Pink slip or visa-free entry, tax number, GESY, a bank account and a power contract in a sensible order, with the deadlines and documents that sources agree on and the ones we could not confirm.
In brief
As of 6 November 2026, the order of the first 30 days in Cyprus depends on your status. A citizen of a non-EU country enters on a visa or visa-free stay, or applies for a temporary residence permit, the so-called pink slip, which is filed in person at the district Immigration Unit. One law-firm page says it needs an income of at least EUR 24,000 a year and gives no right to work; we could not find the official step list. The tax number (TIC) has 9 characters, 8 digits and a letter, and no state fee. GESY registration needs an ARC number and is not open to every permit category. Everything below comes from search summaries of law-firm and portal pages, not from official pages.
What depends on your status: pink slip or entry on a visa
Cyprus separates EU and non-EU citizens. EU and EEA citizens use the so-called yellow slip. Citizens of other countries, including Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, are third-country nationals and apply for a temporary residence permit, the pink slip, unless they are family members of an EU citizen.
The practical difference for the first 30 days is simple: - With a permit in hand or in progress you can register for GESY, open a bank account more easily and sign a long-term contract for your home. - Without one you are a visitor: the bank will ask for more documents, the health system is closed to you and you need private cover.
The application goes to the Immigration Unit of the district where you live and is then forwarded to the Civil Registry and Migration Department in Nicosia. The applicant usually has to appear in person. The name comes from the pink receipt you get when you submit. One law-firm page describes the permit as a visitor permit for people with independent means, renewable every year, with an income threshold of EUR 24,000 a year. This is a single source and the numbers may differ for your case, so confirm them before you plan your budget around them. The links to our own articles on the purchase route are at the end: buying property in Cyprus with a Russian, Belarusian, Kazakh or Ukrainian passport and permanent residence in Cyprus.
Days 1 to 3: the minimum that cannot wait
- Keep your passport, entry stamp or visa and your accommodation address together in one folder. Every office will ask for them.
- Get a local mobile number. We could not confirm the registration rules for SIM cards in Cyprus, so ask the shop what they need from you.
- Sign the lease or confirm the purchase documents. For the bank, the electricity company and the health system you will need proof that you live at the address.
- Find out which district Immigration Unit serves your address and check the documents list on the Civil Registry and Migration Department site before you go.
- Arrange private health cover for the first weeks. Many people pay privately until GESY accepts them, because registration needs an ARC number that comes later.
Week 1: address, utilities and the tax number request
Electricity is the first utility to arrange. The Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) says a new supply agreement can be started online through its portal or in person at a Customer Service Centre. A title deed or a tenancy or sale agreement is required. Tenants pay the deposit when they sign, owners are charged on the first bill. A third-party guide gives a transfer fee of EUR 15 plus VAT. Deposit amounts differ between sources, so we do not quote them; check the EAC deposit table.
Water and the municipality services follow the same logic: the contract in your name is also your proof of address for banks and for GESY. Internet providers named in guides include Cyta, Cablenet, Epic and Primetel. We found no information on their identity checks.
Start the tax number request in the same week, because banks and some landlords ask for it. See the next section.
Weeks 2 to 4: ARC, bank and GESY
The three steps depend on each other: - The pink slip leads to the Alien Registration Certificate (ARC) number. - The ARC number plus proof of address opens the bank account and the GESY application. - The bank account lets you pay the deposit, the rent and the insurance without cash.
Do not expect the whole chain to close within 30 days. The honest target is to have every application filed, every appointment booked and every document in a folder with the dates.
Tax number (TIC): how to get it
The Cyprus tax identification number is 9 characters long, 8 digits and a letter. It is not issued automatically. Adviser pages say you can request it online through the Tax For All (TFA) portal or on paper, and that documents can be sent as clear scans. There is no state fee for the number. A non-resident usually sends an identity document, a photo, a letter explaining why the number is needed and a document from the home country that shows a tax code. Sources disagree on the form name, so we do not give one. The real delay is usually the prerequisite, for example a foreign tax certificate, not the tax office.
If you also plan to become a tax resident, read tax residency when relocating and ask an accountant about the 183-day rule and the 60-day rule before you decide where to spend your days.
GESY: how to register with a doctor
GESY is the public health system. The steps described by law-firm and adviser pages are: - Hold the right status. Having a permit is not enough: the category matters, and sources describe the position of non-working newcomers as unclear. One source says permanent residence on the basis of financial independence can qualify if you show habitual residence. - Have an ARC number. - Create an account on the beneficiary portal of the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) and apply to be included in the register. - Choose a personal doctor from the HIO list. Registration in the register is not enough: you must also be on a doctor's list. - Visit the doctor, who confirms your details. Both of you sign the Form of Mutual Acceptance.
The HIO may ask for proof of habitual residence, for example recent electricity or water bills. That is one more reason to put the utilities in your name in the first week. For private cover and the choice of a doctor before GESY, see health insurance and doctors after moving abroad.
Bank account: what banks ask and why they may refuse
Commercial and law-firm guides agree on the core list: - Passport and, for non-EU residents, the ARC or an equivalent residence document. - Proof of address no older than 3 months, usually a utility bill or a bank statement. Some guides accept up to 6 months, so take the freshest document. - Proof of income and a declaration of the source of funds. - Bank statements and tax documents from the home country, often requested when the account holder lives abroad.
We did not find an official bank checklist, so each bank can differ. For a citizen of Russia or Belarus, expect more questions about the source of funds and the nature of the business. Read the dedicated article on resident bank accounts abroad and prepare the documents before the first visit. This is a factual list of what banks ask and not advice on how to avoid checks.
Driving, school and documents: what we could not confirm
We found no reliable information on SIM registration, school enrolment for children of non-EU parents, water connection and the deadlines or fines for late registration with the migration authority. We do not guess. Ask the school, the municipality and the Immigration Unit directly, and keep written answers. For licences see driving licence abroad: exchange or new exam; for schools see schools and education when relocating abroad. The general order of steps for any country is in the 30-day checklist, and the daily costs are in the monthly budget in Cyprus.
Typical mistakes of the first month
- Waiting for the permit before arranging utilities. The bills are your proof of address, so do them first.
- Using a proof of address older than 3 months. Banks routinely refuse older documents.
- Assuming that any residence permit gives access to GESY. Check your category with the HIO.
- Paying a deposit for electricity without a receipt in your name.
- Starting the tax number request with a foreign tax certificate that you do not have yet.
- Relying on one forum post for deadlines. Rules and forms change, and sources conflict.
- Ignoring the cost of the first weeks: rent in advance, deposit, private cover and the legal fee add up before any income arrives.
One-page checklist
- Passport, visa or entry proof, address, lease or title deed in one folder.
- Local mobile number.
- Private health cover for the gap period.
- Electricity agreement in your name (EAC) and water contract.
- Immigration Unit appointment and the pink slip application, in person.
- Tax number request through the TFA portal or on paper.
- Proof of address no older than 3 months.
- Bank account application with the source-of-funds documents.
- GESY: ARC number, HIO portal account, personal doctor, signed form.
- Questions to the school, the municipality and the migration authority, with written answers.
This article is a general checklist and not legal advice. Confirm every rule with the office or the bank before you act.
FAQ
Do I need a residence permit in the first 30 days? Not necessarily: you can enter on a visa or visa-free stay as a visitor. But the bank, GESY and a long lease become much easier with the pink slip, so file the application early and keep the receipt.
Can I register with GESY straight away? Not usually. Registration needs an ARC number, and the permit category matters. Many newcomers pay for private cover first. Check your category with the HIO before you rely on GESY.
How much does the tax number cost? Sources say there is no state fee for the number itself. You may pay a lawyer or accountant if you ask them to file for you.
Which proof of address does the bank accept? Usually a utility bill or a bank statement no older than 3 months; some guides say 6 months. Use the newest document you have and ask the bank before you visit.
Is the EUR 24,000 income threshold for the pink slip certain? No. It comes from one law-firm page and we could not check it on an official page. Ask the Immigration Unit or a Cyprus immigration lawyer for the current requirement.