The yellow slip (MEU1) for EU citizens: four months, €20, and no expiry

The first three months are free of formalities: EU, EEA and Swiss citizens have an unconditional right of residence for up to three months on nothing more than a valid identity card or passport.

To stay beyond three months you must be either (a) a worker or self-employed person, or (b) able to show sufficient resources not to become a burden on the social assistance system and comprehensive sickness insurance cover in Cyprus. That is when registration becomes obligatory.

The document

A Registration Certificate, applied for on form MEU1 and universally called the yellow slip.

When to apply

Within four months of the date you entered Cyprus. Note the number — a great many sites say three months; the Migration Department's own page says four.

Fee

€20.

Decision

Within one month at the latest, provided the application is complete. The certificate has no expiry date.

It matters beyond compliance: the yellow slip is what puts EU citizens into the national health system — you register as a GESY beneficiary once you hold it — and it is the demonstrable link to Cyprus a bank wants to see. The full EU-citizen path is in the visas and residency guide.