Ownership is free; staffing is not
Foreign Ownership of a Cyprus Company
A non-resident can own a Cyprus company outright. Employing non-EU staff and buying property are the permissioned parts.
GCC business setup specialists
The constraints are on people and land, not shares
There is no restriction on foreign shareholding in a Cyprus company and no local shareholder requirement. What is controlled is different: employing third-country nationals runs through a specific regime for companies of foreign interests with its own criteria, and acquisition of immovable property by non-EU buyers requires permission. Plans that assume open ownership means open everything run into both.
- Shareholding, staffing and property treated as three separate questions
- The foreign-interest company criteria explained before you hire
- EU and non-EU positions distinguished clearly
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Companies successfully established.
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Three separate questions
What is and is not restricted
Only one of these is open without conditions.
| Area | Position |
|---|---|
| Company shareholding | No restriction; no local shareholder needed. |
| Directors | No nationality requirement, but residence affects tax residence. |
| Employing EU nationals | Free movement applies. |
| Employing third-country nationals | Through a specific regime with criteria. |
| Property — EU buyers | Free movement of capital applies. |
| Property — non-EU buyers | Permission required. |
Ownership rules, the regime for companies of foreign interests and property acquisition permissions are set by the authorities and change. Yours are checked against the current position. Cyprus is a European Union member state, so EU directives, the single market and EU anti-avoidance measures all apply. That is the substantive difference between Cyprus and an offshore jurisdiction, and it cuts both ways.
How it works
Establishing your position
Shares, then people, then property.
01
Confirm the shareholding
Which is straightforward — there is no restriction and no local participation requirement.
02
Plan the staffing
Whether you will need to employ third-country nationals, and whether the company can meet the criteria for doing so.
03
Address property separately
Whether permission will be needed for any acquisition, and what the limits are.
- Shareholders and their nationalities
- Whether any shareholder is an EU national or entity
- Proposed directors and where they reside
- Where board meetings will be held
- Whether you will employ staff in Cyprus
- Whether any staff will be third-country nationals
- Expected investment into the company
- Whether property will be acquired
- Intended business activity
- Whether EU market access matters to you
- Whether treaty benefits are intended
- Timeline
Scope
What is included, and what is not
Stated plainly, so nothing is added once the engagement starts.
Included in the service fee
- Confirmation of the shareholding position
- Assessment against the foreign-interest company criteria
- Guidance on director residence and tax residence
- Incorporation with your chosen ownership
- Property permission position explained
- Co-ordination of staffing and immigration steps
- Guidance where criteria are not met
- One adviser across the three questions
Not included, quoted separately
- Government fees, paid at cost
- Immigration applications, quoted separately
- Property acquisition permission applications
- Minimum investment or capital
- Tax advice in your own country
- Employment of staff and related costs
- Audit and accounts preparation
- Bank account opening decisions
Verify independently
Official Cypriot authorities
We file directly with these bodies on your behalf.
Department of Registrar of Companies and Intellectual PropertyTax DepartmentVAT ServiceSocial Insurance ServicesCyprus Securities and Exchange CommissionInstitute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus
Questions
Cyprus foreign ownership — FAQs
Can a non-EU person own a Cyprus company?
Yes, outright. There is no restriction on foreign shareholding and no local shareholder requirement.
Do I need Cypriot directors?
There is no nationality requirement, but where the directors are and where they meet affects whether the company is tax resident here. That is a structuring decision rather than a legal requirement.
Can I bring my own staff from outside the EU?
Through the regime for companies of foreign interests, which has criteria including investment and salary levels. It should be assessed before you plan a team around it.
Can I buy property through the company?
Acquisition by non-EU buyers requires permission, with limits on what can be acquired. It is a separate process from company formation.
Does EU membership restrict me?
It brings market access and directive benefits, and it also brings EU anti-avoidance rules and substance expectations. We set out both sides.
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