Since last November, the "Plan of the Holy Archdiocese of Cyprus to Address the Low Birth Rate" has been on track for implementation, with the aim of strengthening large families and in particular increasing the births of third and subsequent children.
The announcement and implementation of the Plan was linked to the sensitivity of His Beatitude Archbishop George to contain the threat of a dramatic alteration of the demographic composition and character of the island, especially its Greek Orthodox element. After all, the data are so clear about taking such a bold initiative, since according to them, the fertility rate is consistently well below the replacement threshold (at about 1.4), while the population is aging rapidly, directly threatening the viability of the social system and especially our national existence.
According to the spokesman of the Holy Archdiocese, Christakis Efstathiou, the interest in the whole plan is continuous and undiminished and is evolving according to the provisions and its initial structure. In fact, it is particularly satisfying to find that its implementation is taking shape in the most exemplary way in terms of serving the public for the completion of the required procedures.
Access to the digital platform is seamless and in cases where they need any help-support, the response is immediate to serve the beneficiaries.
Financial sponsorship
The plan has retroactive effect for children born from 1 January 2025 and provides financial support at various stages of the child's life. Parents/guardians who will submit an application and their application will be approved, in accordance with the provisions of the scheme, will receive on behalf of the eligible children, the following lump sums: €1,500 upon baptism by an Orthodox Church, €1,000 on the day of enrolment in Primary School, €1,000 upon enrolment in Gymnasium and €1,000 upon enrolment in Lyceum.
Applications are submitted within 30 days from the day of the child's baptism or enrolment in school, as mentioned above.
Easter and Christmas Coupon
At the same time, until the age of 18, vouchers will be issued for the purchase of food or basic necessities worth €100 for Christmas every December 20th and €100 for Easter every Holy Monday.
According to the Archdiocese's spokesman, the plan's annual budget for the period 2025-2029 is expected to range from €1.8 million to €2.8 million, with a forecast of a significant increase in spending in the coming years if conditions and data favour it. The parameter of the possibility of re-evaluating the course of the Plan in foreseen time horizons with the aim of further strengthening it is considered important.
Criteria and beneficiaries
Eligible parents are considered to be parents at least one of whom holds the Cypriot identity card and have been married in an Orthodox Christian marriage in an Orthodox church, attaching a copy of their marriage certificate to the application.
A beneficiary (child) is considered to be a child who has a date of birth after January 1, 2025, from eligible parents and is, in order of birth, the third or more child in the family. Parents should attach a copy of the birth certificates of their first and second children, in order of birth, to the application. They also attach the birth certificate of the beneficiary child.
A guardian is the person who has the parental responsibility of a beneficiary and/or who exercises parental responsibility on the basis of a court decision.
According to the criteria, at least one of the two parents must be an Orthodox Christian, attaching a copy of the baptism certificates to the application.
The family must have Cyprus as their permanent residence, attaching a copy of the utility bill of the last three months before submitting the application.
It is noted that parents, when collecting the first instalment of the financial sponsorship, must attach to the electronic platform the baptism certificate of the beneficiary child from the Orthodox church in which they have baptized him/her and details of the bank account where the amount will be deposited (IBAN).
In order to receive the annual Easter and Christmas vouchers, parents must attach electronically, each time, duly signed and certified by a certified employee the Special Form IAK 1 together with a copy of the public utility bill of the last three months before the submission of the application, which is posted on the electronic platform that has been created.
Furthermore, in order to collect the second, third and fourth instalment of the financial sponsorship, the parents must attach a copy of the child's registration certificate in Primary, Junior High and High School, respectively, a copy of a certificate from the head priest of the ecclesiastical parish in which the family resides at the material time, a copy of the utility bill of the last three months and details of the bank account where the amounts will be deposited.
It is emphasized that the submission of applications, as well as the attachment of all relevant documents and certificates is done only electronically on epidomateknou.iak.org.cy electronic platform.
Applications are automatically registered and parents/guardians will receive a unique number, which will be communicated to them automatically, either by phone message (SMS) or email, whichever of them they choose as a means of communication when submitting the application.
Once it is ascertained that the application is complete, then a message will be sent through the selected communication method, requesting the confirmation of the details of the IBAN in which the first instalment of the financial sponsorship will be deposited.
For the granting of vouchers, parents will be informed through the platform about the day and time of their receipt.
It is noted that in exceptional cases, parents who cannot access the online platform and wish to be informed that they can apply, then they will be able to contact the number 22554678 by phone, every Monday to Friday (except holidays) between the hours of 08:00 and 14:00.
The aim is to strengthen the Greek Orthodox population
The plan is presented as an intervention to address the low birth rate and strengthen the country's demographic potential, with a particular focus on the families of the Greek Orthodox population of Cyprus.
According to the findings of the Holy Archdiocese of Cyprus, in recent years total births to non-Cypriot parents have been increasing disproportionately compared to total births of children to Cypriot parents. At the same time, it finds that as the order of birth of children rises from the third to the fourth and so on, the ratio of the percentage of births by Cypriot parents to non-Cypriot parents ends up disproportionately in favour of births by non-Cypriot parents.
Therefore, if no measures are taken, according to the Archdiocese, this relationship and the trend of births does not change, in the short and medium term, the total number of children living in the free areas of Cyprus will continue to be altered by the continuous increase in the number of children acquired by non-Cypriot parents.
At the same time, it is emphasized that Turkey in the occupied areas of Cyprus is systematically and methodically creating demographic faits accomplis which have already significantly altered the image of the total population of Cyprus, a fact that leads the Orthodox Greek element in Cyprus to future adventures.
The Archdiocese's plan aims to overturn the current demographic data by strengthening the Orthodox Greek population in Cyprus.
It is noted that the first assessment of the effectiveness of the plan is scheduled to take place in March 2029.
More information at: https://www.epidomateknou.iak.org.cy/
