Procedure and requirements for lodging a visa application

Procedure and Requirements for lodging a Visa Application

  1. Consular officers at the Diplomatic Mission (or Consulate) of the Republic of Cyprus where the visa application is lodged, assess the applicant’s purpose of travel and willingness to return to his/her home country.
  2. Visa applicants should submit their visa application and supporting documents to the accredited, competent or most easily accessible Diplomatic Mission (or Consulate) of the Republic of Cyprus in their country of habitual residence (or elsewhere), or in the country that they intent to use as transit during their journey to Cyprus.
  3. Passports must be valid for at least 3 months from the intended date of departure from Cyprus.
  4. Valid proof of residency (visa/permanent residence card/passport).
  5. Each applicant must duly complete and sign the visa application form. With his/her signature the applicant certifies that he/she is aware of the legal consequences of providing false or incomplete information in visa proceedings.
  6. A passport –size photograph must be affixed on the visa application form.
  7. Visa fees. The visa fee is non-refundable and should be paid upon submission of the application.
  8. Invitation letter from the host-company/ firm/ associate in the Republic of Cyprus. Assumption of Responsibility Form is always required. The form must be completed by the host and certified by a notary public.
  9. Flight pre-bookings (round-trip) and hotel reservation or proof of other accommodation. The applicant is advised not to purchase his/her travel ticket to Cyprus before having his/her application approved and the visa issued.

Submitting the afore-mentioned documents does not guarantee automatic issuance of the visa. The Diplomatic Mission (or Consulate) of the Republic of Cyprus, where the visa application is lodged, reserves the right to request additional documents.

These may include the following:

  • Bank guarantee, valid for ten years, issued in the name of the Director of Civil Registry and Migration Department. The original of the Bank Guarantee has to be submitted to the aforesaid Department, while a copy of it, sealed by the Civil Registry and Migration Department, should be included in the visa application supporting documents.
  • Proof of the applicant’s employment, i.e. most recent income tax return, certificate of employment (including the employer’s full name, complete address and telephone number with area code details) regarding the applicant’s position or professional designation, income, duration of the working relationship; letter of approved leave of absence signed by the employer or proof of registration and commercial activity of the applicant’s company (for self-employed applicants) in the country of residence, e.g. income tax returns, bank certificates, documents of the company accounts or other
  • Proof of sufficient financial means both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to the applicant’s country of citizenship or habitual residence, or for the transit to a third country for which he/she possesses a valid visa or residence permit. (3-month bank account statement, saving books).
  • Minor applicants must submit a letter, completed and signed by both parents or legal guardians, authorizing the minor to apply for a visa to enter the Republic of Cyprus and provide documents that prove the relationship between the minor and the person(s) authorizing (acceptable documents: copy of ID or passport of each parent, accompanied by a copy of minor’s birth certificate stating the parents’ names; death certificate, when applicable, and, in the case of sole custody, a copy of a judicial document attesting that).
  • Personal evidence: extract from family record or family book, previous passports or the passport statement from the Immigration Office.

Special cases

In the absence of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the applicant’s country of citizenship and/or of habitual residence, or in the absence of a Cyprus Diplomatic Mission in the applicant’s country of citizenship and/or of habitual residence, the latter can submit the Visa Application, to the most accessible Diplomatic Mission or Consulate of the Republic of Cyprus. In such cases visa applications can be submitted via post of DHL provided that the relevant details have been agreed a priori with the Cyprus Diplomatic Mission.