Immigration Office in Cyprus: Every City Office, Hours and What to Bring (2026)

If you have just moved to Cyprus and someone tells you to "go to the immigration office", your first problem is that there isn't one. The country runs two different bodies for residence permits, and which one you visit depends entirely on the city you live in.

I help non-EU residents through this every week, and the confusion is always the same: people drive to the wrong building, turn up after it has closed, or rely on an online booking system that was switched off years ago. This guide clears all of that up, city by city, so you only make the trip once.

If you are also sorting out the medical cover the office asks for, our guide to immigration medical insurance in Cyprus explains exactly what the Migration Department expects to see.

What is the "city immigration office" in Cyprus?

People use "immigration office" as a catch-all, but in practice it points to one of two organisations. The Civil Registry and Migration Department sits under the Ministry of Interior and is based in Nicosia. It decides residence permits for non-EU nationals and also runs the civil registry and citizenship side of things. Everywhere outside the capital, the office that actually serves you is the police Aliens and Immigration Unit.

That split matters because it changes where you go, who you speak to, and how you book. The official names are a mouthful, the Migration Department and the police Aliens and Immigration Service, so most residents just call the nearest one "the immigration office" and hope for the best. The next section makes the choice simple.

Migration Department vs the immigration police: which office is yours

Here is the part nobody explains clearly: outside Nicosia, your local police station's Aliens unit is the immigration office. The officers there take your documents, scan your photo, and pass non-EU files up to the Migration Department, which makes the final call. EU citizens are usually finished on the spot. Knowing this saves you from driving to Nicosia when your whole case can be handled ten minutes from home.

Immigration office locations, addresses and hours by city

The Migration Department in Nicosia also publishes a parking and access page, which is worth a look because the area gets busy. Phone numbers are useful for the district offices in particular, since several of them prefer that you call before turning up. If you want the official source for the district police units, the Cyprus Police site lists the divisional departments.

Do you need an appointment, and how do you book one?

This is the fact that trips people up most. For years there was an online system at crmd.simplybook.pro, and plenty of guides still link to it, but it no longer works. In Nicosia you can generally walk in and take a ticket, unless you fall under a special category such as companies of foreign interests, digital nomads, the start-up visa, Category F, intra-corporate transfers or long-term residents, which are booked separately.

How to book today

What to put in your email request

If you email to book, send it about a month before your permit or visa expires and include:

First-time applicants who do not yet have an ARC, file number or expiry date can simply leave those lines out.

What documents to bring to your appointment

The exact paperwork depends on whether you are an EU citizen applying for a Yellow Slip (MEU1) or a non-EU national applying for a Pink Slip. The two checklists below cover the essentials. Family-member applications, such as the MEU2 for a non-EU relative of an EU citizen, also need an Apostille stamp and a certified translation, and can take three to six months rather than the same-day MEU1.

Residence permits and the insurance you will need

This is why the office and the insurance are really one errand. The Migration Department will not accept a Pink Slip file without proof of compliant cover, and it has to be private medical insurance, not the public GeSY system and not a holiday travel policy. If you want the full picture of how the slips and the insurance fit together, our explainer on Yellow Slip and Pink Slip health insurance walks through both routes.

Retirees on a Category F permit have their own requirements, which we cover in the Category F residence permit guide. Non-EU students register with the police Aliens and Immigration Unit and also need valid medical cover. DigiCare's Plan A is built to the exact minimums the Migration Department asks for and arrives as a same-day digital certificate you can take straight to your appointment.

Common mistakes that waste a trip to the office

Frequently asked questions

Find your office, then sort your cover

Once you know that Nicosia means the Migration Department and every other city means the district police unit, the rest is straightforward: go in the morning, bring the right documents, and have your insurance certificate ready. That single piece of preparation is what turns a dreaded bureaucratic errand into a quick visit.

If you are non-EU or applying under Category F, the insurance is the part you can sort today, before you even book.