According to Article 18KΘ of the Aliens and Immigration Law (KEF.105)
“application” means an application for family reunification;
‘unaccompanied minor’ means a third-country national or stateless person, under the age of eighteen, who arrives in the areas controlled by the Government of the Republic unaccompanied by the adult responsible by law or custom and for as long as such a person has not actually taken custody of him or her, or a minor found unaccompanied after entering the areas controlled by the Government of the Republic.
‘family reunification’ means the entry and residence in the government-controlled areas of family members of a third-country national legally residing in the government-controlled areas in order to preserve family unity, regardless of whether family ties were established before or after the entry of the resident;
‘sponsor’ means a third-country national legally residing in the areas under the control of the Government of the Republic who applies for family reunification in order to be reunited with his/her family members.
The issue of family reunification is governed by Articles 18KΘ-18LI of the Law. The Law, as amended, is fully harmonised with the European Directive 2003/86/EC, which regulates the issue of family reunification.
A prerequisite is that the applicant/sponsor must be a holder of a valid residence permit in the Republic for a period of at least one year and who has reasonable prospects of acquiring the right of permanent residence in the Republic.
It should be noted at this point that according to Article KI of the Law, a sponsor for the purposes of family reunification cannot be a person who has submitted an application to be recognised as a refugee, which is still being examined, or a person who has been granted a residence permit under temporary protection or is seeking permission to stay on temporary protection grounds and is awaiting a decision on his/her status, or a person who has been granted a residence permit on humanitarian grounds or has applied for it on such a basis.
In addition, under section 18LB of the same Act, in order to exercise the right to family reunification, the sponsor must have legally remained in the areas controlled by the Government of the Republic for a period of at least two years, except where the applicant is employed by a company of foreign interests, in which case the Director of the Population and Immigration Registry Department of the Ministry of Interior has the discretion not to require a previous stay of at least two years. It is also a prerequisite that the applicant must have accommodation that is considered satisfactory for a similar family in Cyprus, that meets the general standards of safety and hygiene and generally ensures decent living conditions.
Furthermore, according to Article 18I of the Law, the applicant/respondent must have health insurance for himself/herself and his/her family members, as well as stable and regular resources, sufficient for himself/herself and his/her family members, so that he/she and/or his/her family members do not become a burden on the social welfare system of the Republic.
It is also noted that not all the family members of the sponsor are entitled to stay in Cyprus for family reunification purposes, but his/her dependants, i.e. the spouse of the sponsor (who must be at least 21 years old), provided that the marriage took place at least one year before the submission of the application for family reunification, the minor children (i.e. unmarried children under the age of 18 who do not live independently of the sponsor) of the sponsor and his/her spouse (including children adopted in accordance with a decision taken by a competent authority in the Republic or a decision recognising adoption from another country or a decision automatically enforceable under the international obligations of the Republic.
According to Article 18LA of the Law, the application for family reunification is submitted by the breadwinner and is examined when the family members reside outside the Republic
However, it should be noted that when the sponsor holds a residence permit because he/she works in a company authorised to employ a foreigner, the Director of the Population and Immigration Registry Department of the Ministry of Interior may accept an application for family reunification even when the family members reside in the Republic (usually these members reside as visitors during the period until the application for family reunification is filed.
The same discretion is also granted to the Director of the Population and Immigration Registry Department in relation to a foreign national of a third country who has been granted long-term resident status by a first Member State other than the Republic or who has been granted a long-term resident EC residence permit.
Once the application for family reunification has been approved, it is noted that the family members of the sponsor are entitled to access on the same terms and conditions as the sponsor to education, paid employment or self-employment and vocational guidance.
The services we provide:
- Providing advice on applications regarding the necessary documents and the necessary requirements that must be met
- Preparation of the necessary applications in each case
- Communication with the relevant authorities before, during and after the application
- Assisting in the collection of all necessary and accompanying documents
- Submission of the application to the competent department
- Monitoring the status of the application, and updating the process step by step.
