Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Migration Department.
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Migration Department Archbishop Makarios III Avenue, 90, 1077, Nicosia Cyprus
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
20 July 2026
2.2. Metadata last posted
20 July 2026
2.3. Metadata last update
20 July 2026
3.1. Data description
Data collection on the residence permits (RESPER) statistics contains statistical information based on the principles stated in the Union legislation on migration Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 as amended by the Regulation (EU) 2020/851 and the Commission Regulation (EU) No 216/2010 implementing the categories of reasons for residence permits.
The main RESPER data collection based on Article 6 of the Migration Statistics Regulation
First residence permits,
Residence permits issued on the occasion of changing the immigration status or reason to stay,
Residence permits valid at the end of the year,
Long-term residence permits valid at the end of the year,
Long-term permits issued during the year.
Statistics collected on voluntary basis
Residence permits issued for family reunification with beneficiaries of protection status.
3.2. Classification system
See table 3.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Migration and asylum – Residence permits statistics.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
3.5. Statistical unit
Residence Permits
3.6. Statistical population
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
3.7. Reference area
Cyprus
3.8. Coverage - Time
See table 3.8. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Number of persons.
Calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
The compilation of statistics on residence permits is based on Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, including amendments to Regulation (EU) 2020/851, which depicts in detail the data provisions Member States are bound to supply Eurostat with.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The General Data Protection Regulation applies in Cyprus and therefore in Migration Department. In addition, the Official Statistics Law of 2021 (Law No. 25(I)/ 2021) ensures that confidential data are used exclusively for statistical purposes and prevents their unlawful disclosure.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
No rounding or concealment is applied to the tables of statistical data on residence permits, as Eurostat ensures the confidentiality of the data.
8.1. Release calendar
Not applicable
8.2. Release calendar access
Not applicable
8.3. Release policy - user access
Not applicable
Yearly
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
No press releases are made
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
No publications are made in regards to the data submitted to Eurostat.
Not applicable. No other official dissemination formats are available.
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
Not applicable.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Simplified statistical methodology available for internal use within the Migration Department. The purpose of it is to describe in national level terms the data that should be reported in each table
The quality of statistical products and processes is ensured by checking the integrity of the data at all stages of processing, finding and removing duplicates, producing statistical data at regular intervals so that the flow and consistency of the data can be monitored.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Good
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The statistics collected under Regulation (EC) No. 862/2007 are used by a wide range of users at national, European and international level to cover various user needs. Some possible uses of the generated statistics are the development of research/projects in both academic and professional fields and the forecasting of migration flows.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not applicable
12.3. Completeness
See table 12.3. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Fully completed.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
There are no sampling errors, as the statistics are based on administrative data and not on a sample survey. No non-response errors are applicable. Potential coverage, measurement or processing errors may occur during the extraction, validation and compilation of data from administrative records. Ηowever, validation checks are performed and any identified errors are corrected before the final data are transmitted to Eurostat.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
There are no coverage errors and no nonresponse errors.
13.3.1. Coverage error
There is no difference between the frame population and the target population.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not applicable.
13.3.2. Measurement error
Not applicable
13.3.3. Non response error
Not applicable.
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.4. Processing error
Not applicable
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
Data supply to Eurostat is in accordance with the Regulation and the Technical Guidelines, also concerning the timeframe of sending data to Eurostat.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Not applicable
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Not applicable
14.2. Punctuality
See table 14.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
The data was delivered on time.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Fully Compliance. No exceptions involved.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Not applicable.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
There are no coherence issues with other data sets.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not applicable
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Each set of outputs are internally consistent.
Administrative cost of extracting and processing data so as to comply with the guidelines.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Not applicable
17.2. Data revision - practice
See table 17.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
All source data are collected and processed continuously by Aliens Registration System/Database
18.3. Data collection
Data for residence permit statistics are collected from the Cyprus Aliens Registration System/Database. Paper applications are submitted on behalf of third country nationals and then data entry is carried out by relevant staff. When raw data is required, a file is exported in Excel format, which is processed in order to produce the required data sets.
18.4. Data validation
Checks of totals consistency
Checks of magnitude of changes over time
Using visual validation (visual verification of the tables or the graph resulted)
Checking the data integrity over each processing step
Checking the consistency between statistics by "reason" and statistics by "age" and "sex" categories
18.5. Data compilation
Pivot tables are used according to the given set of rules to procedure the final reports in order to satisfy all possible statistics requests.
Data collection on the residence permits (RESPER) statistics contains statistical information based on the principles stated in the Union legislation on migration Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 as amended by the Regulation (EU) 2020/851 and the Commission Regulation (EU) No 216/2010 implementing the categories of reasons for residence permits.
The main RESPER data collection based on Article 6 of the Migration Statistics Regulation
First residence permits,
Residence permits issued on the occasion of changing the immigration status or reason to stay,
Residence permits valid at the end of the year,
Long-term residence permits valid at the end of the year,
Long-term permits issued during the year.
Statistics collected on voluntary basis
Residence permits issued for family reunification with beneficiaries of protection status.
20 July 2026
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
Residence Permits
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
Cyprus
Calendar year.
There are no sampling errors, as the statistics are based on administrative data and not on a sample survey. No non-response errors are applicable. Potential coverage, measurement or processing errors may occur during the extraction, validation and compilation of data from administrative records. Ηowever, validation checks are performed and any identified errors are corrected before the final data are transmitted to Eurostat.
Number of persons.
Pivot tables are used according to the given set of rules to procedure the final reports in order to satisfy all possible statistics requests.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
Yearly
Data supply to Eurostat is in accordance with the Regulation and the Technical Guidelines, also concerning the timeframe of sending data to Eurostat.
Fully Compliance. No exceptions involved.
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
