Northern Cyprus residence permit: how to get it yourself?

Are you having on your mind the idea of staying in Northern Cyprus longer than your tourist visa allows? Or are you ready to move for permanent residence? In this case, you are faced with the question of how to extend your legal stay in the country.

Good news: obtaining a residence permit in Northern Cyprus is easier than in Europe or Turkey, and anyone can do it.

We have prepared instructions for you on how to obtain a residence permit in Northern Cyprus by yourself.

What does a residence permit in Northern Cyprus give?

Residence permit holders can permanently reside in the territory of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, visit public hospitals for free, have accounts in local banks and send their children to municipal schools.

Please note that the residence permit does not give the right to work in local companies. If you are employed, the employer is obliged to provide you with a working visa, and the residence permit will have to be revoked.

How can you obtain a residence permit?

There are several types of residence permits in Northern Cyprus, but today we will talk about the two most common: for rent (the correct name is “for high income”) and for the purchase of real estate.

Residence permit when purchasing real estate

Property owners in Northern Cyprus can obtain a residence permit regardless of the cost of housing. Unlike other countries, there is no minimum threshold.

The only requirement is that the property must be ready and suitable for living. So, it will not be possible to obtain a residence permit for real estate under construction (while your housing is being built, you can apply for a residence permit based on a high income). Also, the housing area must be adequate to the number of residents. You should not expect that the studio owner will obtain a residence permit for five family members.

List of documents for residence permit for property owners

Original/copy of the real estate purchase agreement;
Certificate from the mukhtar about your residence registration;
For spouses – a marriage certificate translated into Turkish and certified by the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
For children under 18 years of age – a birth certificate with a translation into Turkish;
2 photographs 35×45 mm;
A copy of the front page of the international passport and the page with the stamp placed upon entry into Northern Cyprus.
Statement from a local bank. The minimum amount in the account is calculated using the formula: 1 MIN wage x 12 (per person)

The current salary level can be found in this article. And here you can read about opening a bank account for foreigners.

To begin the procedure for obtaining a residence permit, you need to prepare documents from the list above and pay taxes and fees (all percentages are calculated on the value of the property):

stamp duty 0.5%
property transfer tax 6%
VAT 5%
transformer fee £750-3000

The full process of registering real estate in Northern Cyprus is described in this article.

How can a property owner obtain a residence permit in Northern Cyprus?

After preparing the necessary documents and paying the fees, you can proceed directly to the procedure for applying for a residence permit in Northern Cyprus.

Go to the website https://permissions.gov.ct.tr/staypermit/login, create an account and upload the prepared documents.
The system will automatically assign you a date for an appointment with the police, to which you will need to come with the documents specified in the list.
After the police accept your documents and transfer them to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the address of the medical center will appear in your online account, where you will need to take a blood test (HIV infection and tuberculosis). Please note that you will need to pay for tests and government insurance in advance; payment is accepted only by local bank card. Approximate cost: $50. The medical center will send the test results to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
After verification, you will be provided with a residence permit. You can print this document or save a copy on your phone.

How to get a Northern Cyprus residence permit for rent?

If buying real estate is not part of your plans, but you want to stay in the country for a long time, you can get a residence permit for a high income.

The list of documents and the process of applying for a residence permit are almost the same as when obtaining a residence permit for property owners, with the exception of two differences:

Instead of a real estate purchase agreement, you need to provide a real estate rental agreement registered with the tax service and pay approximately 5-8% of the annual rental cost.
The amount in a bank account required to obtain a residence permit based on high income is 3 times higher:

1 MIN wage x 12 x 3.

Here you can see the current salary in Northern Cyprus and the amount required to obtain a residence permit.

How long does it take to obtain a residence permit in Northern Cyprus?

According to the law, the period for reviewing documents and issuing a residence permit is 60 days from the moment the documents are accepted at the police station. However, with the influx of foreigners, the process of obtaining a residence permit in Northern Cyprus began to take longer. There is no need to worry about whether your stay in Northern Cyprus is legal if you still have not received your residence permit document – if your documents are accepted, you are legally staying in the country.

Also, many are concerned about the question of whether it is possible to leave Northern Cyprus if a residence permit has not yet been obtained. You can travel abroad, but for no more than 60 days. It is better to have a printout or screenshot from your personal account with you indicating that your documents are being reviewed. The consideration of the residence permit will be suspended on the day of departure, so upon return you will need to upload a copy of the page from your passport with a new entry stamp to resume the process.