Working in Cyprus: the 2026 guide

Who can work, the permit, what to register, pay and tax, your rights, and where the jobs are. Plain answers, with links to the official pages.

Minimum wage€1,088€979 for the first six months
No income tax up to€22,000a year, then 20% to 35%
From every salary11.45%Social Insurance 8.8% + GESY 2.65%
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Can you work in Cyprus? Your path

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens

  1. Come and look for workCitizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland need no work permit and no visa. You can arrive, interview and start work on the same terms as Cypriots.
  2. Register if you stay over three monthsWithin four months of arriving, apply to the Migration Department for a registration certificate on form MEU1, known as the "yellow slip". In Nicosia you apply at the Migration Department, elsewhere at the immigration unit of your district. The fee is €20.
  3. Social InsuranceYour employer registers you with Social Insurance and pays its share; your own 8.8% is taken from your salary. Keep your Social Insurance number: you need it for benefits and your pension.
  4. Tax numberApply for a tax identification number (TIN) online, through the Tax Department's Tax For All portal. Your employer needs it to run payroll.
  5. HealthcareYou pay 2.65% of your salary to GESY, the national health system. Register with a personal doctor of your choice to use it.

Official: Migration Department: registration of EU citizens (MEU1) · Tax Department: tax identification number for individuals

Everyone else

  1. Find the employer firstFor most people from outside the EU the permit belongs to a particular job, and it is the employer who applies. You cannot come to Cyprus to look for work on a visitor visa and start working.
  2. The Department of LabourFor most jobs, the employer must first show the Department of Labour that the vacancy was offered to Cypriot and EU candidates without success. If it agrees, it approves the employment and certifies the contract.
  3. International companiesCompanies registered with the government's Business Facilitation Unit can hire highly paid and key staff without that test, with a faster procedure. Many tech, fintech and shipping employers in Limassol use it.
  4. The permitThe Migration Department then issues the residence and employment permit. Do not start work before you have it: working without a permit is illegal, for you and for the employer.
  5. Family of EU citizens, studentsFamily members of EU citizens apply for a residence card instead (form MEU2) and can then work. Students from outside the EU can work only within the hours and sectors their permit allows.

Official: Migration Department: employment of third-country nationals (single permit) · Department of Labour

Rules on permits change, and your case may have its own conditions: confirm with the Migration Department before you move or sign.

Income tax in 2026

Taxable income a yearRate
€0 – €22,000No tax
€22,001 – €32,00020%
€32,001 – €42,00025%
€42,001 – €72,00030%
Over €72,00035%

First job in Cyprus after living abroad? 20% of your pay is tax-free (up to €8,550 a year) if you lived abroad for at least three years, or half of it if you lived abroad for 15 years and earn over €55,000.

What you take home

Gross a monthTaxSI + GESYTake-home
€1,200 €0 €137 €1,063
€2,000 €0 €229 €1,771
€3,000 €165 €344 €2,492
€5,000 €653 €573 €3,774

12 salaries a year, no exemptions. Your own figure, with a 13th salary or an exemption:

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Your rights at work

Minimum wage

€979 a month when you start, €1,088 after six months with the same employer, for a full-time job (1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027). Hotel staff, domestic workers, farm workers and seafarers have their own arrangements.

Paid holiday

At least four weeks of paid leave a year: 20 working days on a five-day week, 24 on a six-day week. Collective agreements and many contracts give more.

Contract and probation

Ask for your terms in writing: pay, hours, place of work, leave and notice. A probation period, if there is one, is usually up to six months.

Notice

After 26 weeks with the same employer you are protected by the Termination of Employment Law: you must be given written notice, longer the longer you have worked there, or compensation if you are dismissed without a valid reason.

Parents

Mothers are entitled to 22 weeks of maternity leave and fathers to two weeks of paternity leave, paid through Social Insurance.

13th salary

Not required by law, but common: banks, the public sector, hotels and many large employers pay 13 salaries a year. Check your contract, and compare offers with the job offer calculator.

Where the jobs are, and what rent costs

Famagusta

Ayia Napa, Protaras and Paralimni

1 open vacancy

1-bedroom flat: €500 – €750 a month

Jobs Cost of living

The industries hiring most right now

IT / Computer Science · 183 Accounting · 51 Hospitality · 40 Marketing · 40 Compliance · 32 Administration · 26 Finance · 26 Sales · 24 Forex (FX) · 21 Customer Service · 19

Rents: published district ranges, from INDEX.cy, Apartments for Rent in Cyprus, district guide (March 2026). Vacancy counts are live.

Getting hired

Check your CV first

Cyprus employers expect a short CV in English: one or two pages, your work permit status near the top if you are from outside the EU. Our free CV check tells you what to fix.

Free CV check

New jobs on your phone

Set alerts by town and industry in the free Cyprus Jobs app, and apply from your phone.

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Questions people ask

Can I work in Cyprus as an EU citizen?

Yes. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no work permit. If you stay longer than three months, register with the Migration Department (form MEU1, the "yellow slip") within four months of arriving.

How do I get a work permit for Cyprus?

From outside the EU, you need a job offer first: the employer applies. For most jobs the Department of Labour checks that no Cypriot or EU candidate was available, then the Migration Department issues the residence and employment permit. Companies registered with the Business Facilitation Unit have a faster route for highly paid staff.

What is the minimum wage in Cyprus in 2026?

€1,088 gross a month for full-time work, or €979 for the first six months with an employer, from 1 January 2026.

How much tax will I pay on my salary in Cyprus?

No income tax on the first €22,000 a year. Above that, 20% to 35% in bands. Social Insurance (8.8%) and GESY (2.65%) are taken from every salary. On €2,000 a month you take home about €1,771.

Do I need to speak Greek to work in Cyprus?

Not for most jobs in Limassol, Nicosia and the resorts: English is the working language of international companies, tourism and much of the private sector. Greek is needed for the public sector and many local businesses, and helps everywhere.

Where are most jobs in Cyprus?

Limassol has the most vacancies, especially in tech, fintech, forex and shipping, followed by Nicosia (banks, accounting, the public sector). Larnaca, Paphos and Famagusta hire most in tourism and hospitality.

Official pages

Checked 5 November 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

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