Cyprus · Business / Startup
Cyprus Self-employed trade
Assets needed: ~€260k ≈ $290k
Immigration permit Category C: self-employed in a trade or profession
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Self-employed trade is a business / startup route for Cyprus. Applicants need assets of ~€260k ≈ $290k. You can stay 10 yrs, renewable. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Money needed
- ~€260k ≈ $290k
- Government fees
- €500 ≈ $560
- First stay
- 10 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fee €500 ≈ $560; assets to show ~€260k ≈ $290k. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees€500 ≈ $560
- EUR 500 (≈ $560)Fee at application submission for all persons included; EUR 70 (≈ $78) more per person for the Aliens Registration Certificate.
Shown, not spent~€260k ≈ $290k
- EUR 260,000 (≈ $290,000)Capital fully and freely at disposal, approximately EUR 260,000 (≈ $290,000) or lesser sum set by the Immigration Control Committee.
RenewalRenewable
The residence card expires after ten years and is replaced; the permit gives an unlimited right of residence.
CitizenshipGeneral rule: 7 years of residence
General naturalisation rule: 12 months of legal continuous residence immediately before applying and at least 7 years of legal residence in the preceding 10 years, plus Greek at B1 level.
Presence rulesAbsence limits
The permit ceases if you acquire permanent residence abroad or are absent from Cyprus for two years.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply3
- The applicant is a third-country national.
- The applicant is self-employed in a trade or profession in Cyprus.
- The activity must not harm the general economy.
What you must show2
- Capital fully and freely at disposal of approximately EUR 260,000 (≈ $290,000).
- The Immigration Control Committee may set a lesser sum.
Documents1
- The relevant licence.
Steps1
- Apply at the Migration Department offices in Nicosia with form MIP2, in person or through an authorised representative.
After you arrive1
- Take up residence in Cyprus within one year of approval, or the permit ceases.
When you become tax resident
How Cyprus decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
10 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- More than 183 days in a tax yearStaying in Cyprus for periods exceeding 183 days in total in a tax year.
- At least 60 days in a tax year60-day rule: at least 60 days in Cyprus, not more than 183 days in any other country, carrying on business or employment in Cyprus, and keeping a permanent home in Cyprus that the person owns or rents.
- Foreign-source income
Non-dom (17 of 20 years)
SDC on dividends (5% for residents who are domiciled) and interest (17% for residents who are domiciled) under Law 117(I)/2002 as amended; ordinary income tax on residents continues to apply to worldwide income.
- Special regime
Non-domiciled residents outside Special Defence Contribution · Tax relief
All tax rules for Cyprus Tax records checked
Full official text
Self-employed trade or profession in Cyprus with the required licence and capital at disposal. 1
What you must show and pay
- Assets of about EUR 260,000 (≈ $290,000) · Capital fully and freely at disposal, approximately EUR 260,000 (≈ $290,000) or lesser sum set by the Immigration Control Committee. 1
- A fee of EUR 500 (≈ $560) · Fee at application submission for all persons included; EUR 70 (≈ $78) more per person for the Aliens Registration Certificate. 1
Requirements
- The applicant is a third-country national. 1
- The applicant is self-employed in a trade or profession in Cyprus. 1
- The activity must not harm the general economy. 1
- Capital fully and freely at disposal of approximately EUR 260,000 (≈ $290,000). 1
- The Immigration Control Committee may set a lesser sum. 1
- The relevant licence. 1
- Take up residence in Cyprus within one year of approval, or the permit ceases. 1
- Apply at the Migration Department offices in Nicosia with form MIP2, in person or through an authorised representative. 1
Stay
- Immigration permit with an unlimited right of residence for the holder and adult dependants; the residence card expires after ten years and is replaced, and a child's card is valid to age 18. The permit ceases if the holder does not take up residence in Cyprus within one year of approval, acquires permanent residence abroad or is absent from Cyprus for two years.
- Initial permitted stay: 120 months.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Third-country nationals. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
Self-employment in the licensed trade.
Family
Spouse and children under 18 can be added as dependants; adding a family member costs EUR 50 (≈ $56) each.
Official sources
- Immigration Permits (categories A-F) · Migration Department, Cyprus · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2025-12-29
- Acquisition of Cypriot citizenship by naturalization due to years of residence (form M127) · Ministry of Interior (Cyprus) · checked 2026-10-12
Self-employed trade and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-employed trade | Needs assets of ~€260k ≈ $290k | 10 yr, renewable | – |
| Startup visa | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Self-employed farm/mining | Needs assets from €350k ≈ $391k | 10 yr, renewable | – |
| Self-employed profession | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
| Startup Visa Portugal | Needs savings of €6,446+ ≈ $7,200 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Self-employed trade?
Assets of about EUR 260,000 (≈ $290,000). Capital fully and freely at disposal, approximately EUR 260,000 (≈ $290,000) or lesser sum set by the Immigration Control Committee. A fee of EUR 500 (≈ $560). Fee at application submission for all persons included; EUR 70 (≈ $78) more per person for the Aliens Registration Certificate.
How long can I stay on the Self-employed trade?
Immigration permit with an unlimited right of residence for the holder and adult dependants; the residence card expires after ten years and is replaced, and a child's card is valid to age 18.
Can I work on the Self-employed trade?
Self-employment in the licensed trade.
Can I bring my family on the Self-employed trade?
Spouse and children under 18 can be added as dependants; adding a family member costs EUR 50 (≈ $56) each.
Who can apply for the Self-employed trade?
Third-country nationals. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Is there a tax break for Self-employed trade holders in Cyprus?
Non-domiciled residents outside Special Defence Contribution (17 of 20 years): Special Defence Contribution (SDC) applies only to residents who are also domiciled in Cyprus, so a tax resident without Cyprus domicile pays no SDC on dividends or interest; an individual is deemed domiciled after being tax resident in at least 17 of the last 20 years before the tax year. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Non-domiciled residents outside Special Defence Contribution (17 of 20 years)
Tax relief
Details
- On: SDC on dividends (5% for residents who are domiciled) and interest
- Who: Tax resident of Cyprus under the Income Tax Law
Special Defence Contribution (SDC) applies only to residents who are also domiciled in Cyprus, so a tax resident without Cyprus domicile pays no SDC on dividends or interest; an individual is deemed domiciled after being tax resident in at least 17 of the last 20 years before the tax year.
Taxed on
SDC on dividends (5% for residents who are domiciled) and interest (17% for residents who are domiciled) under Law 117(I)/2002 as amended; ordinary income tax on residents continues to apply to worldwide income.
Who it applies to
- Tax resident of Cyprus under the Income Tax Law.
- No domicile of origin in Cyprus under the Wills and Succession Law, or domicile of choice abroad with 20 consecutive years of non-residence; deemed domicile arises after 17 of the last 20 years as a tax resident and persists until 20 years without residence.
Exclusions
- Persons with domicile of origin in Cyprus are domiciled for SDC.
- Persons who reach 17 of the last 20 years of residence become domiciled and subject to SDC unless they elect the alternative in Article 3D (see “Alternative SDC: EUR 50,000 (≈ $55,900) a year (EUR 250,000 (≈ $279,000) for five years) for deemed-domiciled residents”).
- Cyprus income tax on residents still applies to worldwide income under the scales in “Personal income tax scales from 2026”.
Tax residence
Tax residence is decided each year under Law 118(I)/2002 (183 days, or the 60-day rule); domicile is a separate test for SDC. Non-domiciled individuals can apply for exemption on form T.F.38.
Visas
A residence permit does not change domicile; tax residence years are what count.
Other taxes
SDC on rent and deemed dividend distributions were removed by Law 245(I)/2025 effective 1 January 2026; social insurance and GHS contributions are separate.
Checked against official sources on Change log
More in Cyprus
Business / startup visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 2 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Immigration Permits (categories A-F) · Migration Department, Cyprus · checked 2026-10-12
- Acquisition of Cypriot citizenship by naturalization due to years of residence (form M127) · Ministry of Interior (Cyprus) · checked 2026-10-12
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.