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CYPRIOT LAW

Cypriot citizenship by descent

The applicable provision depends on when you were born and on whether a parent was already a citizen of the Republic at that time.

WHO HANDLES THIS

Applications and every step before the authorities of the Republic of Cyprus are handled by our office in Nicosia. Archival research and preparation of documents are handled by our research and administrative services team.

The routes

For those born abroad after 16 August 1960 to a Cypriot father, and for those born after 11 June 1999 to a Cypriot mother, acquisition is evidenced by the issue of a consular birth certificate.
For those born on or after 16 August 1960 where neither parent was a citizen of the Republic at the time of birth, a separate application for registration on the ground of Cypriot origin is provided. In practice this covers most third-generation cases, where descent is traced to a grandparent; it is not, as a rule, necessary for the parent to be registered first.
For persons of Cypriot descent through the paternal line born before 16 August 1960, separate application types apply, distinguishing those who were citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies. Further provision exists for persons of Cypriot origin who are citizens of a Commonwealth country, and a distinct procedure for the registration of a minor child of a Cypriot citizen.

What is proved and how

The application rests on unbroken documentation of the relationship with the Cypriot ancestor: the ancestor’s Cypriot records, that is a birth certificate, identity or passport details, a certificate of registration or earlier entries, linked to the birth and marriage certificates of each intervening generation. Foreign documents are produced with an apostille and an official translation, and names must be rendered consistently throughout the file.

After registration

Certificates are issued and the Cypriot identity card and passport follow. Cypriot citizenship is at the same time citizenship of the European Union, and the Republic accepts dual citizenship without requiring renunciation of the citizenship you already hold. After your own registration, the registration of your minor children is filed.

National Guard

Military service concerns male citizens of the Republic. The National Guard Law 19(1)/2011 provides an express exemption for those holding the status of permanent resident abroad, a category covering most people of Cypriot descent who register from abroad. A permanent resident abroad is a person whose main and permanent, or livelihood, establishment and residence has been abroad for at least ten consecutive years; for a person born and living abroad with their family, the ten years run from birth. The status is lost on permanent settlement in Cyprus and is not acquired while a person is in default of call-up.
The law provides further exemptions, among them on health grounds, for those who served at least six months without buying out in the armed forces of a foreign country of which they are also nationals, for holders of Cypriot and Greek citizenship who completed their service in Greece after six years of permanent residence there, and for the father of three or more minor children. In the two cases of service abroad the exemption does not extend to reserve service. Exemption is not automatic: it is granted on application, and the conditions must be met when the application is made.

QUESTIONS

Frequently asked

My Cypriot ancestor is my grandfather.Am I entitled?

It is assessed on your date of birth and on the status of your parents at that time; a separate application exists for persons of Cypriot origin born after 16 August 1960 without a Cypriot parent.

Do I need to travel to Cyprus?

No. Our Nicosia office files and follows the case under a power of attorney.

Do I keep my existing citizenship?

Yes. The Republic accepts dual citizenship.

Can my children be registered?

Yes, after your own registration.

Sources

  • Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Cyprus, Civil Registry and Migration Department, acquisition of Cypriot citizenship by origin.
  • National Guard Law 19(1)/2011, Articles 23 to 25.

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