Moving to Cyprus after Brexit: the pink slip, Category F and the other permits

Since 2021, Brits moving to Cyprus are treated like Americans or Australians. The good news is that the main retirement route is clear; the less good news is that it comes with an income test and a one-year renewal.

The short version

• If you arrived from 2021, you're a third-country national, and staying more than 90 days as a visitor means applying for temporary residence [1].
• The visitor's temporary residence permit, known locally as the "pink slip", asks for an income from outside Cyprus of around EUR 24,000 a year (about £20,000) under the policy announced for 2023, plus more for family; confirm the current figure with the Migration Department [5].
• You can't work on a pink slip, and more than three months in a row away from Cyprus can get it cancelled [5].
• Category F is a permanent immigration permit for people of independent means, and Regulation 6(2) is the faster permanent route linked to buying property [4][7].
• Applications go to the Civil Registry and Migration Department, through its Nicosia office or the district units, including Paphos [1].

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = EUR 1.2002).

Who this guide is for

This is for Brits who moved, or plan to move, after 31 December 2020. If you lived here legally before then, you're probably a Withdrawal Agreement resident with stronger rights; see our guide to the yellow slip, MEU1 and biometric card.

Everyone else starts as a visitor. British visitors can stay up to 90 days, and the FCDO says to check with the Cyprus High Commission before staying beyond 90 days in a 180-day period [2]. Time in the north of Cyprus counts towards the same 90 days [2]. The FCDO's Living in Cyprus guide is clear: to stay longer than 90 days as a visitor, apply for temporary residency as a third-country national [1]. When we checked on 8 November 2026, the FCDO travel advice for Cyprus was still current at 6 November 2026 and had last been updated on 14 August 2026 [3].

The permits at a glance

The pink slip: the visitor's temporary residence permit

The pink slip is the permit most British retirees in Paphos hold. It lets a non-EU national stay beyond 90 days on income from abroad [6].

The income test

These are the rules announced for first applications from 1 January 2023 and renewals from 1 May 2023, as reported in December 2022 [5]. The Migration Department's own pages didn't load when we checked in November 2026, so confirm the figures with the department before you apply:

• Main applicant: around EUR 2,000 a month or EUR 24,000 a year (about £1,670 a month or £20,000 a year) [5].
• Spouse: the requirement rises by 20% [5].
• Each child: the requirement rises by a further 15% [5].

The income can come from a UK salary, pensions, rent, dividends, interest or deposits abroad [5]. So a UK State Pension plus a workplace pension often does the job, as long as the total clears the bar.

What first-time applicants send

1. Proof of a transfer from abroad, reported as at least EUR 10,000 (about £8,330), or a cash declaration at customs [5].
2. A criminal record certificate from your country of origin or residence, certified and translated [5]. For Brits, that's usually an ACRO police certificate with an apostille.
3. Medical test results for the specified exams, done in Cyprus after you arrive [5].
4. Health insurance covering inpatient and outpatient care in Cyprus [6].
5. A Cypriot bank guarantee for possible repatriation costs [6].
6. Proof of accommodation: a rental agreement or title documents [6].
7. Your passport with your entry stamp, plus certified, translated marriage or birth certificates for dependants [6].

Apply after you arrive and before your 90 days are up. Applications go to the Civil Registry and Migration Department or the district Aliens' unit, fees are paid on the day and your photo, fingerprints and signature are taken there [6]. One Cypriot law firm says most applications are decided within a few months [6], so expect a wait.

Renewing every year

Each year you show a 12-month statement from a Cypriot bank with foreign remittances that meet the income test, a balance of at least EUR 6,000 (about £5,000), and up-to-date insurance and accommodation [5][6]. Get your UK pensions paid into, or regularly transferred to, a Cypriot account from the start, and keep the statements tidy.

The catches

• No work at all. Pink slip holders can't carry out economic activity in Cyprus [5]. That includes freelancing and running a business here.
• The three-month rule. Stay outside Cyprus for more than three consecutive months and the permit can be cancelled [5]. A long summer back home in the UK needs planning.
• No straight line to permanence. The pink slip doesn't lead directly to permanent residence or citizenship [6].

Category F: permanent residence for people of independent means

Category F is the long-standing option for retirees who plan to stay for good. It's a permanent immigration permit for people with "a secured annual income" high enough for a decent living in Cyprus without working in any business, trade or profession [7]. The spouse and children under 18 are treated as permanent residents too [7].

Being permanent, it doesn't need renewing like the pink slip [7]. The conditions that bite are different: you must come to Cyprus within a year of the permit being granted, and it can be cancelled if you don't live here for almost two years [7]. That suits people who want to spend several months a year back in the UK without worrying about the three-month rule.

We couldn't find a fixed income figure for Category F on the official pages we could open. Law firms describe the threshold as set case by case and the process as slow, so treat it as a long game, often run alongside a pink slip while you wait.

The fast track: Regulation 6(2)

If you're buying property, the faster route is an immigration permit under Regulation 6(2) of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations. The Ministry of the Interior page that set it up asked for an income from abroad, a property worth at least EUR 300,000 with a contract lodged at the Department of Lands and Surveys, a deposit in a Cypriot bank and a statement that you won't work [4]. The rules have been tightened since that 2012 page; a 2026 legal overview still links the route with a EUR 300,000 minimum investment plus VAT where it applies, and income thresholds for the applicant and dependants [8]. Check the current criteria with a Cypriot lawyer before signing for a property on the strength of it.

Buying as a non-EU national also needs permission from the District Administration on form COMM 145, which is free and takes two to three weeks [10]. See buying in Paphos.

Working in Cyprus

You can't work on a pink slip, Category F or Regulation 6(2) permit. To work for a Cypriot employer you need an employment permit, and the FCDO points to the Cypriot labour ministry's guidance on working as a foreign national and how to get a visa [1]. In most cases your employer starts the process.

Remote workers for UK employers or clients have the digital nomad permit: law firms put the minimum net income at around EUR 3,500 a month (about £2,920), and you'll need health insurance and a clean record, with an initial year renewable for two more [9]. Working remotely on a pink slip isn't the same thing and isn't allowed.

Dealing with the Migration Department

The Civil Registry and Migration Department (still widely called the CRMD) runs residence permits. You can apply in Nicosia or through a district unit of the Aliens and Immigration Service of the Police, and you pay the fee and book an appointment online [1]. A few tips from people who've done it:

• Bring originals and copies, numbered and in order, and certified translations of anything not in Greek or English.
• Book early, as appointments in Paphos can fill up weeks ahead.
• Keep your submission receipt with your passport; it shows you applied in time.
• After five years you may be able to apply for long-term residence as a third-country national [1].

On the UK side, tell HMRC you've left, usually on form P85, and remember that Cyprus's tax residence rules may make you a Cypriot taxpayer long before you hold a permanent permit. A tax adviser who knows both countries can check your situation.

Want to compare notes with people on their third pink slip renewal? Try our community group for Brits in Cyprus.

Sources

1. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Cyprus (last updated 5 February 2026)
2. GOV.UK (FCDO): Cyprus travel advice, entry requirements (still current at 6 November 2026)
3. GOV.UK (FCDO): Cyprus travel advice (updated 14 August 2026)
4. Cyprus Ministry of the Interior: accelerated immigration permits for investors (Regulation 6(2)), 23 August 2012
5. KPMG Cyprus: Amendment of the policy for visitors' residence permit (21 December 2022)
6. Mondaq (A. Danos & Associates): Temporary residence permit in Cyprus (pink slip) FAQs (12 December 2025)
7. Michael Kyprianou & Co: Category F immigration permit (2012)
8. Legal 500 (A. Danos & Associates): Cyprus residence permits explained (22 May 2026)
9. Mondaq (Christos Paraskevas LLC): Digital nomad visa in Cyprus (16 April 2025)
10. Gov.cy, Ministry of the Interior: Purchasing property

Keep reading

• Moving to Paphos as a Brit: visa and residence routes
• Banking in Cyprus as a Brit
• Cyprus non-dom status and the 60-day rule
• Retiring abroad: the main retirement visas for Brits