Cyprus Court restricts citizenship transfer via marriage

The Administrative Court of Appeal in Cyprus has ruled that individuals who acquired Cypriot citizenship through registration cannot transfer the right of citizenship acquisition to a foreign spouse through a subsequent marriage.

The decision, issued on October 15, 2026, upholds a previous ruling by the Administrative Court that rejected an appeal by a foreign national against the Ministry of Interior. The court emphasized the necessity of strictly applying the legislative framework to prevent abusive practices.

According to the ruling, the law aims to prevent the circumvention of citizenship regulations through successive marriages. This specifically targets attempts by individuals who obtained citizenship via registration to pass that right to a new foreign spouse or to children who are not the biological offspring of the spouse through whom the original citizenship was acquired.