The sequence matters more than the list
There are five things you need to sort out after arriving in Cyprus: a Tax Identification Code (TIC), a bank account, a Yellow or Pink Slip, Social Insurance registration, and GESY. None of them is particularly complicated. What catches people out is that several depend on each other, and trying them in the wrong order wastes weeks.
The TIC comes first. Banks need it on your application form. GESY needs it if you're registering as self-employed. Your employer needs it on day one. It's free, takes a day in person at a district tax office, and there's no good reason to delay it.
Dependency map: what unlocks what
Your 90-day window
The 90 days isn't a suggested timeframe. EU citizens are legally required to have registered for a Yellow Slip by the time they've been in Cyprus for three months continuously. The problem is that the application itself takes several weeks to process once you've submitted it. If you submit in week eleven, you'll be sitting past your legal deadline waiting for a document you should already have. Submit in month one and let the processing time work for you rather than against you.
Step 1: Tax Identification Code (TIC)
The TIC is a nine-character code (eight digits, one capital letter) that the Cyprus Tax Department issues to every individual and company operating here. Nothing else on this list works without it. Get it done in the first few days.
You can apply through the Tax For All portal (taxforall.mof.gov.cy) or just walk into your local Tax Department district office with the form filled in. For individuals that's T.D. 2001. Companies need T.D. 1101 and must register within 60 days of incorporation. In person, most offices process it the same day.
What you need
- Valid passport or national ID card
- Proof of Cyprus address (stamped rental contract or utility bill)
- Completed T.D. 2001 form (individuals)
- For companies: Certificate of Incorporation and T.D. 1101
Processing
- In person: same day or next day in most district offices
- Via Tax For All portal: a few working days
- No fee for individuals or companies
- The TIC is permanent once issued
Step 2: Bank account
The main retail banks are Bank of Cyprus, Hellenic Bank, Eurobank Cyprus, and AstroBank. Appointment availability varies significantly by branch, and some have cut back their personal banking intake considerably. Book as soon as your TIC comes through. Waiting until you actually need the account open means you're waiting from a worse position.
Two things consistently slow this down. Most banks want a stamped rental contract as proof of address, not just a utility bill with your name on it. And source of funds documentation needs to be clear paperwork, not an informal account of where the money came from. Get both of these ready before your appointment.
Documents required
- TIC number (confirmed, not pending)
- Valid passport or national ID
- Proof of Cyprus address (stamped rental contract)
- Proof of income: employment contract, payslip, or company documents
- Source of funds documentation
- Yellow or Pink Slip (some banks require it upfront; others accept it later)
What to know
- Book an appointment immediately on TIC confirmation
- Some banks offer a preliminary online intake form
- Compliance checks typically take 2–4 weeks after submission
- Business accounts require more documentation and take longer
Step 3: Yellow Slip or Pink Slip
EU and EEA citizens get a Yellow Slip. Non-EU nationals get a Pink Slip. Both come from the Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD), and both prove you have a legal basis for residing in Cyprus. Think of the Yellow Slip less as a document you apply for and more as a registration you're required to complete.
EU citizens have three months from arrival to be registered. That sounds like plenty of time until you account for processing. The CRMD takes several weeks to turn an application around. Submit in month one and you're fine. Wait until month three and you'll be unregistered past your deadline while the paperwork catches up. Apply early.
Yellow Slip (EU/EEA citizens)
- Form M.67
- Valid passport or national ID (and copies)
- 4 passport-sized photographs
- Proof of Cyprus address (stamped rental contract)
- Proof of activity: employment contract, business registration, or proof of sufficient funds plus private health insurance if economically inactive
- Fee: €8.54
Pink Slip (non-EU nationals)
- Application submitted within 3 months of arrival
- Valid passport with entry stamp
- 4 passport-sized photographs
- Proof of Cyprus address
- Documents vary by category: employee, self-employed, or financially independent
- Fee varies by permit type
Step 4: Social Insurance registration
Social Insurance covers pensions, unemployment benefit, and related protections. How it works for you depends entirely on whether you're employed or self-employed, and the difference is significant enough that it's worth treating these as two entirely separate processes.
Step 5: GESY (General Healthcare System)
Cyprus launched GESY in 2019 and it's now the primary way residents access healthcare here. GPs, specialists, hospitals, diagnostics — all of it runs through the GESY network once you're registered. If you're earning income in Cyprus, you're required to contribute.
Employees don't need to think about this much. The employer handles registration and deductions run alongside Social Insurance. If you're self-employed, you register through gesy.org.cy yourself, and you'll need both your TIC and your Social Insurance registration number to do it.
Contribution rates
- Employees: 2.65% of gross salary, cap €180,000 per year
- Self-employed: 4.0% of insured earnings, same cap
- Pensioners: 2.65% on pension income
- Rental income: 2.65% on gross rental income
What GESY covers
- GP consultations within the network
- Specialist referrals
- Hospital treatment and surgery
- Diagnostic tests and laboratory services
- Emergency services
Employee vs self-employed: the key differences
Same five steps, different experience depending on how you're working. Employees hand off a lot of this to their employer, which makes the process feel fairly painless. Freelancers and founders carry it all themselves, and that's usually where things get missed. A self-employed person who's never had to register for Social Insurance in another country has no reason to know they need to go to a district office in person to do it here.
Five mistakes that delay the process
After the 90 days: what comes next
With the five registrations sorted, attention usually shifts to tax residency. The administrative steps you've completed don't establish tax residency by themselves. That's a separate question, answered by how many days you spend in Cyprus in a given calendar year and whether you meet the conditions of either the 183-day rule or the 60-day rule. It gets formalised when you file your first return, but the groundwork is laid now.
For self-employed individuals and founders, there's a parallel track running alongside the registration process: getting the accounting and compliance structure in place from the start. That means bookkeeping, VAT registration if your turnover is heading toward €15,600, and a clear picture of the Social Insurance and GESY quarterly payment schedule. The Cyprus Tax Calculator is a useful starting point if you want to understand what your tax position looks like across different structures. DPCA's Accounting Services team handles the ongoing side of things.
One timing point worth knowing about: if you're planning to use Non-Dom status to shelter dividend or interest income from Special Defence Contribution, the 17-year exemption window starts from your first year as a Cyprus tax resident. That makes the residency date more important than it might seem at first. DPCA's Tax Advisory team works through the timing and documentation from the beginning, so the Non-Dom claim is supported correctly from year one rather than reconstructed later.
DPCA handles your first 90 days in Cyprus
TIC registration, Yellow or Pink Slip, Social Insurance, GESY, and tax residency coordination. One firm, one point of contact, all five registrations handled.
FAQs about your first 90 Days in Cyprus
Apply for your Tax Identification Code (TIC) as soon as you arrive. Banks require it on the account opening form, GESY needs it for self-employed registration, and employers need it on day one. It is free and can be processed the same day in person at a Tax Department district office.
The Civil Registry and Migration Department typically takes several weeks to process a Yellow Slip application once submitted. EU and EEA citizens are legally required to be registered within three months of continuous residence, so the application should be submitted in month one to allow processing time before the deadline.
EU and EEA citizens apply for a Yellow Slip. Non-EU nationals apply for a Pink Slip, which is a temporary residence permit. Both are issued by the Civil Registry and Migration Department and both require proof of a Cyprus address and a reason for residing here.
No. Banks include the TIC on the account opening application form and will not process an incomplete submission. Obtain your TIC first, then book a bank appointment.
Self-employed individuals must register in person at a Social Insurance Services district office. This does not happen automatically. The contribution rate for self-employed persons is 15.6% of insured earnings, paid quarterly. Failure to register results in retroactive assessments with penalties and interest.
GESY is Cyprus’s national health insurance system. Registration is compulsory for all residents earning income in Cyprus. Employees are registered by their employer. Self-employed individuals register through gesy.org.cy using their TIC and Social Insurance registration number.
Depends on your situation. If you are applying for a Yellow Slip as an economically inactive resident (remote worker, retiree, or investor), the Civil Registry and Migration Department requires evidence of private health insurance covering Cyprus in addition to GESY registration.
Most banks require a confirmed TIC, a valid passport or national ID, a stamped rental contract as proof of address, proof of income or employment, and source of funds documentation. Some banks also require a Yellow or Pink Slip upfront; others accept it after it has been issued.
For employees, yes. The employer registers you with the Social Insurance Services and GESY and deducts contributions from your salary. The Yellow Slip, however, is always the employee’s own responsibility.
The three-month registration deadline is a legal requirement under the Aliens and Immigration Law. Failing to meet it means you are residing in Cyprus without the required registration. Submitting the application late rather than not at all is preferable, but the correct approach is to apply in month one and have the document processed before the deadline arrives.
