Cyprus Allows Belarusians to Apply for Residency with Expired Passports

Cyprus has made Belarus the only country whose citizens can apply for and renew residence permits using expired passports, a significant relief for Belarusians living on the island. This new procedure, confirmed by Cyprus's Migration Department on August 26, 2026, has been in effect since May 2026.

The change was prompted by a documentation crisis resulting from a decree signed by President Alexander Lukashenko in September 2023, which restricts Belarusian citizens abroad from renewing passports through consular offices without returning to Belarus. The new administrative mechanism allows residence permit applications with expired Belarusian passports, provided all other migration law requirements are met.

However, this measure does not extend to international travel, as an expired passport remains invalid for such purposes. There is also uncertainty regarding whether time spent under this permit will count towards citizenship applications.

Alesia Parkhomenko, a member of the Democratic Embassy of Belarus in Cyprus, played a crucial role in advocating for this policy change.