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Cyprus has issued more than 60,000 residence and work permits to foreign nationals over the past decade as part of a push to attract tech talent and investment, according to figures released by Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou.
In response to a question in Parliament by AKEL MP Giorgos Koukoumas, Ioannou revealed that from 2014 to 2025, a total of 27,043 initial permits were granted to newly hired workers at companies with foreign interests, mostly in the high-tech sector. When renewals are included, the total number rises to 61,128 permits.
The program, designed to bring specialized professionals into Cyprus, is seen as a key part of the country’s efforts to modernize its economy and position itself as a tech hub in the region.
Surge in permanent residency through property investment
During the same period, 14,646 applications were submitted by third-country nationals seeking permanent residency in Cyprus through investment in residential property. Of those, 28,660 people, including dependents, were approved for permanent residence.
Nationals from China and Russia made up the bulk of recipients, with 10,100 permits granted to Chinese applicants and 8,478 to Russians. Other countries with significant numbers included Lebanon (1,822), Ukraine (983), Jordan (907), Iran (699) and Egypt (586). U.S. and U.K. citizens were also on the list, with 277 and 251 permits approved, respectively.
Thousands of applications still pending
Notably, 1,209 applications were rejected, and 1,248 are still awaiting a decision.
The Interior Minister also disclosed that a second investment-related migration program, known as Category F, has seen 7,372 applications over the past 10 years. So far, 3,642 have been approved, 514 rejected, and 3,126 remain pending.
The large backlog of pending applications stems from a policy freeze that lasted from February 2021 to September 2024, when the examination of Category F applications was paused. The reason, the ministry said, was to avoid exploitation of outdated criteria while waiting for new rules to be finalized.
Changes to the regulations were first submitted to Parliament in May 2022, and updates have been filed every six months since.
With tens of thousands of foreign professionals and investors choosing Cyprus as their base, officials say efforts are ongoing to modernize the system, speed up application reviews, and ensure proper oversight.
The Ministry of Interior says it's now focused on applying updated criteria to avoid past loopholes and strengthen the integrity of the country’s migration and investment programs.
