Brits moving to Cyprus only need to register with the immigration department upon arrival there if they intend to take up employment, a leading law firm on the island has confirmed.

A&G Kouzali Law Firm recently had many emails asking if it is mandatory for EU citizens to register with the immigration department upon their arrival in Cyprus and whether they will get fined if they do not register.

“The answer is ‘yes’, only if you intend to stay in Cyprus and take up employment,” lawyer Giovanis Kouzali said. “If you are not intending to work in Cyprus then ‘no’, you do not need to register!” Kouzali confirmed that anyone found working in Cyprus but not registered will be subject to a fine of approximately €2,963.

To apply for a Registration Certificate, newly arrived British people need to visit their local Migration Department, where they will need to fill in the necessary forms and meet a Migration Official. The cost for this procedure is €8.54 and the certificate will be issued within six months of making the application.

Kouzali warned: “Be aware you must also apply for a social insurance number as soon as possible upon employment. If your employer does not assist you to do this it is warned to go ahead and do this yourself. Do not find yourself working with no social insurance number as this is illegal and viewed upon as fraud.”

Search for properties in Cyprus on Rightmove Overseas. If you’re planning to buy in or move to Cyprus and need to transfer a large sum of money there, remember to use a currency specialist to exchange your pounds into euros. For more information, visit the Currency Zone.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property Cyprus, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘Cyprus Property Buying Guide’