Cyprus - Social pension

This chapter contains what you need to know about the social pension in Cyprus.

In what situation can I claim?

The law on granting the social pension came into force on 1 May 1995 and is intended to provide a pension to all residents of the Republic of Cyprus who have reached the age of 65 and who are not entitled to a pension or other similar payment from any other source. The social pension is paid out of the Republic's Consolidated Fund.

Beneficiaries:

People are entitled to a social pension if:

a. they have reached the age of 65 years;

b. at the age of 65 or thereafter they satisfy the residency conditions, and

c. they are not entitled, from any other source, to a pension or other similar payment which has a monthly value equal to or greater than the monthly rate of the social pension.

What conditions do I need to meet?

The applicant must meet the following conditions:

a) to have legally resided in Cyprus or in countries which are members of the European Union or the European Economic Area or in Switzerland for a total period of at least 20 years since the day they reached the age of 40; or

b) to have legally resided in Cyprus or in countries which are members of the European Union or the European Economic Area or in Switzerland for a total period of at least 35 years since the day they reached the age of 18.

For the purpose of calculating the period of residency, any period of absence from Cyprus for a period of less than 2 months in any calendar year is deemed to be a period of residency in Cyprus.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

The monthly rate of the social pension is 81% of the full basic statutory pension which is paid by the Social Insurance Fund.

Should the person be entitled to a pension or other similar payment from any other source, the monthly amount of which is lower than the monthly amount of the social pension, then the monthly amount of social pension is equal to the difference between the two.

In December of each year a 13th pension instalment is paid, equal to 1/12 of the total pension paid for that year.

In order to claim a social pension, a person must submit an application form on a special form which can be obtained from any social insurance district office or citizens' service centre or citizens' centre or via the internet. The application along with all the required original documentation referred to in the application form should be delivered to any social insurance office or citizens' service centre or citizens' centre. The application for a social pension must be submitted within 3 months of the date of becoming eligible. If the application is submitted beyond the deadline, only 3 months will be paid in arrears. However, in exceptional circumstances, if the applicant demonstrates that there was a reasonable cause for the delay in submitting the application the pension may be paid retrospectively for up to 12 months.

Forms you may need to fill in

Application for social pension

Know your rights

The links below define your rights legally. They are not European Commission websites and they do not represent the Commission's views:

European Commission publication and website:

Who do you need to contact?

Social Insurance Services

Central Offices
Leoforos Vyronos 7
1465 Nicosia
CYPRUS
http://www.mlsi.gov.cy/sid

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Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion