CYPRUS

Cyprus's Ministry of Interior pays 50% of the cost of buying or building a first home for permanent residence in 276 designated mountain, buffer-zone and disadvantaged communities, with grants from EUR 10,000 up to EUR 75,000 depending on family size and how remote the area is (6th call, open 2 March 2026 to 31 December 2027).

PromiseMake a Troodos or border village your family's permanent home with the state paying half the cost.

What it takesOnly Cypriot citizens (including repatriated Cypriots) or EU citizens who have lived in Cyprus legally and continuously for the past 5 years can apply — other foreigners cannot. You must buy or build (minimum spend EUR 20,000; the grant is 50% of cost up to the cap), live there as your permanent home for at least 10 years, and must not have owned another home in the past 5 years. The home must have been acquired on or after 1 July 2025. It is a once-in-a-lifetime housing grant (no previous state housing aid), household income caps apply, and approvals depend on the budget per area.

Cyprus tax residents who are not domiciled in Cyprus pay no Special Defence Contribution (SDC) on interest and dividend income; you claim the exemption from the Tax Department with Form T.D.38.

PromiseLive in an EU sunbelt country without Cyprus's defence levy on your dividends and interest.

What it takesIt only removes the Special Defence Contribution, not income tax on other income. You first need to become Cyprus tax resident (over 183 days a year, or the 60-day rule, which needs a Cyprus job or business, a home in Cyprus and no more than 183 days in any other country). After 17 of the last 20 years as a Cyprus tax resident you are deemed domiciled and lose the exemption, unless you elect the alternative method and pay EUR 250,000 for each extra five-year period (maximum two). People with a Cyprus domicile of origin generally do not qualify.

People who start work in Cyprus after at least 15 consecutive years without Cyprus employment have 50% of their employment income exempt from income tax for up to 17 years, in any year their pay exceeds EUR 55,000; a smaller 20% exemption (capped at EUR 8,550 a year, for 7 years) exists for lower earners.

PromiseHalf your Cyprus salary free of income tax for up to 17 years.

What it takesOnly applies in years when your employment pay is above EUR 55,000; in lower-paid years you get nothing from this relief. You must not have worked in Cyprus for the 15 consecutive years before starting (employment from 30 June 2023). The 17-year clock runs from the year you start, whether or not you qualify every year. The 20% alternative is capped at EUR 8,550 a year and needs 3 consecutive years of employment abroad beforehand; the two cannot both be used on the same income.

Cyprus's Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy lets non-EU entrepreneurs, alone or in teams of up to five, live and work in Cyprus for three years (renewable) to set up or move an innovative startup.

PromiseGrow a tech startup from Cyprus with an EU base and your family able to join you.

What it takesThe current scheme is stated to run only until December 2026, with a cap of 150 visas, so the window is closing and a renewal is not yet confirmed. Your business plan must score at least 15/20 (and at least 3 on every criterion) from independent evaluators, or an established startup must show at least EUR 1 million in revenue with R&D of at least 10% of operating costs. The company must be an unlisted small enterprise no more than five years old that has not distributed profits, and founders must hold at least 25% of the shares. Renewal after three years depends on the company being judged successful.

Cyprus temporary residence permit for non-EU nationals who work remotely for employers or clients outside Cyprus; one year, renewable for up to two more years.

PromiseMediterranean island living with 300+ days of sun while keeping your foreign income.

What it takes€3,500 net/month after tax & contributions; a national cap (raised to 500 permits in 2022) has caused intake pauses — applications reopened April 2025; family members cannot work.