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Cypriot authorities have officially confirmed that Belarusian citizens with expired Belarusian passports can obtain and renew residence permits in the country. As the Office of the Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection of Cyprus told Radyjo Svaboda, the relevant administrative decision has been in effect since May 2026.
In response to a request from the outlet, the authorities confirmed that Cyprus’ Migration Department had approved a procedure allowing Belarusian citizens with expired passports to obtain or renew residence permits.
Cypriot authorities separately confirmed the possibility of legalizing children born in Cyprus to families in which both parents are Belarusian citizens and cannot obtain a Belarusian passport for the child. In such cases, a birth certificate issued in Cyprus may serve as the basis for obtaining a residence permit.
The new procedure has been in effect since May this year. On Aug. 26, Cyprus’ Migration Department officially published information about it on its website.
However, it remains unclear whether the period of residence in Cyprus under a permit issued on the basis of an expired Belarusian passport will count toward the period required to obtain citizenship. The migration authorities recommended contacting Cyprus’ Interior Ministry, which is responsible for naturalization, on this matter.
A residence permit does not replace a passport or another travel document. Therefore, the new procedure does not resolve the problem of international travel for Belarusians who do not have a valid passport.
Earlier, several European countries simplified legalization procedures for Belarusians with expired passports. Such rules are now in effect in 12 countries, including Poland, Lithuania and Spain.