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Cypriot nationality law details the conditions by which a person is a
national National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
of
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
. The primary law governing nationality regulations is the Republic of Cyprus Citizenship Law, 1967, which came into force on 28 July 1967. Regulations apply to the entire
island of Cyprus Cyprus is an island in the Eastern Basin of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, after the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia, and the 80th largest island in the world by area. It is located south of th ...
, which includes the Republic of Cyprus itself and the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus ( tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs), officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC; tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti, ''KKTC''), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. Recog ...
(TRNC), a breakaway state in the island's north. Cyprus is a member state of the European Union (EU) and all Cypriot nationals are
EU citizens European Union citizenship is afforded to all citizens of member states of the European Union (EU). It was formally created with the adoption of the 1992 Maastricht Treaty, at the same time as the creation of the EU. EU citizenship is additio ...
. They have automatic and permanent permission to live and work in any EU or
European Free Trade Association The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of four List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe, European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerlan ...
(EFTA) country and may vote in
elections to the European Parliament Elections to the European Parliament take place every five years by universal adult suffrage; with more than 400 million people eligible to vote, they are considered the second largest democratic elections in the world after India's. Until ...
. Individuals born to at least one Cypriot parent automatically acquire citizenship at birth only if neither parent is considered an illegal migrant. Birth in Cyprus by itself does not make a child eligible for citizenship. Foreign nationals may become Cypriot citizens by naturalisation after completing a residence requirement (normally seven years). Cyprus was previously a colony of the British Empire and local residents were
British subject The term "British subject" has several different meanings depending on the time period. Before 1949, it referred to almost all subjects of the British Empire (including the United Kingdom, Dominions, and colonies, but excluding protectorates ...
s. Although Cyprus gained independence in 1960 and Cypriot citizens no longer hold British nationality, they continue to have favoured status when residing in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
; as Commonwealth citizens, they are eligible to vote in UK elections and serve in public office there.


History


Colonial-era policies

The island of Cyprus was conquered by the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
in 1570. Accordingly, Ottoman nationality law applied to the island. Cyprus was governed by the Ottomans for three centuries until it was leased to the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
in 1878. While the island remained under nominal Ottoman sovereignty, no authority on Cyprus existed to enforce Ottoman laws. Cypriot residents ostensibly remained Ottoman subjects but traveled using documents that labeled them as "natives of Cyprus" instead of Ottoman passports. Britain fully annexed the island at the start of the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
in 1914 after Ottoman entry into the war in support of the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
and British nationality law became applicable to the island, as was the case elsewhere in the British Empire. Cypriots and all other imperial citizens were
British subject The term "British subject" has several different meanings depending on the time period. Before 1949, it referred to almost all subjects of the British Empire (including the United Kingdom, Dominions, and colonies, but excluding protectorates ...
s; any person born in Cyprus, the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, or anywhere else within Crown dominions was a natural-born British subject.
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
formally relinquished all claims to Cyprus in the 1923
Treaty of Lausanne The Treaty of Lausanne (french: Traité de Lausanne) was a peace treaty negotiated during the Lausanne Conference of 1922–23 and signed in the Palais de Rumine, Lausanne, Switzerland, on 24 July 1923. The treaty officially settled the conflic ...
and the island became a
Crown colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by The Crown within the British Empire. There was usually a Governor, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the UK Government, with or without the assistance of a local Counci ...
in 1925. Ottoman/Turkish subjects who were ordinarily resident in Cyprus on 5 November 1914 automatically became British subjects on that date. However, any such person had the right to choose Turkish nationality within two years of the treaty's enforcement, provided that they permanently departed Cyprus for Turkey within 12 months of that choice. While about 9,000 Turkish Cypriots elected to become Turkish nationals, most either did not leave or subsequently returned to Cyprus due to poor economic conditions in Anatolia. Colonial officials adhered to a policy of divide and rule, pitting the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities against each other to weaken opposition to their own authority. Beginning in 1926, further Turkish migration to Anatolia was restricted by the colonial government seeking to curb high levels of Muslim population outflow. To help retain a sizable Turkish community, the colonial government enacted a law in 1930 that allowed Cypriots who opted for Turkish nationality under Lausanne but had not left the island to regain British nationality. They further claimed that the Cypriots who had chosen Turkish nationality and had already departed for Turkey still remained British subjects (unless they otherwise naturalised) because the terms of the Treaty of Lausanne had not been implemented in domestic law. Imperial nationality law was comprehensively reformed in 1948. The British Nationality Act 1948 redefined British subject to mean any citizen of the United Kingdom, its colonies, or other Commonwealth countries. Commonwealth citizen was first defined in this Act to have the same meaning. While previously all subjects of the Empire held a common status through allegiance to the Crown, each Commonwealth country under the reformed system became responsible for legislating their own nationality laws and would maintain a common status by voluntarily agreement among all the member states. British subjects under the previous meaning who held that status on 1 January 1949 because of a connection with the United Kingdom or a remaining colony (including Cyprus) became Citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC).


Independence and a tenuous republic

Greek Cypriots wanted ''
enosis ''Enosis'' ( el, Ένωσις, , "union") is the movement of various Greek communities that live outside Greece for incorporation of the regions that they inhabit into the Greek state. The idea is related to the Megali Idea, an irredentist conc ...
'' (union with
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
) while Turkish Cypriots vehemently opposed this and favoured '' taksim'' (partition of the island). Each of these communities holds a strong affinity to Greece or Turkey but no particular attachment to the idea of a Cyprus detached from either culture. Greek dissatisfaction with British rule led to open revolt in the 1950s during the Cyprus Emergency, which ultimately resulted in the 1959
London and Zürich Agreements The London and Zürich Agreements ( el, Συμφωνίες Ζυρίχης–Λονδίνου; tr, Zürih ve Londra Antlaşmaları) for the constitution of Cyprus started with an agreement on 19 February 1959 in Lancaster House, London, between T ...
and a multilateral accord between the UK, Greece, and Turkey on Cypriot independence in the following year. Cyprus became an independent republic on 16 August 1960, although Britain retained control of two military bases in
Akrotiri and Dhekelia Akrotiri and Dhekelia, officially the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (SBA),, ''Periochés Kyríarchon Váseon Akrotiríou ke Dekélias''; tr, Ağrotur ve Dikelya İngiliz Egemen Üs Bölgeleri is a British Overseas Territory o ...
. The Constitution of Cyprus specified that the requirements for holding Cypriot citizenship after independence would be determined by Annex D of the Treaty of Establishment. Any CUKC born in Cyprus automatically acquired Cypriot citizenship on that date if they were ordinarily resident in the country at any time within the five years immediately preceding independence, as well as any person born overseas to a father who also became a citizen., Annex D. CUKCs of Cypriot origin who had not resided in Cyprus during the five years before independence did not become Cypriot citizens and retained CUKC status. Former Ottoman subjects of Cypriot origin who had not become British subjects in 1914 were entitled to Cypriot citizenship on application, as well as widowed or divorced women who otherwise would have been married to Cypriot citizens. The Republic of Cyprus Citizenship Law later enacted by the House of Representatives in 1967 provides a full framework detailing citizenship requirements after that point.


Divided island

Tensions between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot political leadership led to a collapse of cooperative government in 1963 and triggered a period of sustained intercommunal violence that lasted until 1967. While the two communities were able to coexist in relative peace during the subsequent years, the military dictatorship of Greece successfully overthrew the Cypriot government in 1974. Consequently, Turkey invaded the northern part of Cyprus and divided the country, after which the Republic of Cyprus retained control over the southern two-thirds of the island. While Turkish Cypriots remained citizens of the Republic, their access beyond the border was restricted by the government of the occupied territories, which limited their access to Cypriot citizenship documents. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was established in 1983 in the northern part of the island and Turkish Cypriots became eligible for TRNC passports. However, because the TRNC is not recognised by any country other than Turkey, these documents have very little practical use outside these two countries and Turkish Cypriots were more inclined to obtain
Turkish passport Turkish passports ( tr, Türk pasaportu) are issued in accordance with the Passport Act (No. 5682) from 15 July 1950 to Turkish citizens to travel abroad. Citizens of the ''de facto'' state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) ...
s instead. After travel restrictions between the two regions were reduced after introduction of the Annan Plan, TRNC residents more frequently sought to obtain
Cypriot passport Cypriot passports are issued to citizens of Cyprus. Every Cypriot citizen is also a Commonwealth citizen and a citizen of the European Union. The Cypriot passport, along with the Cypriot identity card, allows for free rights of movement and reside ...
s.


Commonwealth citizenship

All British subjects/Commonwealth citizens under the reformed structure of nationality created in 1948 initially held an automatic right to settle in the United Kingdom. Non-white immigration into the UK was systemically discouraged, but strong economic conditions in Britain following the Second World War attracted an unprecedented wave of colonial migration. In response, the British Parliament imposed immigration controls on any subjects originating from outside the British Islands with the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962. This restriction was somewhat relaxed in 1971 for patrials, subjects whose parents or grandparents were born in the United Kingdom, which gave effective preferential treatment to white Commonwealth citizens. Following Cypriot independence in 1960, Commonwealth citizens of Cypriot descent have remained eligible for facilitated acquisition of citizenship; they may register as Cypriot citizens after 12 months of residence while other persons of Cypriot descent with non-Commonwealth nationality may only naturalise after living in the country for at least five years. The UK updated its nationality law to reflect the more modest boundaries of its remaining territory and possessions with the British Nationality Act 1981, which redefined British subject to no longer also mean Commonwealth citizen. Cypriot citizens remain Commonwealth citizens in British law and continue to be eligible to vote and stand for public office in the UK. Individuals who did not acquire Cypriot citizenship at independence, retained CUKC status, and lacked right of abode in the United Kingdom became reclassified as
British Overseas citizen A British Overseas citizen (BOC) is a holder of a residual class of British nationality, largely held by people connected with former British colonies who do not have close ties to the United Kingdom or its remaining overseas territories. In ...
s as part of the 1981 reform.


European integration

Cyprus joined the European Union as part of the EU's 2004 enlargement. Cypriot citizens have since been able to live and work in other EU/EFTA countries under
freedom of movement for workers The freedom of movement for workers is a policy chapter of the acquis communautaire of the European Union. The free movement of workers means that nationals of any member state of the European Union can take up an employment in another member stat ...
established by the 1957
Treaty of Rome The Treaty of Rome, or EEC Treaty (officially the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community), brought about the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC), the best known of the European Communities (EC). The treaty was sig ...
and participated in their first European Parliament elections in 2004. Before the UK's
withdrawal from the EU Withdrawal from the European Union is the legal and political process whereby an EU member state ceases to be a member of the Union. Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union ( TEU) states that "Any Member State may decide to withdraw from t ...
in 2020, Cypriot citizens held a particularly favoured status there. While non-EU Commonwealth citizens continued to need a residence visa to live in the UK, Cypriot citizens were able to settle there and immediately hold full rights to political participation due to their status as both Commonwealth and EU citizens. Cypriot citizens (along with Irish and Maltese citizens) domiciled in the UK were able to vote in the
2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, commonly referred to as the EU referendum or the Brexit referendum, took place on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK) and Gibraltar to ask the electorate whether the country shoul ...
while all other non-British EU citizens were not.


Citizenship by investment

In 2013, a citizenship by investment pathway was created to attract foreign investment into the country. Through the Cyprus Investment Programme, a foreigner could acquire Cypriot citizenship after investing €2 million in real estate, infrastructure projects, local businesses, or domestic financial assets and maintaining that sum within the Republic for at least five years. Candidates needed to have a clean criminal record, must not have been denied naturalisation in any other EU member state, and were required to purchase a residence in the country valued at least €500,000 that must be retained permanently. A further donation of €150,000 became required in 2019, half of which would go to a scientific research fund and the other half dedicated towards financing affordable housing on the island. Investors who successfully naturalised are subject to periodic checks that verify their continued ownership of real estate in Cyprus and are liable to have their citizenship revoked if discovered to have divested themselves of that property without a replacement residence. This stipulation was made in violation of Article 63 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which prohibits restrictions on the movement of capital. The
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
repeatedly condemned this citizenship pathway for its high risks in aiding money laundering, tax evasion, and corruption. Following the release of a video recording showing Cypriot legislators offering to facilitate naturalisation for a fictional convicted investor, the programme was indefinitely suspended on 1 November 2020.


Acquisition and loss of citizenship


Entitlement by descent

A person born to at least one parent who is a Cypriot citizen usually automatically receives citizenship at birth regardless of birthplace. Citizenship is only granted automatically if neither parent is considered an illegal migrant. Otherwise, it may only be acquired by a
Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
decision. In practice, this makes Cypriot citizenship difficult to obtain for children born to Turkish Cypriots married to Turkish nationals in
Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus ( tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs), officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC; tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti, ''KKTC''), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the Geography of Cyprus, isl ...
.


Registration by descent or marriage

British, Irish, and Commonwealth citizens of Cypriot descent are eligible to acquire Cypriot citizenship by registration after residing in the country for 12 months and submit a signed statement of loyalty to the state. They may also qualify to register as citizens if they are employed in Cypriot government service and either intend to live in the Republic or continue service. Non-citizens who are married to Cypriot citizens may acquire citizenship by registration after three years of marriage and cohabitation. The residence requirement may be waived provided that the couple has been married for at least two years. Widowed spouses may still register for citizenship provided that the acquisition requirements were fulfilled before the Cypriot spouse's death. Underage children of a Cypriot citizen may be registered by their parent with no further requirements. Citizenship by registration is also conditional on legal residence; any person considered to be an illegal migrant is disqualified from registering as a Cypriot citizen.


Naturalisation

Foreigners who are parents or children of Cypriot citizens may acquire citizenship by naturalisation after residing in the country for at least four of the previous seven years, with an additional 12 months of residence immediately preceding an application, a total of five years. The four-year residence requirement may be partially or completely fulfilled by time employed in government service, but this may not be done for the 12 months immediately preceding a naturalisation application. Individuals without Cypriot descent may naturalise after a total of seven years of residence. Persons who perform extraordinary acts of service to Cyprus may be exceptionally granted Cypriot citizenship without any requirements at the discretion of the Council of Ministers.


Relinquishment and deprivation

Cypriot citizenship can be relinquished by making a declaration of renunciation to the Minister of the Interior. Citizenship may be involuntarily removed from naturalised or registered persons who: fraudulently acquired the status, committed an act of disloyalty against the state, aided an enemy nation with which Cyprus is at war, have been sentenced to incarceration for longer than 12 months within five years of acquiring citizenship, or lived overseas (other than those employed in government service) for a continuous period of seven years. After one of the these conditions is met, the Council of Ministers must determine that it is not in the national interest for such a person to retain citizenship before it can be stripped.


References


Citations


Sources

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External links


Civil Registry and Migration Department
{{Portal bar, Cyprus, European Union Cyprus and the Commonwealth of Nations Cyprus and the European Union Nationality law Nationality in Cyprus Foreign relations of Cyprus