# Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM) authorisation (Cyprus)

Source page: https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/fund-manager/cyprus-aifm/

The Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM) authorisation is issued by Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) under The Alternative Investment Fund Managers Law of 2013 (Law 56(I)/2013). It can be passported to the other EU/EEA states by notification. The official register lists 45 current holders. The legal decision period is 3 months from submission of a complete application, extendable by an additional 3 months where deemed necessary. Ownership changes need the regulator's approval before completion.

## At a glance

| Official name | Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM) authorisation [1] |
| --- | --- |
| Issued by | [Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission](https://protegra.io/licensing/regulators/cysec-cyprus/) |
| Jurisdiction | [Cyprus](https://protegra.io/licensing/jurisdictions/cyprus/) |
| Licence family | [Fund manager](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/fund-manager/) |
| Legal basis | The Alternative Investment Fund Managers Law of 2013 (Law 56(I)/2013) [2]; The Open-Ended Undertakings for Collective Investment (UCI) Law of 2012 (Law 78(I)/2012) [2]; Directive 2011/61/EU on Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFMD) [3] |
| Passporting | EU/EEA passport available |
| Statutory decision time | 3 months from submission of a complete application, extendable by an additional 3 months where deemed necessary [3] |
| Public register | [official register](https://www.cysec.gov.cy/en-GB/entities/aifm/authorised/authorised-aifm/) [1] |
| Current holders | 45 [1] |

## What it lets you do

- [Managing alternative investment funds](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/aif-management/)

- **Managing alternative investment funds.** Performing portfolio management and risk management for funds that are not UCITS, such as hedge, private equity and real estate funds.

## Where it is valid

_Issued in Cyprus (gold); can be passported to the other EU/EEA states (blue) by notification._

## How long it takes

Statutory: 3 months from submission of a complete application, extendable by an additional 3 months where deemed necessary [3]. Observed: not published. The statutory clock usually starts only when the regulator treats the application as complete, and pauses while it waits for answers to its questions.

## Buying a company that already holds it

**Prior notification with an objection period.** Any natural or legal person proposing to acquire or increase, directly or indirectly, a qualifying holding reaching or crossing 10%, 20%, 30%, or 50% in a CIF, AIFM, or CASP, or to achieve control making it a subsidiary, must submit prior written notification to CySEC under Sections 12 and 13 of Law 87(I)/2017 and MiCA Article 83. CySEC acknowledges receipt within two working days and has a statutory assessment period of 60 working days to oppose the acquisition based on reputation, financial soundness, AML risks, and fit-and-proper criteria. The assessment period may be interrupted once by up to 20 working days (or 30 working days for non-EU entities) to request additional information. If CySEC does not object in writing before expiry, the transaction is deemed approved. Closing without CySEC non-opposition suspends voting rights and risks statutory penalties. [4]

## Laws behind it

- [Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive](https://protegra.io/licensing/laws/eu-aifmd-2011-61/): Directive 2011/61/EU
- [UCITS Directive](https://protegra.io/licensing/laws/eu-ucits-2009-65/): Directive 2009/65/EC
- [European Crowdfunding Service Providers Regulation](https://protegra.io/licensing/laws/eu-ecspr-2020-1503/): Regulation (EU) 2020/1503

## Sources

1. [cysec.gov.cy: authorised aifm](https://www.cysec.gov.cy/en-GB/entities/aifm/authorised/authorised-aifm/): retrieved 2026-09-24
2. [cysec.gov.cy: collective investment](https://www.cysec.gov.cy/en-GB/legislation/collective-investment/): retrieved 2026-09-24
3. [eur-lex.europa.eu: HTML (32011L0061)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32011L0061): retrieved 2026-09-24
4. [cylaw.org: full](https://www.cylaw.org/nomoi/enop/non-ind/2017_1_87/full.html): retrieved 2026-09-24

Last verified 2026-09-24 · Author: Danil Marmysh · Reviewed by Anastasia Sidorenkova · © Protegra. Data: CC BY 4.0, cite "Protegra Licensing Atlas". Not legal advice.