Getting Your Tax Number in Cyprus: The TIC Explained

Getting Your Tax Number in Cyprus: The TIC Explained

The TIC — Tax Identification Code, known in Greek as Αριθμός Φορολογικής Ταυτότητας — is your Cypriot tax number. Nine digits, yours for life. It sounds like a formality, but it's one of those foundational documents that unlocks almost everything else: employers need it before they can register you, banks ask for it when you open an account, and the tax authorities require it for anything income-related.

The good news: getting your TIC is, by Cypriot bureaucracy standards, surprisingly painless. No appointment, no waiting list, no careful timing around lunch breaks. Bring the right documents and you'll likely be done in under half an hour.

Who needs a TIC?

Anyone earning income in Cyprus, opening a local bank account, or establishing official residency. In practice, that means nearly every expat — sooner rather than later. Employers legally cannot register you with Social Insurance without one, so if you're starting a job, it's not optional.

What you need to bring

The Tax Department keeps its requirements fairly straightforward — and they usually stay that way.

Officially required:

• Valid passport or national ID card (original + copy)
• Yellow Slip or other proof of residency (e.g. ARC)
• Completed form TD 2001 (available on-site or at tax.gov.cy)
• Proof of your Cyprus address (rental contract, utility bill, etc.)

Practical advice:

• Bring everything in duplicate — some counters make their own copies, others don't
• Fill in the TD 2001 before you go to save time at the counter

Step by step

1. 1Download and complete form TD 2001: Available at tax.gov.cy. Name, address, date of birth, nationality — nothing complicated.
2. 2Visit your district Tax Department office: There's one in each district. No appointment needed — just walk in and take a number.
3. 3Submit your documents at the counter: Passport or ID, Yellow Slip, proof of address, completed form.
4. 4Receive your TIC on the spot: You'll either get a document with your number or be told it directly. Some offices issue a certificate, others a plain printout.
5. 5Keep the number somewhere safe: Your TIC never changes. Write it down, store it digitally — you'll use it again and again.

Rules vs. reality

The main pitfall: if you don't yet have a Yellow Slip but your employer is pressing for a TIC, you can find yourself in a chicken-and-egg situation. Technically the Tax Department can issue a TIC without a Yellow Slip — but some offices insist on it. When in doubt, sort the Yellow Slip first.

What you'll use it for

Your TIC isn't a one-time document — it comes up at almost every official stage of life in Cyprus:

• Employment: Your employer needs it to register you with Social Insurance
• Bank account: All Cypriot banks require it as part of their KYC process
• Tax returns: Anyone with income here must file annually above a certain threshold
• Property: Mandatory for buying or selling land and property
• Company formation: Required for any company director or founder

Where to go

The Tax Department has offices in all five districts:

• Nicosia: Corner Makariou & Savvides, 1082 Nicosia
• Limassol: Gladstonos 45
• Larnaca: Kitieos 1
• Paphos: Neofytos Nikolaidi 62
• Paralimni: Leoforos Ammochostou 10

Official website: tax.gov.cy

Last updated: 2026. Requirements and forms may change — always download the latest version of TD 2001 directly from tax.gov.cy.