How much time can I spend outside Cyprus during the five-year qualifying period?

During the five-year qualifying period, short absences from Cyprus do not break your continuity as long as no single absence exceeds six consecutive months and the absences together do not exceed ten months in total within the five years.

Longer or more frequent absences can reset or interrupt the qualifying period. If your work or family means you travel a lot, keep careful records of your entries and exits so you can demonstrate you stayed within the limits.