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.
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Do South Africans need a transit visa in Cyprus?
A transit visa refers to an immigration document that must be issued for the nationals of certain third party countries entering the territory of a foreign state only for the purpose of transiting the respective country.
This can happen when the foreigner has a connecting flight in Cyprus to another destination. In such cases, in order to lawfully stay on the Cypriot territory, a transit visa must be issued by the Cypriot authorities, even for stays of several hours.
Most of the transit visas issued here are necessary for the citizens of several African and Asian countries, but it must be noted that South Africans are exempt from such obligations, therefore, if the simply transit the Cypriot territory, no immigration formalities should be initiated.
We also mention that the requirement to have a transit visa can vary at a EU level (EU countries can have different policies in this sense – some nationals can be exempt in Cyprus but they may need to hold a transit visa in other EU states), but please know that South Africans are exempt from such requirements in all EU countries.
Our Cyprus immigration lawyerscan provide more details on this topic – we kindly remind those who arrive from South Africa, who are not South African passport holders, that the immigration rules can be different for them, as the nationality supersedes the current residency in terms of immigration.
Therefore, depending on the nationality, a transit visa may still apply as a passport holder of one of the states included in the Annex 1 to Regulation (EC) no. 539/2001.
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 stays 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.
Apply for citizenship in Cyprus
Various types of visas can open the legal pathway of relocating here on a permanent basis and obtain Cypriot citizenship. Foreigners who own a South African passport are entitled to obtain 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 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 Cypruswill 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 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 rely on our team of lawyers for professional assistance.
How many South Africans relocated to Cyprus?
Moving to Cyprus has become increasingly popular amongst South Africans, who choose this country due to its familiarity in lifestyle and climate and which offers a safe environment where they raise a family and develop a business activity. According to the latest statistics, the South Africans in Cyprus are represented by the following:
- as of 2025, there were around 3,000 South Africans living in Cyprus;
- Cyprus and South Africa have ancestral ties, as around 2,500 Cypriots were born in South Africa;
- a part of them, around 500, still retain the South African citizenship.
South Africans can also relocate here for business or investments. One of the pathways to a residence permit in Cyprus is by investing in real estate – under the current program, one simply needs to buy a property valued at least EUR 300,000. Our Cyprus immigration lawyers can present more details on the requirements of this investment program. You can request more information on the advantages of this program from our team of Cyprus immigration lawyers.
