A third-country national who has been admitted as researcher has to hold a doctoral degree or an appropriate higher education qualification which gives that third-country national access to doctoral programs. The researcher is selected by a research organization and admitted to the territory of Cyprus for carrying out a research activity for which such qualification is normally required. For this purpose the researcher may enter the Republic of Cyprus with an entry permit issued by the Migration Department, for which an application has to be submitted by the Research Organization.   

The Research Organization has to be approved from the competent authority which is the Research and Innovation Foundation.

The application shall be submitted and examined either when the third-country national concerned is residing outside the territory of Cyprus or when the third-country national is already residing as holder of a valid residence permit. The application may also be submitted when the third country national is already in Cyprus as a holder of a tourist/visiting visa.

In case there is a valid residence permit, re-entry into Cyprus can be achieved upon presentation of the permit and a valid passport, provided that the person concerned has not remained outside the Republic for more than three months.

In case an application has been submitted for a residence permit that has not yet been examined, then re-entry to the Republic can be obtained with the payment receipt provided after the submission of the application fees, which bears a stamp allowing re-entry into Cyprus. This receipt has to be presented along with the valid passport on the return trip.