Cyprus approved 22,740 citizenship applications between 2020 and July 2023, while rejecting 2,650 others, according to a state audit report.
The number of naturalisations peaked in 2022 with 7,071 approvals, followed by 6,109 in the first seven months of 2023, the Audit Office reported.
As of November 7, 2023, 11,891 citizenship applications remained pending, with the oldest dating back to 2007. Of these, 57% were applications based on years of residence in Cyprus, while 19% were marriage-based applications to Cypriot citizens.
The audit identified several irregularities in the application process, including cases where the Population Registry Department waived the mandatory 12-month continuous residence requirement before application.
In one case, an EU citizen was granted citizenship despite visiting Cyprus for only eight days in 2016 and another eight days in 2018, far short of the three-year residence requirement.
The report also revealed that 23,646 entry permit applications and 37,782 temporary residence applications for domestic workers and general labourers were pending as of July 31, 2023, with most cases exceeding five years.
The average processing time for citizenship applications stands at 37.7 months, the audit found.
Auditors warned that lengthy processing times and delays in decision-making are contributing to illegal residence and employment of third-country nationals, potentially creating conditions for obtaining residence permits on humanitarian grounds.
Read more:
