Residence permit in Northern Cyprus

How to get a residence permit in Northern Cyprus in 2024?

Northern Cyprus is an amazing country with beautiful picturesque nature, unique culture and a mild Mediterranean climate. The area is attractive for living and investment, and is enjoying increased interest. Many are considering moving to the island, because obtaining a residence permit here is quite easy.

Let's look at the main ways to obtain a residence permit in Northern Cyprus.

Obtaining a residence permit in Northern Cyprus becomes available subject to the purchase or rental of real estate, as well as upon admission to a local university.

The process of obtaining a residence permit in Northern Cyprus includes many subtleties, despite the loyalty of the authorities in this matter. This makes the process quite difficult to implement on your own. It is important to emphasize that errors in obtaining a residence permit can lead to significant fines, so it is recommended to seek qualified assistance from an agency.

Residence permit for students

 This type of residence permit is available not only to university students, but also to students of various courses, such as teaching English at the university. It is important to adhere to the rule of attending at least 50% lessons, however, it is possible to agree with the teacher to reduce or even completely eliminate attendance.

This type of residence permit is valid for up to 1 year, does not require a certain amount in a bank account and provides the right to work on the island. The obtaining process is fast - only within a month, and during this period you can leave the island. The total cost varies from 1200 to 1500 euros.

Procedure for submitting documents

Documents can be submitted online through the Ministry of Internal Affairs application.

To do this, you need to register and fill out a form, attaching the following documents:

- copy of the passport;

– lease agreement for a period of 6 months or 1 year;

– a certificate from the head of the district (mukhtar). The certificate will also be needed to open a bank account, so you need to request 2 copies;

– a bank statement stating that you have at least $26,500 in your account;

– a certificate confirming payment of apartment rental tax (the certificate does not require registration). Approximate cost: 30 euros.

After completing these procedures, the system will schedule an appointment with the police to check your documents.

 Then the next stage will begin: taking and paying for medical tests.

After paying 150 euros (including insurance), you will need to undergo tests for HIV and hepatitis.

In 2-3 weeks you will receive a link to pay the state fee of 30 euros for issuing a residence permit. The total waiting period for issuing a residence permit is approximately 2-3 months, during which you cannot leave the island. In case of an urgent need to depart before the final verification of documents, you can contact the migration service department to obtain the appropriate permission.

The residence permit will be issued online, and it can be downloaded from the browser as a finished document.

Residence permit based on real estate ownership

Obtaining a residence permit on the basis of owning real estate involves similar steps as on the basis of renting, with the exception of a few key points. In this case, it is required to provide a contract for the purchase of a property that is already ready for habitation. It is important to note that agreements for the payment of a down payment 30% or agreements for the purchase of real estate under construction are not taken into account. You must also provide a certificate of no criminal record. A potential residence permit holder must have a bank account of at least $13,000.