If you are a person who will move to Cyprus from South Africa, it is necessary to verify the visa requirements imposed by the Cypriot legislation. Currently, the passport holders who are nationals of South Africa must obtain a visa document when arriving in this country, but the conditions may vary. Various types of visas can open the legal pathway of relocating here on a permanent basis and obtain the Cypriot citizenship.
Foreigners who own a South African passport are entitled to obtain the Cypriot citizenship following one of the few legal pathways regulated by the law in Cyprus.
Persons who qualify for this immigration procedure must prepare a set of documents and pay a processing fee, which is currently charged at EUR 500. In some cases, the participation of the Cypriot embassies working in the countries of origin of the applicants will be necessary.
When applying for citizenship, the person has to prove the fact that he or she has been living continuously in Cyprus for the last past year before the application. Proof of the Cypriot residence permit is necessary, along with other documents.
One must also prepare a public advertisement issued in national newspapers, concerning the person’s application for citizenship.
The value of the fee charged for citizenship in Cyprus will vary based on the type of citizenship a person qualifies for. For example, persons who will apply for a consular birth certificate (for citizenship by descent), will need to pay a government fee of EUR 20.
For the registration for citizenship of a minor, one will need to a pay a fee of EUR 80 (for the type M126 citizenship).
In some cases, the applicant must provide evidence on having a residence permit in Cyprus, while in other cases, this document is not necessary. The latter rule can apply for those who want to acquire citizenship by marriage, where the foreign applicant does not live in Cyprus.
The Cypriot law allows foreign nationals to apply, as long as they meet the other criteria.
Our Cyprus immigration lawyers can present the requirements one should fulfill with regard to the issuance of the visa. Persons moving to Cyprus from South Africa can also rely on our team of lawyers for professional assistance on the procedures imposed for the issuance of a temporary residence permit if the foreign national will be staying on the Cypriot territory for a period longer than 90 days.
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Visa requirements when moving to Cyprus from South Africa
Firstly, it must be noted that persons moving to Cyprus from South Africa will need to obtain a visa for both short-term stays and long-term stays. However, in the case of stays that have a duration of less than 90 days, a few aspects should be clarified.
In the case in which the foreign citizen who will immigrate to Cyprus will stay here for a short period of time, which will require a short-term visa, then he or she must take the necessary steps for the issuance of the visa by addressing the Cypriot authorities. This is necessary if Cyprus is the first country where the person will arrive after his or her trip.
However, in the case in which the South African passport holder obtained a Type C visa issued in another country member of the European Union (EU) and of the Schengen zone, then the person will not need to obtain any additional visas when moving to Cyprus from South Africa.
In this case, it means that the South African passport holder addressed another EU country, as the respective state was the first European state where the person wanted to arrive or had various reasons to go to the respective country, and then he or she relocated to Cyprus, while the Schengen visa was still valid.
What documents should one prepare for a Cypriot visa?
When a South African resident applies directly to the Cypriot embassy for the issuance of the visa, it means that the Cypriot authorities will be the ones to issue the document. In this particular case, the person who will immigrate to Cyprus from South Africa should present the following papers:
• a valid passport and a completed application form, as prescribed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• personal contact details, such as the e-mail address and the phone number;
• two recent photographs that respect the standard size as per the Cyprus immigration law;
• proof of having accommodation, which is necessary for the process to relocate to Cyprus (booking at a hotel, rental agreement, etc.);
• having travel insurance recognized by the Cyprus legislation;
• information on the dates of arrival and departure in Cyprus.
Depending on the purpose of stay, the applicant should provide documents attesting the evidence on the purpose of stay. If the person will move to Cyprus from South Africa for business purposes, then he or she should present a business letter, a letter of invitation from a Cypriot company and other similar papers.
How many investors visas were issued in Cyprus?
Given the fact that above we presented information related to visas for business purposes, here we will present several interesting facts on the Cyprus Investment Visa, a very successful immigration program addressed to foreign investors. This program is dedicated to third-country nationals who want to invest here, and it can be used by those moving to Cyprus from South Africa as a way of obtaining the Cyprus permanent residence and Cypriot citizenship. The Cyprus Investment Program has had a rapid increase, as mentioned below:
• in 2012 and 2013, there were less than 100 approvals for this program (48 and 55 respectively);
• in 2014, the approvals increased at 214 and in 2015, they reached 337;
• in 2016, there were 443 approvals and in 2017, they reached to 503;
• in 2018, 581 applications were approved and in 2019, they reached 700;
• 700 is the annual cap established by the Cypriot authorities as per the Cyprus immigration law;
• it must be noted that the program is so successful, that the applications opened for 2021 have already been filled.
The Cyprus Investment Visa represents a program that is addressed solely to investors who have the possibility of investing approximately EUR 2 million in the local economy, by starting a company, purchasing shares in a company, or participating in infrastructure projects. It represents a rapid way of acquiring Cyprus permanent residence and a simplified procedure to relocate to Cyprus as a non-EU person. You can request more information on the advantages of this program from our team of Cyprus immigration lawyers.
