My client was planning to relocate to Cyprus and obtain citizenship. However, the program was terminated and now we are seeking new paths to help him get citizenship. He is a renowned director in China and has won several prizes for his work in the film industry. We are wondering if Cyprus provides a visa program that can lead to citizenship fast for individuals of extraordinary abilities like him.
Officially, there is no such program in Cyprus. According to the law, your client would need to live and work for seven years in Cyprus to get the citizenship, or he can live and work for five years if he gets married to a Cypriot woman. The only exception for the moment would be an honorary citizenship that can be delivered by the President of the Republic of Cyprus for exceptional services rendered.
There is no such program available right now.
There are paths. Combination of obtaining a visa first and then residing in Cyprus, you will have the right to apply for naturalization after seven years.
The Cyprus investment program as you are aware is officially terminated at the moment and due to that a fast procedure for citizenship is not available at the moment. If your client is planning to move in Cyprus and complete years of staying, then he will be able to apply for citizenship provided that the rest of the requirements are met.
There was an amendment in the last Community Improvement Plan, which indicated that the Council of Ministers could grand a citizenship on merits of a person who has contributed a lot to the economy, arts and the social scene of Cyprus. However no more explanation was given in August 2020 and then as the program closed we are not aware if this still applies. However the contribution needs to be done in Cyprus and not somewhere else in the world. If the client wishes, he can also obtain a residence permit in Cyprus or even better, the client can obtain a residence in Greece which is schengen visa.
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