Living in Cyprus
Official information for UK nationals moving to and living in Cyprus, including guidance on residency, healthcare, driving and the Withdrawal Agreement.
What you should do
You should:
- register as a resident in Cyprus
- exchange your UK driving licence for a Cypriot one
Coronavirus
You should follow the advice of the Cyprus Government and your local authority. You can also read our Cyprus travel advice for our latest guidance.
Stay up to date
You should:
- sign up for email alerts for updates to this guidance
- follow the British High Commission in Cyprus on Facebook and Twitter
You can also:
The Withdrawal Agreement
The Withdrawal Agreement sets out the terms of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and provides for a deal on citizens’ rights. It sets out a transition period which lasts until 31 December 2020. During this time you can continue to live, work and study in the EU broadly as you did before 31 January 2020.
If you are resident in Cyprus at the end of the transition period, you will be covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, and your rights will be protected for as long as you remain resident in Cyprus.
Any rights that are not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement will be the subject of future negotiations. Read this guidance page for more information.
In the meantime, make sure you are registered as a resident in Cyprus. We will update this guidance as soon as more information becomes available.
You should also read our guidance on living in Europe.
Visas and residency
Check the entry requirements for Cyprus.
Residency
If you are resident in Cyprus before the transition period ends on 31 December 2020, you will be able to continue to live, work and access services as you do now.
You must register as a Cypriot resident if you plan to stay in Cyprus for more than 3 months. You will get a registration certificate from the Ministry of the Interior, Civil Registry and Migration Department. Contact details are available here.
After living in Cyprus for more than 5 years, you can apply for permanent residence (MEU3).
Read the Cypriot government guidance residency in Cyprus.
If there are changes to residency registration processes, we will update this guidance as soon as information is available.
Read our guidance on moving or retiring abroad.
UK Nationals Support Fund
The government has announced funding for organisations to provide practical support to UK nationals who may have difficulty completing their residency application or registration.
This support is available only to those who need additional help. This may include pensioners, disabled people, people living in remote areas or who have mobility difficulties.
The services available for people who need this additional support include:
- answering questions about residency applications, such as the documents required and application procedure
- guiding individuals through the process, if necessary
- supporting people facing language barriers or difficulty accessing technology
In Cyprus, this support is being provided by two organisations: SSAFA (specifically for armed forces veterans) and Cyprus Residency Planning Group (CRPG). If you or someone you know may have difficulty completing the paperwork, you can contact them using the details below to discuss how they may be able to help you.
SSAFA: The Armed Forces Charity
Visit the SSAFA website
Hotline: 800 77058 (freephone), available Mon - Fri 09.00 - 17.30
Email: ukvie.support@ssafa.org.uk
CRPG: 800 09009 (freephone)
Mon – Fri 09.00-13.00
Passports and travel
You should carry your residence document, as well as your valid passport when you travel. If you have applied but not yet received your document, carry your certificate of application.
If you have not yet applied for a residence document, you should carry evidence that you are resident in Cyprus. This could include a tenancy agreement or a utility bill in your name, dating from 2020.
If you cannot show that you are resident in Cyprus, you may be asked additional questions at the border to enter the Schengen area, and your passport may be stamped. This will not affect your rights in Cyprus.
Passports
The rules on travel will stay the same until the transition period ends on 31 December 2020. During this time you can continue to travel to countries in the Schengen area or elsewhere in the EU with your UK passport.
Check your passport is valid before you book your trip. Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay in Cyprus. However, if you’re travelling to the north of Cyprus, their administration advises that your passport should be valid for at least 6 months from your date of entry to the north.
You can apply for or renew your British passport from Cyprus.
Entry requirements
From 1 January 2021, you will be able to travel to other Schengen area countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa for purposes such as tourism. This is a rolling 180-day period.
To stay for longer, to work or study, or for business travel, you will need to meet the entry requirements set out by the country to which you are travelling. This could mean applying for a visa or work permit. You may also need to get a visa if your visit would take you over the 90 days in 180 days limit.
Periods of stay authorised under a visa or permit will not count against the 90-day limit. Travel to the UK and Ireland will not change.
Different rules will apply to EU countries that are not part of the Schengen Area. Check each country’s travel advice page for information on entry requirements.
Healthcare
If you are living in Cyprus or move there permanently before 31 December 2020, you will have life-long healthcare rights in Cyprus as you do now, provided you remain legally resident.
You must be properly registered for healthcare as a resident in Cyprus, as well as registering, where necessary, with a health insurer.
Once you are registered as resident, you may be entitled to state healthcare. You should check with the Ministry of Health or at your local citizen service centre to see if you are covered.
You can find information about the new Cypriot state healthcare system GESY on their website. We strongly advise you to take out private medical insurance if you are not eligible for state healthcare.
Read our guidance on who can access healthcare in Cyprus and make sure you are correctly registered. If your UK employer has sent you to Cyprus temporarily, your access to healthcare is different. Find out how to access healthcare as a posted worker.
State healthcare: S1
If you have a registered S1 form and are living in Cyprus before the end of 2020, your rights to access healthcare will stay the same from 1 January 2021 if you are either:
- receiving a UK State Pension
- receiving some other ‘exportable benefits’
- a frontier worker who lives in Cyprus and commutes to work in the UK
Read our guidance on using an S1 form in Cyprus to ensure you are correctly registered for healthcare.
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
If you are resident in Cyprus, you must not use your UK-issued EHIC for healthcare in Cyprus.
When you travel from Cyprus for a temporary stay in another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, you can use an EHIC to access state healthcare for free or at a reduced cost.
If you’re a UK student in Cyprus or have a registered S1 you may be eligible for a new UK-issued EHIC. This EHIC will remain valid from 1 January 2021. Apply now for a new UK EHIC.
If you are travelling, make sure you have comprehensive travel insurance. The existing EHIC arrangements are not an alternative to travel insurance, as some health-related costs, including for medical repatriation, ongoing medical treatment and non-urgent treatment are not covered. The EHIC is also not valid in north Cyprus.
For more information read our guidance on healthcare when travelling in Europe and advice on foreign travel insurance.
You should also read guidance on:
- finding English-speaking doctors in Cyprus
- checking your prescriptions are legal in Cyprus
Working in Cyprus
Read our guidance on working in an EU country.
To apply for a job you may need to provide a UK police certificate.
If you are resident in Cyprus on or before 31 December 2020, your right to work will stay the same, as long as you remain resident in Cyprus.
Frontier workers
If you live in Cyprus and commute to work in an EU or EFTA country, from January 2021 you may need a permit to prove that you are a frontier worker. We will update this guidance when more information is available.
Education and professional qualifications
If you are legally resident in Cyprus on or before 31 December 2020, your right to study in Cyprus will stay the same, as long as you remain a resident in Cyprus.
Read the guidance on continuing your studies in EU countries.
Professional qualifications
If you have already been recognised by an EU country as holding valid professional qualifications, this will remain valid after 31 January 2020.
If you have not had your professional qualifications recognised, you can submit an application under the current rules until 31 December 2020.
Money and tax
The UK has a double taxation agreement with Cyprus to ensure you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.
Existing double taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in Cyprus have not changed.
You should read the guidance on:
- tax if you leave the UK to live abroad
- tax on your UK income if you live abroad
- paying income tax in Cyprus
You should get professional advice on paying tax in Cyprus. Find an English-speaking lawyer in Cyprus.
National Insurance
Find out if you can pay National Insurance while abroad in order to protect your State Pension and entitlement to other benefits and allowances.
If you are employed or self-employed in the EU or EEA and you have a UK-issued A1/E101 form, you will remain subject to UK legislation until the end date on the form.
Banking
Most people living in Europe should not see any change to their banking after 31 December 2020. Your bank or finance provider should contact you if they need to make any changes to your product or the way they provide it. If you have any concerns about whether you might be affected, contact your provider or seek independent financial advice.
Read the Money and Pension Service guidance on banking, insurance and financial services changes after 31 December 2020 for more information on cross-border retail banking.
Pensions
You will need to tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.
If you retire in Cyprus, you can claim:
- your UK State Pension or new UK State Pension. Please contact the International Pensions Centre to claim
- your Cypriot and UK state pension through your local citizen service centre if you have worked in Cyprus
- pensions from abroad, if you have worked in other EU countries
Life certificates for UK State Pensions
If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you must fill it in promptly, otherwise your payments may be suspended.
Pensions after 31 December 2020
There will be no changes before 31 December 2020 to the rules on claiming the UK State Pension in the EU, EEA or Switzerland as a result of the UK leaving the EU.
If you are living in the EU, EEA or Switzerland by 31 December 2020 you will get your UK State Pension uprated every year for as long as you continue to live there. This will happen even if you start claiming your pension on or after 1 January 2021, as long as you meet the qualifying conditions explained in the new State Pension guidance.
If you are living in Cyprus by 31 December 2020, you will be able to count future social security contributions towards meeting the qualifying conditions for your UK State Pension.
If you work and pay social security contributions in Cyprus, you will still be able to add your UK social security contributions towards your Cypriot pension. This will happen even if you claim your pension after 31 December 2020.
If you are considering moving to Cyprus on or after 1 January 2021 and you are not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the rules depend on negotiations with the EU and may change. Check our guidance on benefits and pensions in the EU.
You can continue to receive your UK State Pension if you live in the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you can still claim your UK State Pension.
Read the Money and Pension Service guidance on pension and retirement changes after 31 December 2020 for more information on cross-border pensions.
Benefits
You will need to tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.
You may still be able to claim some UK benefits like child and disability benefits if you live in Cyprus.
- read our guidance on which UK benefits you can claim while you’re abroad
- use our tool to check which benefits you can claim while abroad
If you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks, many income-related benefits such as pension credit and housing benefit cannot be paid to you.
You can request proof of the time you’ve worked in the UK from HMRC if you are asked for this.
Cypriot benefits
You may be able to claim some Cyprus social security benefits. When you are checking whether you are eligible for benefits in Cyprus you should make sure you declare any National Insurance contributions you made in the UK.
Benefits after 31 December 2020
There will be no changes before 31 December 2020 to the rules on claiming UK benefits in the EU, EEA or Switzerland as a result of the UK leaving the EU.
If you are living in the EU, EEA or Switzerland by 31 December 2020, you will continue to receive any UK benefits you already receive. This will continue for as long as you live there and meet all other eligibility requirements.
If you work and pay social security contributions in Cyprus, you will still be able to add your UK social security contributions towards your Cypriot contribution-based benefits. This will happen even if you claim your pension after 31 December 2020.
If you are considering moving to Cyprus on or after 1 January 2021 and you are not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the rules depend on negotiations with the EU and may change. Check our guidance on benefits and pensions in the EU.
Driving in Cyprus
Driving licence rules will stay the same until 31 December 2020.
If you are resident in Cyprus, you should exchange your UK licence for a Cypriot one.
For information on driving in Cyprus, read the guidance on:
- what you need to drive abroad
- renewing or exchanging your licence while abroad
- bringing a private car into Cyprus
- standards of driving in Cyprus
Bringing a UK-registered vehicle to Cyprus
You cannot import vehicles through the northern part of Cyprus. The authorities may seize your vehicle.
Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK and the Cypriot government webpage on importing a vehicle into Cyprus.
You should read the European Union’s guidance on car registration and taxes in Cyprus.
You may be exempt from some of these taxes. If so you will need certificates of exemption.
Voting
After 31 January 2020, UK nationals are no longer eligible to vote in local and European Parliament elections.
You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:
- check if you are able to vote
- register as an overseas voter if you would like to vote
Births, deaths and getting married
If your child is born in Cyprus, you will need to register a birth abroad.
If someone dies in Cyprus, you can:
- read our guidance on what to do after someone dies
- read our guidance for UK nationals on bereavements in Cyprus
Find out how you can get married abroad.
Find out about notarial and documentary services for UK nationals in Cyprus.
You may also need:
Pets
Current pet travel rules will stay the same until 31 December 2020.
If you’re travelling with your pet for the first time you must visit your vet to get a pet passport.
Read guidance on bringing your pet to the UK.
Emergencies
You can dial the European emergency number on 112, or Cyprus also has 199.
If you’re the victim of crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisis abroad, contact the British High Commission Nicosia.
Accommodation and buying property
Read guidance on buying a property abroad.
Returning to the UK
Tell the UK and Cypriot authorities if you are returning to the UK permanently.
To move your pension to the UK, contact the International Pension Centre.
If you get healthcare in Cyprus through the S1 certificate, you must contact the Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 (0)191 218 1999 to make sure your S1 is cancelled at the right time.
Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently which includes information on, amongst other things, access to services and bringing family members.
Disclaimer
Please note that this information is provided as a guide only. Definitive information should be obtained from the Cypriot authorities. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information.
Last updated 16 December 2020
