Corner Office Anywhere

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am in the midst of looking for tax-advantaged locations to spend a longer, months-long stay next year. Previously I examined the Greek digital nomad visa. This week, I’m considering the beautiful island nation of Cyprus. I was lucky to spend some time in Larnaca this past summer, in the scorching summer months, and still really enjoyed my stay.

First, a grossly abbreviated history lesson: over the last couple of millennia, Cyprus has been largely occupied by a parade of empirical forces and migrating cultures. A long 19th-century occupation by the British means that English is widely spoken, and Cyprus still receives a disproportionate number of British visitors. With its position between modern Greece and Turkey in the Mediterranean, Greek and Turkish Cypriots make up the most prominent ethnicities on the island today. Political disagreement and sometimes violence between these two communities throughout the twentieth century led to the current situation, in which the north of Cyprus is occupied by Turkey and is now separated by a UN-protected border from the rest of the Greek-aligned Republic of Cyprus. Despite the ongoing political dispute and separation, it has been a long time since there has been peaceful relations between the two communities, and many outsiders including Americans can enjoy free passage between these communities and get to know both sides of this interesting and beautiful country.

This post is about the visa available via the Republic of Cyprus, which applies to living in the Southern part of the country. Here are the details:

Cyprus Nomad Visa Eligibility and Requirements

Validity

1 year; renewable for 2 years

Where to Apply & How Long It Takes

Submit in person after entering Cyprus at the migration agency office in the capital, Nicosia, or via a local representative; processing time is 5 to 7 weeks. Americans have 3 months visa-free travel in Cyprus, so this should be plenty of time to get the visa after arrival.

Basic Eligibility

• Work remotely for or own a foreign company or freelance to clients in a foreign country
• Gross income of €3,500 Euros monthly

Application Fee

€70

Other Costs and Requirements

• Police certificate from home country
• Medical certificate
• Health insurance for coverage  in Cyprus and Europe that is prepaid for the visa period
• Property purchase or lease contract covering the entire visa period

Taxation

None for the foreign income if residing in Cyprus for less than 183 days in a 12 month period

Schengen Travel

Cyprus is in the EU but not in the Schengen zone, so the Schengen travel days allowed for Americans are not affected by a stay in Cyprus

My Initial Thoughts

Cyprus is a deeply interesting place, culturally, has gorgeous weather year-round, and is a great place to explore water-based hobbies that I am interested in, like scuba diving and sailing. It is pretty far to the east time-zone-wise, but enjoys a late-night culture that jives well with my US-based hours. Infrastructure was good even in the small town of Larnaca where I stayed, and I would definitely enjoy a longer-term stay. Its not the best-connected location, though. Larnaca has the only international airport in the south, and Cyprus’ geographic location makes it not very convenient for short international trips beyond Greece and the middle east. Still, this is an area of the world I’d like to explore more.

Where to Find More Information

This looks like one digital nomad visa where hiring a local attorney would be especially helpful, as you’ll be dealing directly with the Greek-speaking local government. The official information from the Cyprus Ministry of Migration can be found here.

Next, I’ll consider the digital nomad visa available in Malta. If you’d like to keep learning more about the tax-advantaged, longer-term digital nomad stays I’m considering, make sure to sign up for my newsletter below!