304 People Stripped of Cyprus “Golden Passports”

The government of the Republic of Cyprus has confirmed that 304 individuals have been stripped of their Cypriot citizenship following an extensive review of the country’s now-defunct “golden passport” program. All those affected had received citizenship through investment.

Authorities say many of these individuals provided false information or concealed important facts in their applications. Several serious violations were identified during the investigation.

The group includes 88 registered investors and 216 of their family members.

To date, formal revocation orders have been issued for 112 people—33 investors and 79 relatives. Their Cypriot passports and ID cards have already been cancelled.

Government sources revealed that since March 2023, ministers have held 28 meetings to review 96 controversial cases, involving 28 investors and 68 relatives. However, only five investors and ten family members have officially lost their citizenship so far. An additional 69 revocation cases are still under consideration. These relate to decisions made between 2021 and 2023 and affect 17 investors and 52 of their family members.

Some of the investors failed to make the required financial contributions, while others claimed they couldn’t travel to Cyprus to complete paperwork—when in fact, they were under arrest abroad.

The revocations are being carried out under Article 113 of the Civil Registry Law. According to this law, individuals must be formally notified in writing. They have the right to appeal to an independent review committee, which examines each case and makes a recommendation. The final decision rests with the Council of Ministers.

Cyprus officially shut down its golden passport scheme at the end of 2020, following heavy criticism from the European Union and a damning undercover investigation.