Cyprus moves to tighten golden-visa scheme ahead of Schengen accession
Cyprus plans to tighten its golden-visa programme before entering the Schengen area, reviewing about 12,000 permits issued since 2013.
In a briefing to the House audit committee, Deputy Migration Minister Nicholas Ioannides announced that Cyprus will tighten its golden-visa scheme as the island prepares for Schengen entry. Around 1,500 visas have been issued in the past two years, and officials are scrutinising roughly 12,000 permits granted since 2013 to verify continued eligibility. Proposed reforms include tighter investment controls and possible allocation of funds to education, defence and innovation projects.
Ioannides also outlined a new digital system to track third-country nationals from arrival to departure, slated for launch in March, and highlighted a sharp drop in asylum applications and irregular arrivals in 2026. He emphasized that legal, controlled migration remains essential for sectors like construction, hospitality and healthcare, citing bilateral recruitment agreements with Egypt and India.
