A Look at Work Permits in Cyprus

If you are interested in moving abroad to live and work in Cyprus you may need to be in possession of a valid work permit before you can legally take up any type of employment in Cyprus. Not everyone that is moving overseas to work in Cyprus will need to have a work permit to legally seek employment so you will want to see if you are one of people that may be required to have a work permit in Cyprus.

Cyprus is an attractive place to move and take up employment as the island has a nice Mediterranean climate and a relatively low crime rate. Some people are also attracted to Cyprus because of its reputation as having a slower pace of life than most of Europe. The official language of Cyprus is Greek, but around 90 percent of the population speaks English as well. If you are looking for a job you should be prepared to possibly be shut out from some jobs if you do not speak fluent Greek. It is especially important to be able to speak Greek for positions in law, accounting and a few others as there are specialist exams that you have to take to work in those positions and the exams are only offered in Greek. Most expats that come to Cyprus work in tourism, information technology or construction.

Since Cyprus is a member state of the European Union, anyone that is a citizen of another European Union member country can legally move to Cyprus and take up employment without the need for a work permit. European Union nationals are also allowed to start up a business without the need for a permit if they wish to do that instead of seeking regular employment with a company in Cyprus. If you decided to take up employment or start a business and stay in Cyprus longer than 90 days you will still need to get your self a temporary residence permit. But if you will be working and in the country for less than 90 days all you will need to do is notify the immigration department of your presence in the country.

If you are not a citizen of a European Union country it is slightly more difficult to take up employment in Cyprus. You will need to have a work permit before you even arrive in the country. Typically you can search for an employer that will take care of the application process for you. However, you will only be issued a work permit if there is no Cypriot or European Union citizen qualified and available to fill the position.

There are two different classes of work permits. There are executive and non-executive permits. Directors and partners of companies and department managers of international companies that have offices in Cyprus are typically who qualify for executive work permits. Other managerial, professional, clerical, technical and administrative staff members are given the non-executive work permits.

If you are granted a work permit, you can expect for it to be valid for a period of three months or one year. Permits can be renewed as long as you continue to meet the qualifications.