Warm sea in November. Kids outside all year. And the maths works.
Cyprus is a real place with a real life on it, not a tax structure with a beach attached. We keep the numbers straight so you can judge both.
Independent · we are not advisers and we sell nothing · every figure in force since 1 January 2026, last checked 24 July
What you are actually moving to
The part the spreadsheets leave out. All of it checkable, none of it brochure copy.
- Sunshine
- Around 320 days a year. Sea swimmable roughly May to November.
- Language
- English is spoken almost everywhere. Contracts, schools and doctors work in it.
- Safety
- One of the lowest crime rates in the EU. Children walk to school here.
- Distance
- 3-4 hours to most of Europe. Larnaca and Paphos both have international airports.
- Healthcare
- GESY covers residents who contribute 2.65%. Private cover is a fraction of US or UK prices.
- Schooling
- British and IB curricula in every city. Waiting lists, not places, are the constraint.
Seven places, seven different lives. What each costs is on the cost of living page, and the full write-up of each is in the where to live guide.
See what's actually for sale
Live listings from Landbank, a licensed Cyprus agency we work with. Browse directly, no login needed, or ask us to introduce you first.
Schedule of changes
The December 2025 reform was the biggest in twenty years. This is what moved.
| Item | Was | Now | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate tax | 12.5% | 15% | 01.01.2026 |
| Dividends and interest, non-dom | N/A | 0% | Held · 17-year term |
| Dividend SDC, domiciled residents | 17% | 5% | 01.01.2026 |
| Tax-free personal income | €19,500 | €22,000 | 01.01.2026 |
| Stamp duty on company documents | payable | none | Abolished 01.01.2026 |
| Annual company levy | €350 | none | Abolished 2024 |
struck = no longer applies marked = in force today
Start where you are
Seventeen countries, each with its own exit rules. Find yours: the tax comparison and the trap to plan around are on every page.
From the UK
45% and 39.35% at home vs 0% non-dom, the 5-year temporary non-residence trap, and where 70,000 Brits settled.
Country guideFrom Germany
Abgeltungsteuer vs 0% dividends, and the Wegzugsbesteuerung exit tax you must plan around before deregistering.
Country guideFrom Israel
A 40-minute flight, a fast-growing community, and the residency routes for non-EU citizens.
Country guideFrom Poland
Belka tax vs non-dom, the PLN 4 million exit threshold, and the contractor-to-company route.
Country guideFrom France
The 30% PFU and social charges vs 0%, and France's exit tax on large shareholdings.
Country guideFrom Italy
26% flat at home vs 0%, the AIRE step Italians skip at their peril, and no IVIE or IVAFE here.
Country guideFrom Spain
Savings rates up to 30% plus wealth tax vs a system with neither, and Spain's exit rules.
Country guideFrom the Netherlands
Box 2 dividends and the box 3 wealth levy vs 0% non-dom, and the preserving assessment on your BV.
Country guideFrom Belgium
30% withholding on dividends and 50% income tax vs non-dom zero, from one of the cleaner countries to leave.
Country guideFrom Sweden
30% capital tax and the 3:12 squeeze vs 0%, plus the ten-year rule that can follow you out.
Country guideFrom Ireland
51% to extract a dividend at home vs 0% here, and the three years of ordinary residence after leaving.
Country guideFrom Austria
27.5% KESt vs 0% non-dom, and the exit tax with an EU deferral if you claim it properly.
Country guideFrom the USA
The honest version: citizenship-based taxation limits the upside, and what still works for Americans.
Country guideFrom Canada
53% top rates vs 0% non-dom, the departure tax on deemed gains, and severing residential ties cleanly.
Country guideFrom South Africa
45% and 20% dividends tax vs 0%, SARS tax emigration and the exit charge, and the growing SA community.
Country guideFrom Australia
47% at home vs 0% non-dom, the CGT departure election, and why super stays behind.
Country guideFrom New Zealand
39% and FIF rules vs 0%, and why NZ is one of the cleanest countries to leave.
Or start with a topic
The eight decisions that actually shape a move here, each with the figures in force today.
The Cyprus Non-Dom Regime in 2026
0% tax on dividends and interest for 17 years, the 60-day residency rule, and the new €250,000 extension option. What survived the reform and what the catches are.
For foundersWhat a Cyprus Company Really Costs in 2026
Government fees are around €175. Providers quote €1,200 to €3,000. The real number is the annual running cost, and most guides hide it. Full breakdown here.
Where to liveLimassol, Nicosia, Larnaca or Paphos
Four cities that feel like four countries. Who each one suits, what they cost, what daily life looks like, and how to find a home in each.
Getting aroundBuying or Importing a Car in Cyprus
Cyprus drives on the left. Bring one car tax-free when you relocate, or buy local. Import costs, the 10-day registration window, road tax and the traps.
MoneyWhat Living in Cyprus Actually Costs
Rent by city, the August electricity spike, groceries, cars, schools. Three sample monthly budgets from single to family of four.
ImmigrationGetting Residency in Cyprus
Yellow slip for EU citizens, employment and investment routes for everyone else, digital nomad visa, timelines and what really slows people down.
HealthHealthcare and GESY
Who qualifies, what the 2.65% contribution buys, what private cover costs, and the coverage gap that catches new arrivals.
PropertyBuying Property in Cyprus
The purchase process, what it costs on top of the price, the title deed check that still catches people, and how we introduce you to a licensed agency.
FamiliesInternational Schools
Fees by stage, British and IB curricula, where the schools cluster, and why waiting lists should decide your city.
Why an independent site
Nearly every Cyprus guide you'll find is published by a firm selling you their own service. That shapes what they tell you. We don't form companies, sell property, or file tax returns. We keep the numbers current, explain the trade-offs, and when you're ready, we connect you with a vetted, independently licensed local provider that fits: a fiduciary firm, a lawyer, a car import agent, or an insurance broker. We are not agents, brokers or advisers ourselves, every service is provided by the licensed firm directly. Providers may pay us a referral fee if you become their client. You pay nothing extra, and we tell you this upfront because that's the whole point of the site.
How the match works
Tell us your plan
Two minutes in the form below: where you're coming from, what you're planning, and when. No calls, no commitment.
Get your shortlist
Within one business day we reply with one or two vetted providers that fit your situation, with their typical fees, so you can compare before anyone gets your number.
You decide
Talk to them, or don't. Providers pay us a referral fee only if you become their client, so you never pay extra, and we only win when the match is good.
Get matched with a vetted Cyprus provider
Tell us what you're planning. We'll come back within one business day with a shortlist of one or two providers suited to your situation, with typical fees so you can compare before any call.
The 2026 relocation checklist
Every step from three months out to your first month on the island, apostilles, exit-tax checks, the yellow slip, non-dom registration, plus the stale numbers that expose an out-of-date provider. Two pages, current as of the January 2026 reform. We'll email it to you.
Free · your address is stored with our email provider only for this · how we handle your data.