By: AGP Law | A.G. Paphitis & Co Law Firm
As of Monday 20 November, Cyprus is initiating the one-stop-shipping centre at the Deputy Ministry of Shipping, starting with matters within the purview of the Civil Registry and Migration Department.
The establishment of this unified shipping centre marks a new era for Cyprus’ shipping industry, which aligns with the Government’s aim to expand and upgrade the services offered by the Shipping Deputy Ministry but at the same time to simplify and streamline processes for all interested parties.
As the Deputy Minister Ms. Marina Hadjimanolis noted, the idea behind the creation of this centre is to provide quality service to requests by all shipping companies, as well as to companies whose activities are related to shipping and based in Cyprus, in matters that fall under the competency of the Civil Registry and Migration Department. The Deputy Minister further noted that this project is being carried out in close cooperation with the Civil Registry and Migration Department of the Ministry of Interior, which has provided the necessary expertise, IT equipment and personnel.
Every Monday, the Centre – which will be based in the offices of the Deputy Ministry in Limassol – will accept applications that necessitate in-person presence to collect biometric data for issuing registration certificates to EU citizens, employed in Cyprus by shipping companies and for issuing of residence cards for family members of EU citizens who are not themselves citizens of the Union.
Moreover, the Centre will accept applications concerning the issuing and renewing of temporary residence and employment permits in Cyprus for third-country nationals employed by shipping companies and for arranging the residence of family members of third-country nationals employed by shipping companies.
According to the Deputy Minister, the primary objective of the Centre is to broaden its scope to encompass shipping related matters that fall under the responsibility of other government departments and ministries, in order for these matters to be consolidated and handled from the same point, namely the Shipping Deputy Ministry.
Therefore, this move aims to consolidate transactions relevant to the shipping sector under one roof and gradually eliminate the often-time-consuming processes which include the involvement of various government authorities, resulting in greater efficiency.
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