A property investment for Cyprus residency does not qualify merely because its price reaches €300,000. Under the current Cyprus investor immigration criteria, two real-estate categories may qualify: a first-sale house or apartment from a land development company, or other real estate such as offices, shops, hotels or similar developments.
The official framework also lists two non-property investment categories involving a Cyprus company or a Cyprus collective investment organisation. In every case, the investment is only one part of the application. The applicant and the supporting evidence must satisfy the current requirements independently.
Quick answer: the four official investment categories
The Cyprus Migration Department states that an applicant must invest at least €300,000 in one of four categories:
Only the first two categories are property investments. The third and fourth are separate investment routes.
Review the official Migration Department criteria for immigration permits for investors. The page was checked on 17 September 2026. Immigration criteria can change, so an independent Cyprus immigration lawyer should confirm the current requirements for the applicant and proposed investment.
Category A: a first-sale house or apartment
The residential property route applies to the purchase of a house or apartment from a land development company. The official criteria state that it must be a first sale and worth at least €300,000 plus VAT.
These conditions should be checked against the exact unit and transaction. A brochure description such as “new,” “investment property” or “residency eligible” is not enough.
Evidence to verify
The independent adviser should confirm how the official criteria apply. The developer or seller supplies property and transaction information; it should not make the final immigration determination.
Category B: other real estate
The second property category covers real estate other than houses or apartments. The official criteria give offices, shops, hotels and similar developments as examples. A combination of qualifying properties may be used where the total reaches €300,000.
Unlike the house or apartment category, the official guidance says that the investment in this category may be a resale.
Do not confuse use with classification
A property's marketing label does not necessarily determine its legal or immigration classification. A unit described informally as a studio, serviced apartment, hotel unit, office or mixed-use space should be checked against the documents that define it.
Request the available title, planning, contract and unit information. Ask the buyer's lawyer and immigration adviser to confirm whether the exact property falls within the proposed category.
Questions for non-residential property
Do not choose a commercial property solely because it may fit an immigration category. Its location, condition, operating costs, tenant demand and intended use still need separate assessment.
The other two routes are not property purchases
The official criteria also identify investment in the share capital of a Cyprus company and investment in units of a Cyprus collective investment organisation.
These routes may be relevant to some investors, but they should not be presented as types of property purchase. They involve different assets, documents, risks and professional reviews.
What does not automatically qualify?
Eligibility depends on the exact investment category, asset, transaction, applicant and supporting evidence. An immigration decision cannot be guaranteed by a seller, developer or marketing intermediary.
Confirm the category before reserving a property
Step 1: obtain independent advice
Ask an independent Cyprus immigration lawyer to review the applicant's circumstances and explain the current categories. Request a written checklist identifying the proposed route and any issue that remains conditional.
Step 2: identify the exact asset
Record the unit or asset, legal seller, property classification, first-sale or resale status, price and VAT treatment. Do not rely on a verbal description where documents are available.
Step 3: review the transaction
The buyer's property lawyer should review ownership, encumbrances, contracts, payment arrangements and the documents relevant to the proposed purchase. See our guide to the legal steps for buying property in Cyprus.
Step 4: connect payments to evidence
Confirm how each payment will be invoiced, transferred and acknowledged. Keep the reservation agreement, sale contract, invoices, receipts and bank records consistent.
Step 5: verify the complete application
The qualifying investment does not replace the applicant criteria. The immigration adviser should confirm the current requirements for income, source and transfer of funds, dependants, insurance, criminal-record documentation and any continuing obligations.
Compare the property as an asset
A property may fit an immigration category and still be a poor purchase. Assess its location, layout, plans, written specification, construction status, parking, storage, operating costs, snagging, handover, rental assumptions, resale constraints and management obligations.
Do not treat residency eligibility as proof of construction quality, rental performance or future value. Each issue requires its own evidence.
Keep professional roles clear
A referral does not establish independence. Ask who appoints each professional, who pays the fee and whose interests that person represents.
Property investment evidence checklist
Use the same checklist for every shortlisted property. Mark each item as confirmed, pending or unavailable.
Warning signs
A missing answer does not automatically make the investment unsuitable. It is a gap that should be resolved before the buyer relies on the claim.
Discussing a Berkos property
Buyers considering a Berkos property can request the plans, written specification, price and payment information, project-stage documents and confirmed inclusions available for the relevant unit across our current developments.
They should ask an independent immigration lawyer whether the property and proposed transaction fit a current investment category. The buyer's property lawyer and other advisers should separately review the legal, tax and technical issues. No property purchase should be described as guaranteeing approval.
Conclusion
Two real-estate categories appear in the current Cyprus investor immigration criteria. The first covers a first-sale house or apartment from a land development company worth at least €300,000 plus VAT. The second covers other real estate, such as offices, shops, hotels or similar developments, totalling €300,000 and potentially including resale property.
The framework also includes company-share and collective-investment routes, but these are not property purchases. Confirm the exact category and complete applicant requirements before paying, then assess the property on its own legal, technical and financial merits.
BERKOS Team
BERKOS is an integrated real estate group in Limassol, Cyprus, covering development, construction, property management and the legal and financial work around them.
