Before you move
Relocating to Cyprus is usually a 6 to 12 month project from decision to settled, and much of it happens before you land. Six months or more out: visit at least twice, once in low season (November to February) and once in July or August, and shortlist a region (the best places to live guide compares them). Confirm your residency route with the residency guide and talk to a Cyprus tax adviser, because your exit from your current country's tax system needs planning, not improvising. If you have school-age children, start early: admissions for the top international schools open 9 to 12 months ahead and senior-year waitlists are real. Start collecting documents: apostilled birth and marriage certificates, a criminal records check from your home country and 12 months of bank statements. Three to six months out: apply for your residency permit. If you are buying, engage a Cypriot lawyer (fees are not regulated, so get two or three written quotes) and apply for any Cypriot mortgage early, since approval can take weeks; ask your bank for its timeline. One to three months out: book shipping if you are moving belongings. Get written quotes from two or three international movers, as costs and transit times depend on origin port, volume and season. Customs duty applies to shipments arriving more than 12 months after your residency permit start date, so check the timing with your lawyer. Notify your home tax authority of your move date, arrange temporary accommodation if your home is not ready, and keep a cash float for set-up costs such as a car, furniture and deposits. The full pre-move plan, step by step, is on the Moving to Cyprus hub.
Week 1: SIM card, temporary address, and booking your registration appointment
The moment you land, buy a Cypriot SIM from the airport arrivals hall: Epic and Cyta both have desks there; compare their current prepaid data plans. You need a local number for almost every next step. Your temporary address (a hotel, serviced apartment, or a friend's address) matters too: it's the address on your first official documents, and several later steps require a document sent there. Plan your Migration Department registration early. EU citizens staying more than three months apply for the MEU1 Registration Certificate (the Yellow Slip) within four months of entry (fee €20); the Migration Department page says whether your office needs an appointment, so check it at gov.cy/mip-md. Non-EU citizens start from their actual permit route, covered in the residency guide.
Week 1–2: Opening your bank account
A Cypriot bank account is the hardest practical step in the first month, and the one that blocks the most other things: landlords require a local IBAN, utility direct debits require one, and some tax filings do too. Bank of Cyprus and Hellenic Bank are the main retail options; both require proof of address, proof of income or source of funds, and a valid immigration document (Yellow Slip, ARC, or a letter confirming your application is in progress). Bring every financial document you own to your first appointment. As a rough editorial estimate, allow 2–4 weeks from first contact to a functioning account; banks do not publish a fixed timeline. In the meantime: Revolut and Wise work as a bridge for day-to-day spending and EUR transfers, but they cannot substitute for a CY-prefix IBAN for deposits and bills. Non-EU applicants with complex fund sources should also look at AstroBank, which has historically been more accommodating for non-standard profiles. See our full Banking Guide for a decision tree by profile.
Week 2–3: Migration Department appointment (Yellow Slip or ARC)
EU citizens: bring your passport or ID card and proof of accommodation. Workers and the self-employed show proof of work; everyone else shows sufficient resources (no fixed amount is published) and comprehensive sickness insurance cover in Cyprus. If approved, the Registration Certificate (sometimes still called the Yellow Slip) is posted to you, with a decision within one month at the latest. It has no expiry date. Registering late can bring a financial penalty of up to €2,500. Non-EU citizens: the ARC (Alien Registration Certificate) process is longer and requires your approved immigration permit document (for example an approved Digital Nomad Visa or a permanent residence permit letter; a tourist stamp is not a basis for an ARC), passport photos, and proof of address. Processing time depends on your permit type, so confirm it with the Migration Department. Either way, registration is the most important step in month one, but do not plan the bank and GeSY steps around holding the certificate in week 3, since an EU certificate is posted after approval and can take up to a month.
Week 3–4: GeSY, utilities, and broadband
Register with GeSY (General Healthcare System) at hio.org.cy, you need your ARC or Yellow Slip number, or the registration details the HIO portal asks for, so check hio.org.cy for the current requirements. Registration gives you access to free or subsidised primary care, GP referrals, and most hospital procedures with small co-payments. It's worth registering even if you also carry private health insurance, since it costs nothing and provides emergency coverage. Electricity (EAC) and water are set up through your landlord's transfer, your letting agent handles the paperwork, but you provide your passport and ARC/Yellow Slip. Plan ahead: ask EAC for the current connection timeline. Broadband: Cablenet, Primetel, Epic and Cyta all offer fibre packages; compare current prices and order on your first day in the apartment, as installation is not instant. For the gap period, your mobile data SIM (from week one) and most landlords' existing WiFi get you through. If you have no car yet, a monthly car rental covers the errands these first weeks involve (appointments, viewings, the supermarket run).
Month 1: car, direct debits and local services
Once the registration paperwork is moving, the rest of month one is about the household. If you need a car, used cars are easy to find from dealers in any major city; new cars carry significant registration tax. Get several car insurance quotes, as premiums depend on driver age and history. Set up direct debits for electricity (EAC), water and, if you bought in a development, the management committee's common charges. Register with your local municipality for refuse collection and municipal tax. Once you are registered with GeSY, choose your Personal Doctor, then find a private dentist and any specialists you will need long-term, and book a first appointment early to establish continuity of care. If you are claiming non-dom status, open a tax residency file with your accountant now: they will need your travel records, confirmation from your previous country's tax authority and proof of residence. For children, drop off any final paperwork and book the first school day; most international schools run a buddy system for new arrivals. Finally, join the local expat Facebook groups, which are the quickest source of recommendations for dentists, mechanics, plumbers and Greek tutors.
Month 1–2: Driving licence, Tax Identification Number, and getting settled
EU licence holders: your EU driving licence is valid in Cyprus indefinitely: no exchange needed, though you may want to record it with the Traffic Department eventually. Non-EU licence holders usually have to exchange their licence after becoming resident; confirm the deadline and process with the Road Transport Department. Your Tax Identification Number (TIC) is registered online through the Taxpayer Portal TAX FOR ALL (see businessincyprus.gov.cy for the steps). You'll need it for employment, self-employment, and for filing as a non-dom resident. Separately: if you're bringing a car from abroad, the import process involves the Customs Department and the Road Transport Department and can take several weeks, so budget this into your timeline if you're shipping a vehicle rather than buying locally.
First 90 days: tax residency, Greek lessons and settling in
By the end of month three, the remaining tasks are about tax and integration. Your non-dom declaration is made on your first Cyprus tax return, so agree the timing with your accountant (see the /guides/taxes-for-expats/ guide). If you rely on the 60-day rule, build the evidence now: a Cyprus rental contract or your purchased home, day-to-day spending on Cypriot bank cards and, where relevant, a Cyprus company. If you bought a new build and claim the reduced 5% VAT rate, your lawyer files the application with the Tax Department; ask your lawyer how long the refund of the VAT difference is likely to take. Start Greek lessons: a beginner course at a private language school opens both social and bureaucratic doors. Register children for after-school activities such as sports clubs, music and art. If you plan to work locally, this is the time to start the job search or company formation; on a Digital Nomad Visa, re-confirm that your remote employer's set-up works with Cyprus tax. Use weekends to visit the regions you did not shortlist: nowhere on the island is more than a day trip away. Over the first year, most relocators make their local friends through their children's schools, a gym or padel club, or their building's owner community rather than through dedicated expat meetups. Many spend less than they budgeted on entertainment and more on travel, since most European capitals are a 2 to 4 hour flight away. Whether you settle for the long term usually becomes clear between months 8 and 14.