Visas, Permits & Residency

In North Cyprus

Anyone arriving in the TRNC Northern Cyprus must hold a valid passport. Visitors from Turkey may enter with a valid identity card. Visas are not required for the majority of foreign visitors except for Greek and Armenian citizens.

Residence Permit in North Cyprus

When you arrive in North Cyprus, you will be issued at present with a 3 month tourist visa.  After that you must apply for a residence permit. The procedure is fairly straight forward but initially does require medical checks for HIV, Typhus etc.  Once approved, your permit will be issued for 1 year. You will be required to renew it annually but at present you will not be required to have any more medical checks.

Rules do change from time to time and should you hear of any changes please place details on the forum and help us keep our visitors to the site up-to-date we of course will do the same.

Temporary Residence Permit

The first step for residency in North Cyprus is to apply for your temporary residence permit as soon as you know you’re going to be in the country for more than three months. Should you overstay the 3 month period and do not have a temporary residence permit you will incur a fine for every single day you overstay the 3 month period. This fine soon adds up so if you are going to be staying for more than 3 months apply for your temporary residence permit immediately.

Permanent Residency Permit

Although you may have decided to come and live in Northern Cyprus permanently you cannot apply for permanent residency straight away. You will need to apply and re-apply for a temporary residence permit annually for up-to 4 - 5 years before you can apply for your permit to be made permanent.

Again should we hear any news of changes or updates we will place this on our forum pages and we would appreciate if you would take the time to do the same.

Applying for Residency

When you decide to apply for residency in Northern Cyprus you will need to get about 6 or 8 passport photographs and a dozen official stamps (obtainable from the Post Office or at the shop just in front of the immigration offices) then you will need to visit your local Muhtar (Mayor) – the Muhtar will need to see proof of your residence in the form of a rental or purchase contract plus bank statements showing that you have sufficient money available to sustain you. The Muhtar will issue you a Resident’s Certificate after filling in a form with information about you, your parents, and your place of residence in North Cyprus etc. You will also need to go to one of a number of licensed clinics in Girne (Kyrenia), Gazimagusa or Lefkosa (Nicosia) for a blood test. Names of Northern Cyprus clinics that are accepted by the immigration authorities are available from the immigration offices in Kyrenia and Nicosia. It is also necessary to have a chest x-ray and check-up done in a licensed clinic in North Cyprus.

At the clinic where the tests are done you will be provided with a receipt. Make photocopies of all documents and with copies and originals of the receipt, Resident’s Certificate, proof of address and income, bank account, passport, more stamps, pictures visit Immigration and apply for residency. Please go early as most offices involved in the process are only open in the morning between 8.30am and 12noon. Once you have made this visit a number will be written into your passport by the immigration officials and photocopies of all documents will be taken.

After approx 2 weeks your medical tests will have been completed and you can pick up the results which will be in a sealed envelope. Important: Do not open the envelope or break the seal. You should then hand deliver the results to Immigration in Lefkoºa once done you can sit back and wait for all police checks to be completed and medical results analyzed and a visa granted.

There are various individuals and companies based in North Cyprus who will assist you for a fee. Louis (based at Pegasus Restaurant) in Karaoglanoglu has helped many ex-pats with work permits, driving licenses, business permits and also importing personal effects to the TRNC.

Applying for Permanent Residence Permit: You will have to of obtained and completed a minimum of five consecutive temporary residence permits before submitting an application.

Property ownership is required and you must have proof of a pension.

Tel Number of Immigration Office: +90392 2283559

Permission to work for Foreigners

In the TRNC, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) all nationals of other countries not being of the TRNC, will require a work permit if they wish to work in Northern Cyprus.

At present the policy regarding foreign nationals that wish to take up employment in Northern Cyprus is that an employment permit can be granted but only on a temporary basis and for a specified position.  This is under the provision that no suitably qualified TRNC citizen is available to fill the post. It is important that you note that by law this action must take place while the foreign national is outside North Cyprus.