Filenews 25 October 2025 - by Vassos Vassiliou
The European Commission has "put the feet of the Republic of Cyprus in one shoe" on the issue of golden passports, forcing the Government to submit a bill to end the infringement procedure that had been pending since 2020. The infringement procedure was initiated due to the Cyprus Investment Programme (KEP), which allowed the granting of citizenship to investors and led to international defamation of Cyprus.
With the new bill, the Government completely abolishes the provisions that could allow the reinstatement of the KEP, satisfying the demands of the European Commission. According to the explanatory report, the changes are the result of consultations between the Legal Service and the Commission and have its agreement.
At the same time, a new procedure for the deprivation of Cypriot citizenship from foreigners who acquired it through the program is established. Those affected will have 60 days to submit an objection to the Independent Citizenship Deprivation Examination Committee. The Minister of the Interior is obliged to publish the relevant notifications in the Official Gazette of the Republic, in order to inform the public and private authorities and to ensure transparency. The consent of the Data Protection Commissioner has been secured for this provision.
The bill also provides for a special provision for cases of review of naturalization applications, following court decisions. The relevant provisions will apply only to applications submitted until October 30, 2020.
Finally, the legislative competence of the Council of Ministers to grant citizenship to investors is permanently deleted. The Minister of Interior was authorized to submit to the Parliament the bill "The Civil Registry (Amendment) (No. 2) Law of 2025". The current Government thus undertakes the institutional termination of a program that had formally expired in 2020, but was still pending at the level of European compliance.
