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Business visitors

Visa requirements

In what circumstances is a visa required for business visitors?

If business visitors come from a non-EU country or a country without visa-free entry to Cyprus, they must apply for a business visa through an overseas embassy. Applicants must provide the embassy with evidence that they have been invited to Cyprus by a company or are participating in a business event, conference or seminar.

Restrictions

What restrictions are imposed on business visitors in terms of the work that they may undertake and their period of stay in your jurisdiction?

Business visitors (ie, holders of a business visa) can undertake any kind of work for the duration of their visa. For a stay of less than 90 days, the visa holder has the right to extend his or her stay in Cyprus up to a maximum of 90 days. If such a person wishes to stay more than 90 days, he or she must apply for a work or temporary residence permit depending on the reason for the  visit and extension. Further, the holder of a business visa can apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to cancel the final stamp on their visa and therefore extend it for up to 90 days.

Application and entry

How are business visitor visas obtained and what is the typical turnaround time?

Business visas can be obtained via Cypriot embassies when the applicant has been invited by a Cyprus corporate organisation. The timeframe for obtaining such a visa depends on the embassy’s workload, but is approximately 10 days.

Are any visa waiver or fast-track entry programmes available?

Cyprus offers visa-free entry to nationals from EU member states plus another 150 countries outside the European Union. Visa waiver travellers can stay in Cyprus for up to 90 days.

Short-term training

What rules and procedures apply for visitors seeking to undertake short-term training in your jurisdiction?

N/A.

Transit

In what circumstances is a transit visa required to pass through your jurisdiction? How is it obtained?

Cyprus offers no transit facilities.

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