Greek language proficiency

Ministry outlines new citizenship criteria

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Ministry outlines new citizenship criteria

The Ministry of Interior has announced the acceptance and examination of naturalization applications under the Population Registry (Amendment) Law of 2023. The qualifications for naturalization include legal and continuous residence for 12 months before applying, legal residence for at least 7 years in the previous 10 years, good character, knowledge of the Greek language at level B1, understanding of the Republic’s modern political and social reality, suitable accommodation, stable financial resources, and an intention to reside in the Republic. Different qualifications apply to individuals residing for high-skilled employment and their families, under Ministerial Council Decision 92.018 dated 15/10/2021, including companies with foreign interests, Cypriot shipping, high-tech/innovation, pharmaceutical, biogenetics, and biotechnology companies, and those registered in the Foreign Companies Registry. These qualifications include legal residence for 12 months before applying, legal residence for 4 or 3 years depending on Greek language proficiency (A2 or B1), and similar requirements as the general qualifications regarding character, language, knowledge of the Republic, accommodation, financial resources, and residency intention.

Knowledge of Greek set to impact work permits

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Knowledge of Greek set to impact work permits

Knowledge of Greek will be a key factor in the renewal of work permits and for new foreign applicants, according to Minister of Labour Yiannis Panayiotou. Despite a clampdown on illegal work, there is still a shortage in the domestic workforce to meet the island’s labor needs. Priority for employment will be given to the unemployed and students from third countries already residing in Cyprus. Proficiency in Greek will be required, especially for long-term employees in the service sectors. A satisfactory level of Greek will expedite the examination of work applications. A campaign to attract EU workers is also in progress, involving bilateral agreements with accession states and third countries for the utilization of medium and low-skilled workers. Inspections will increase to 10,000 in 2024, up from 6,000 in 2023.