Nicosia, 3 October 2025
The Council of Ministers has approved a series of legislative amendments to the Civil Registry Law, specifically, no Cypriot Citizenship granted to investors. The primary aim is to remove the legal basis for the reintroduction of a citizenship-by-investment program and introduce new rules governing the deprivation of Cypriot citizenship.
Previous Framework
Under Article 111A of the Civil Registry Law, the Council of Ministers had the discretion to grant Cypriot citizenship to entrepreneurs and investors, as well as to their family members. This provision formed the legal basis for the Cyprus Investment Programme, which was terminated in 2020.
At the same time, the procedure for deprivation of citizenship did not set a specific timeframe within which affected persons could appeal, nor was there an explicit obligation to publish the relevant decisions in an official medium.
The Amendments
In its recent session, the Council of Ministers decided no Cypriot Citizenship granted to investors as follows:
Deletion of subsection (2) of Article 111A
The provision granting the Council of Ministers the authority to confer Cypriot citizenship on investors and their family members has been abolished. With this deletion, any possibility of reinstating the investment-based naturalisation scheme is eliminated.
Establishment of a 60-day deadline for appeals
A specific time limit of sixty (60) days is introduced, within which an individual affected by a decision of deprivation of citizenship has the right to submit an appeal to the Independent Committee for the Examination of Citizenship Deprivation.
Obligation to publish decisions
The Minister of Interior is now required to publish a Notice in the Official Gazette of the Republic, informing of every decision regarding the deprivation of Cypriot citizenship.
Conclusion
These new amendments to the process of deprivation of Cypriot citizenship definitively abolish the legal foundation for granting citizenship through investment, while also introducing clear and binding procedural rules for deprivation of citizenship, thereby enhancing the transparency and clarity of the process.