The Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD), in a continuous effort to reform the old and outdated application and filing procedures for the issuance of a residence permit in Cyprus, announced that as from February 2016 the Art 18 FZ(7) of the Aliens and Immigration Law (Cap. 105) as well as Art 4 of the Aliens and Immigration (Amending) (No.2) Law [N129(I)/2014] has entered into force and will be implemented for residence permits for third country nationals.
The amended article applies to the following categories of third country nationals who:
- reside or plan to enter the Republic for studies
- reside or plan to enter the Republic for the purposes of pupil exchange
- reside or plan to enter the Republic for unremunerated training
- reside or plan to the Republic for voluntary service
- reside or plan to enter the Republic for purposes of scientific research as well as for their family members
- reside or plan to enter the Republic as members of the holder’s family of international protection both for family reunification purposes and for purposes of reuniting with the family unit
- hold or apply for obtaining immigration permit for themselves and their dependents
- are victims or trafficking and/or exploitation of persons
- hold or have applied for obtaining a special license, and
- any other category to be created or modified thereafter
All third-country nationals must apply by submitting the relevant forms M58 for entry permit and M61 for temporary residence. All applications must be accompanied by all other necessary documents depending on each situation. The presence of the applicant is necessary in order to acquire the residence permit since the permit will have the form of an Identity Card (uniform format residence permit) that will carry biometric data of its holder (fingerprints and photograph) as well as his signature.
Once the application has been approved and the residence permit has been issued, the Terms of Residence Permit Sheet will be sent to the third country national and will be used so that the applicant can receive his/her residence permit from the place where the application was submitted.
A third country national who has already submitted an application for obtaining or renewing residence permit before the 8th of February of 2016, must, within 60 days and prior to 08/04/2016 submit a new additional Application form (called ‘M+IP’) at the District Office of the Migration Department and pay the relevant fee of EUR10.00 in order for the relevant department to proceed with the examination of the application and issue the uniform format residence permit. If the additional application is not submitted within the prescribed period, the pending request will be rejected according to the legislation.
At PAHALAW, we are in the ideal position in advising and assisting you with the preparation/filing of the application and any other documents required in order to acquire the residency permit.
For further inquiries on this subject matter please contact the author of this article, Mr. Andreas Parparinos at [email protected].
