In an announcement released at midday on 14 October, the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection confirmed that, from 1 January 2027, five of the most common residence-permit categories will be renewed exclusively via the government’s gov.cy portal. The move covers (1) employees who remain with the same Cypriot sponsor, (2) domestic workers, (3) staff of Foreign-Interest Companies, (4) family-reunification cases and (5) holders of permanent residence. Applicants will have to create a CY Login digital identity and upload supporting documents—including employment contracts, health insurance, tax-clearance certificates and biometric data—directly to the site. Physical submissions at district immigration offices will no longer be accepted after 31 December 2026, although paper applications will remain possible for humanitarian cases and first-time permits. Officials say the switch is part of Cyprus’ broader e-government drive, designed to cut processing times that currently average eight weeks for renewals. The Migration Department estimates that digital filing, automatic fee calculation and real-time file tracking could reduce turnaround to 10–15 working days. Employers welcomed the change, noting that delayed renewals often force valuable non-EU staff to stop working or leave the island while waiting for a new card. Global-mobility teams should review their internal calendars and instruct employees to register for CY Login well before year-end. The government has signalled that it will reject incomplete or late-submitted online files, and frontline staff will no longer provide in-person document checks. Companies that rely on agents must ensure those intermediaries hold a verified digital-identity mandate to act on workers’ behalf. The announcement also foreshadows a phased roll-out of online functionality for student permits and for the popular Digital Nomad and Start-up visas later in 2027, bringing Cyprus into line with EU good-practice recommendations on paperless immigration procedures.
Source: Cyprus Mail
