Renewing Your UK Passport and Other Home-Country Documents While Living in Cyprus (2026)

If you live in Cyprus, you renew your British passport through the GOV.UK overseas passport service, run by HM Passport Office in the UK. The British High Commission in Nicosia does not issue passports. As of 8 April 2026 an adult renewal from abroad costs £116.50 online (£130 on paper), and once your new passport arrives you should update your residence record with the Cyprus Migration Department.

This guide covers the passport itself, what to do if you need to travel before it arrives, and the other UK paperwork expats in Cyprus run into: apostilles, certificates, driving licences and healthcare forms. There is also a short table for some other nationalities.

How do you renew a UK passport while living in Cyprus?

You apply online from Cyprus and HM Passport Office processes it in the UK. GOV.UK states plainly that British embassies, high commissions and consulates do not issue passports, so there is no counter in Nicosia to visit.

How much does a UK passport cost from Cyprus in 2026?

These are the overseas fees that took effect on 8 April 2026:

Applying online is cheaper and usually simpler. The service shows any delivery charge for sending your new passport to Cyprus before you pay, so check the total at checkout. If you are visiting the UK anyway, GOV.UK has a separate route for applying while visiting the UK, but only use it if you will be there long enough to receive the passport.

What if you need to travel before your new passport arrives?

If your passport is lost, stolen, damaged, full or recently expired, or is with HM Passport Office, you may be able to get an emergency travel document (ETD). You qualify if you are a British national outside the UK, need to travel within 6 weeks and cannot get a new passport in time. You must normally have held a UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006.

1. Apply online through Travel urgently from abroad without a UK passport. A parent or guardian applies for children under 16.
2. Upload a new digital photo that meets the passport rules.
3. Pay £125 (non-refundable; it has included courier delivery since 9 April 2025).
4. Wait to be told how and when to collect it, and whether you need an appointment at the British High Commission in Nicosia.

An ETD is usually ready 2 working days after you apply, but it can take several weeks if your passport has already expired, the application is for a child, or extra documents or an interview are needed. It is normally valid for one single or return journey through up to 5 countries, so check that your airline and destination accept it.

The High Commission is on Alexander Pallis Street in Nicosia. Public access is by appointment only, and the FCDO prioritises emergencies and vulnerable people. For questions, use the FCDO contact form for Nicosia.

Do you need to update your Cyprus residence card after a new passport?

Yes. Your MUKW card (Withdrawal Agreement), yellow slip or pink slip residence permit was issued against your old passport number. When the new passport arrives:

1. Keep the old passport, or at least a colour copy of its photo page and any Cyprus stamps.
2. Contact the Migration Department or your district Aliens and Immigration unit to update your file, and ask whether you need an appointment.
3. Travel with both your new passport and your residence card, plus the old passport until your record is updated.

For UK nationals covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the MUKW card itself stays valid; the basics of which card you hold are in our UK citizens after Brexit guide. If you are on a pink slip or another non-EU permit, renew your passport first when both are close to expiry, because a permit renewal needs a valid passport: see renewing a residence permit online.

Can you renew a UK driving licence with a Cyprus address?

No. GOV.UK says you cannot renew or replace a UK driving licence while you live in Cyprus. As a resident you can drive on it for up to six months, then you need to exchange it for a Cypriot licence at the Road Transport Department, using a DVLA or DVA check code. We explain the documents and steps in our driving licence exchange guide.

How do you get UK documents legalised (apostilled) for Cyprus?

Cyprus authorities often ask for UK certificates (birth, marriage, divorce, degrees, police checks) to carry an apostille. Only the FCDO Legalisation Office in the UK can add one: GOV.UK states that embassies and high commissions cannot legalise documents, and they cannot translate them either.

Return postage on paper apostilles is charged per 1.5kg: £32 for the listed European countries and £42 for the rest of the world, so check which band your address falls into. Birth, death and marriage certificates cannot get an e-Apostille.

Practical order of steps:

1. If you need a fresh UK certificate, order a copy online from the relevant General Register Office.
2. Ask the Cyprus office that wants it whether it needs the original or a certified copy.
3. Apply through Get your document legalised.
4. Have it translated into Greek in Cyprus if the office asks; the FCDO lists translators in its professional services finder.

What about the S1 and GHIC for UK pensioners?

If you receive a UK State Pension and hold an S1, your Cyprus cover runs through GESY and also lets you get a UK-issued GHIC for trips to other EU countries. The things to keep updated are the ones that involve the NHS: if your address or circumstances change, tell NHS Overseas Healthcare Services, which sends replacement S1 forms to your registered address; a new S1 must be registered with GESY again. GOV.UK's Healthcare in Cyprus page lists the phone line. The basics of applying are covered in our Brexit guide and our guide for British retirees.

Where do other nationalities renew their passports in Cyprus?

Many EU and Commonwealth countries handle passports through their embassy or high commission in Nicosia, but the rules vary a lot. These are the main ones:

Whatever your passport, the same Cyprus rule applies: update the Migration Department when the number changes.

What to do next

• Check your passport's expiry date now and apply at least a few months before any planned trip.
• If you are newly arrived, add the passport and residence steps to our first 90 days admin checklist.
• For the bigger picture on permits, read Cyprus residency permits explained.