On January 18, 2024, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cyprus approved a bill defining the procedure for obtaining by highly qualified specialists of a special residence permit, so-called "EU Blue Card".

The proposed changes are aimed at introducing more flexible conditions for the entry and residence of IT and other highly skilled workers from the countries outside the EU (i.e. admission conditions, expanding the rights of specialists, and facilitating movement and work within the EU).

In addition, the new bill specifies the concept of “a highly qualified” specialist as a person who has a higher education obtained after at least three years of university study or other managers and specialists in the field of information and communication technologies with relevant professional experience (from three years) obtained within the seven years preceding the application for the Blue Card.

These amendments do not mean that Blue card applications have already started at the Cyprus Migration Service (more time is needed for the preparation), but they indicate a clear intention of the government to promote legal immigration and, in particular, attracting talented specialists.

The bill also aims to harmonize the legislative framework of Cyprus with the relevant Directive of the European Parliament. Thus, it is assumed that the Blue Card will become a residence permit on a European scale, i.e. will provide mobility within EU Member States.

As we can see, the European Union strives to become an economy based on knowledge and innovation, and also strives to reduce the administrative burden on business and improve the matching of labor supply with labor demand, requiring the rest of the EU member states to provide equal conditions of competition between the Blue Card and other national programs for obtaining work visas for highly qualified and specialists.