Cyprus

You need a Cyprus student visa if you:

• Want to study in Cyprus for a period longer than 90 days; and
• Are not a citizen of a European Union member state or of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland (EFTA).

This also includes nationals who are exempt from holding a Cyprus tourist visa, as visa exemptions for non-EU/EFTA citizens only apply for short-term stays (up to 90 days).

As Cyprus is part of the EU, other EU and EFTA nationals do not need a visa to visit, study, or work in Cyprus.

What are the Requirements for a Cyprus Study Visa?

When you apply for a Cyprus student visa, you must have several supporting documents, such as:

• A Cyprus entry visa application form, completed and signed.
• Your passport, which must be valid for at least one more year, starting from the date of arrival into Cyprus. It should also have at least one blank page for the visa to be affixed on.
• Four recent passport-sized pictures, taken in front of a white background
• Letter of acceptance from the Cyprus educational institution.
• Originals of prior academic qualifications along with certified copies of them translated into English.
• Proof you have sufficient financial means to sustain yourself in Cyprus, such as bank statements, a scholarship, or a letter of sponsorship.
• Certificate of police clearance issued in the past six months from police authorities in your country
• If you have a sponsor: A bank guarantee, issued by your sponsor’s bank, stating the sponsor will cover your costs of living and studying in Cyprus. The bank guarantee must be issued in the last six months.
• Travel health insurance.
• Any additional documents that your educational institution requires that you submit.

Additionally, after you enter Cyprus, you are also required to:

• Get health insurance in Cyprus, to cover the duration of your stay
• Undergo a medical examination for hepatitis B and C, HIV and Syphilis and get a chest X-Ray to prove you do not have tuberculosis.

Keep in mind: This is not an exhaustive list of requirements. Your educational institution is in charge of informing you specifically what documents you have to submit and guide you through the application process.

How Can I Get a Cyprus Study Visa?

Before you can apply for a Cyprus student visa, you must be accepted into a Cyprus educational institution. Your school then makes arrangements for you to apply for a visa. There are two ways through which you can get a Cyprus student visa:

1. Yourself, through the Cyprus diplomatic mission in your country (an embassy or consulate)
2. You send the documents to your university and they apply on your behalf at the Migration Department in Cyprus

Applying through a Cyprus diplomatic mission

If there is a Cypriot consulate or embassy in your country, you must apply for your Cyprus student there. The application process is as follows:

• You send the following documents to your school:
  • A completed application form
  • Four passport-size pictures
  • Certified copies of your academic qualifications
  • Proof of your English proficiency (if required)
  • Photocopy of your passport
• Your educational institution arranges an appointment and interview for you at the Cyprus diplomatic mission in your country
• You attend the interview and submit the required documents
• If your visa is approved, you pick up your documents and the visa and are allowed to travel to Cyprus

Applying through the Migration Department in Cyprus

If there is no Cyprus diplomatic mission in your country, the application process for a Cyprus student visa is as follows:

• Send the required documents to your school
• They will submit an application on your behalf at the Migration Department in Cyprus
• If your application is approved, your school will send you a copy of the visa and you may travel to Cyprus

After arriving in Cyprus – Student Residence Permit

After you arrive in Cyprus on a student visa, you must apply for your Temporary Cyprus Residence Permit at the Cyprus Migration Department. It is the residence permit which allows you to legally live and study in Cyprus for over 90 days.

Every year, many International students take admission to the Institutes of Cyprus as it offers higher education in a safe, multicultural environment at a very reasonable cost. Remember, the eligibility criteria of all Colleges and Universities of Cyprus is not the same. Some Institutes may have slightly different criteria. Students can apply for undergraduate courses in Cyprus twice a year.

If a student is applying for admission to any Cyprus Institute, the following requirements must be fulfilled: