employee. We invite you to address our immigration lawyer in Cyprus to find out the procedures concerning this family immigration pathway.
For instance, if you are married to a Cypriot national, you can apply for a visa that grants you the right of living in this country and which can also open the right to citizenship in Cyprus following a more direct route compared to other scenarios. A person married to a Cypriot national can become a citizen after only 2 years of residency and 3 years of marriage with the Cypriot citizen.
The rule of 2 years is applicable to foreigners who live here and who are the holders of a residence permit in Cyprus. Foreigners can also apply for citizenship if they live abroad, as long as they are married to the Cypriot national. The application must present the reasons for which the person wants the citizenship, but can’t relocate to Cyprus (for those married for 3 years).
Please contact our Cyprus immigration lawyers for more details on the family reunification program.