MP Charalambidou demands answers for passports to Cambodian elite
Opposition Akel MP Irini Charalambidou on Thursday called on the government to explain itself after Reuters disclosed relatives and allies of Cambodia’s leader acquired Cypriot...
golden visas
Scramble for Cypriot passports as tighter rules loom
Foreign nationals are reportedly scrambling to acquire Cypriot passports via the citizenship-by-investment scheme, ahead of tighter criteria kicking in on May 15. According to daily...
European lawmakers urge end of golden visa schemes
The European Parliament urged EU member states on Tuesday to curb money-laundering in the bloc by ending programmes by several countries, including Cyprus, to sell...
President defends golden visa scheme
President Nicos Anastasiades said his government’s controversial citizenship by investment programme has helped the construction sector and has contributed to the recovery of the economy,...
Cyprus’ golden visas display traits of a tax haven, say MEPs
A report by a special European Parliament committee on financial crime and taxation has named Cyprus and six other member states as displaying traits of...
Cabinet approves changes to golden visa scheme (Updated)
The citizenship-by-investment scheme’s contribution to economic growth in the past three years was just 1.2 per cent of 13 percentage points, Finance Minister Harris Georgiades...
EU removed measures from golden visa report
The EU has removed the toughest measures and recommendations from a report on golden visas that was published in January, non-profit media organization Organized Crime...
MPs pass law giving them a say over golden visas
The House on Friday passed a law giving MPs a say over honorary naturalisations and on who could be granted golden visas. The law will...
Cyprus defends passport sales at EU meeting (Update 3)
European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen on Monday called for greater transparency in schemes allowing foreign nationals to acquire EU citizenship through investment, while Nicosia pushed...
MPs seek say on ‘golden visas’
A LEGISLATIVE proposal is to be tabled to the House plenum in January aiming to give parliament a say in the criteria governing the issuing...
A case of EU arrogance
By Akis Kyradjis Three reports were issued recently relating to Residency and Citizenship by Investment (R/CBI) programmes, all of which issued strong verdicts and diktats....
‘Unfair for Cyprus to be singled out for golden visa criticism’
It is unfair for Cyprus to be singled out for its citizenship-by-investment programme, while other EU countries have similar schemes in place, President Nicos Anastasiades...
Almost 2,500 applications filed for ‘golden visas’
From May 2013 until August of this year, 2,390 applications were filed by law firms and accounting firms on behalf of foreign nationals seeking Cypriot...
OECD puts Cyprus ‘golden passport’ scheme on blacklist
Cyprus is among 21 countries whose so-called ‘golden passport’ schemes have been identified by the OECD as being a threat to international efforts to combat...
Our View: Indiscriminate handing out of golden visas cannot continue
CYPRUS did not emerge from the report on golden visas carried out by Global Witness and Transparency International smelling of roses. On the contrary, the...
EU plans golden visa crackdown (Updated)
Brussels is planning to crack down on EU countries including Cyprus that award citizenships to rich third-country nationals amid growing concerns over dirty money from...
Lawyers dominate unveiled Golden Visa registry
The committee supervising Cyprus’s Golden Visa programme unveiled on Tuesday the registry of service providers, which includes 255 entities and individuals. The registry includes 133 lawyers, law...
‘Golden visas’ risk being exposed to fraud, insider says
By Stelios Orphanides Foreign investors applying for a Cypriot ‘golden visa’ may be exposed to malpractice and fraud if the government decides to grant companies...
Our View: Selling golden visas could prove a risky business
Over the decades, Cyprus has repeatedly demonstrated that when it comes to risk management, the standards it applies are poor. In the mid-90s, Cyprus decided...
EU Commission scrutinises Golden Visas, NGO links to risks (Update 2)
(Updates with EU Commission comment in third paragraph) The European Commission will plan a report about schemes of member states that allow foreign investors to...