A 1,088 EUR minimum wage, a 22,000 EUR tax-free band, 20 days of leave and a job market that runs on Ergodotisi, LinkedIn and word of mouth. Here is how work in Cyprus really functions, checked against the official figures.
This page is for anyone who wants to earn a living in Cyprus: EU citizens who can start on Monday, UK citizens working out what Brexit changed, third-country nationals who need an employer to sponsor them, remote workers eyeing the digital nomad route, locals comparing an offer against the minimum wage, and anyone opening a payslip and wondering where 12 percent went. We checked the 2026 minimum wage decree, the social insurance and GESY rates, the income tax bands that took effect on 1 January 2026, the leave rules and the 2026 public holidays against the ministry, the EU's EURES portal and PwC's tax summaries on 14 September 2026. Where a figure could not be confirmed we say so. Start with the guide, then use the directory for the job boards, agencies, labour offices and unions.
Ergodotisi, Kariera, CyprusJobs, LinkedIn, EURES and the government's own vacancy platform: where the adverts are and what each one is good for.
See the list
The Limassol and Nicosia recruiters that fill finance, tech, shipping, iGaming and hospitality roles, with verified offices and phones.
See the list
District labour offices in every town, Social Insurance Services, the Business Facilitation Unit and the Migration Department.
See the list
PEO, SEK and DEOK for workers, OEB for employers: who negotiates the collective agreements that cover about 40 percent of employees.
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The Ministry of Education's Adult Education Centres, and why a few hundred words of Greek widen the job market.
See the listYour passport decides how hard this is. EU and EEA citizens have the right to work from day one. Everyone else needs a permit, and in Cyprus the permit almost always belongs to the employer, not to you. The paperwork side of settling (yellow slip, MUKW cards, residence) is covered on our moving to Cyprus page, so this table sticks to the work question.
| Who you are | Can you work? | What you must do |
|---|---|---|
| EU or EEA citizen | Yes, immediately, employed or self-employed | Register with the Civil Registry and Migration Department within four months of arrival. To stay beyond three months you need to be working, studying, or insured with enough money to live on. |
| UK citizen who lived here before 1 January 2021 | Yes, on the same footing as before Brexit | Exchange the old MEU document for the MUKW biometric card (MUKW1 temporary, 5 years; MUKW3 permanent, 10 years). UK professional qualifications need separate recognition. |
| UK citizen arriving after 1 January 2021 | Only with a permit | The UK government's own guidance says you may need a work permit or work visa. In practice you are a third-country national: an employer applies for you, or you qualify under one of the routes below. |
| Third-country national with a Cyprus job offer | Only once the employer's permit is granted | The employer applies to the Civil Registry and Migration Department. Companies registered with the Business Facilitation Unit (foreign interest companies, mostly tech, shipping, forex and fintech in Limassol and Nicosia) have a faster route for skilled staff. You cannot arrive on a tourist stamp and job hunt legally. |
| Remote worker employed abroad | Yes, for a foreign employer only, under the Digital Nomad Visa | The Migration Department accepts applications under the Cyprus Digital Nomad Visa scheme. The income threshold, permit cap and duration are set by the scheme's own terms; check the current figures with the Migration Department before you plan around them. |
| Spouse or family of any of the above | Depends on the sponsor's status | EU family members register alongside the EU citizen. Family of permit holders usually need their own permission to work; ask the Migration Department. |
Cyprus pays less than the UK, Germany or the Netherlands for the same job, but takes far less off the top. The national minimum wage is set by decree every two years and the current one runs from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027. Roughly 40 percent of employees are covered by collective agreements (hotels, construction, banking and others), which set higher floors for their sectors. A bill aligning the minimum wage law with the EU adequate minimum wages directive is due before parliament by the end of 2026.
| Minimum wage 2026 to 2027 | Gross per month |
|---|---|
| First six months with the same employer | 979 EUR |
| After six months' continuous service | 1,088 EUR |
| Previous decree (2024 to 2025) | 900 EUR, then 1,000 EUR |
The Public Employment Service will not advertise a vacancy that pays below the decree for that profession, so a lower offer from a private employer is a red flag. There is no minimum wage for apprentices.
| Deduction | Employee pays | Employer pays on top | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social insurance | 8.8 percent | 8.8 percent | On earnings up to 68,904 EUR a year in 2026. Fixed at this rate until 2028, then rising in five-year steps to 10.3 to 10.7 percent by 2039. The state adds 5.2 percent. |
| GESY (national health system) | 2.65 percent | 2.90 percent | On income up to 180,000 EUR a year. This is what gets you a GP, hospital care and prescriptions; see our GESY page. |
| Income tax (PAYE) | 0 percent on the first 22,000 EUR a year | Nothing | Bands in the next section. Withheld monthly by the employer. |
| Other employer funds | Nothing | Small percentages | Redundancy Fund, human resource development levy, social cohesion fund and, in some sectors, a holiday fund. Ask your employer for the current rates; they do not come out of your pay. |
| Gross salary | Social insurance 8.8 percent | GESY 2.65 percent | Income tax | Take home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,088 EUR a month (minimum wage) | 95.74 EUR | 28.83 EUR | 0 EUR | About 963 EUR |
| 2,000 EUR a month (24,000 EUR a year) | 176.00 EUR | 53.00 EUR | 33.33 EUR (20 percent of the 2,000 EUR above the tax-free band, spread over 12 months) | About 1,738 EUR |
Parliament passed a full tax reform on 22 December 2025 and the new personal bands apply from 1 January 2026. The tax-free band rose from 19,500 EUR to 22,000 EUR and every threshold above it moved up.
| Taxable income 2026 | Rate | Tax at top of band |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 22,000 EUR | 0 percent | 0 EUR |
| 22,001 to 32,000 EUR | 20 percent | 2,000 EUR |
| 32,001 to 42,000 EUR | 25 percent | 4,500 EUR |
| 42,001 to 72,000 EUR | 30 percent | 13,500 EUR |
| Over 72,000 EUR | 35 percent |
| Exemption | Who qualifies | How much | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 percent exemption | First employment in Cyprus starting on or after 1 January 2022, salary above 55,000 EUR a year, and not Cyprus tax resident for at least 15 consecutive years beforehand | Half the employment income is tax free | 17 years |
| 20 percent exemption | First employment from 26 July 2022 by someone not resident here for the 3 previous tax years and employed abroad by a non-resident employer | 20 percent of employment income, capped at 8,550 EUR a year | 7 years, starting the tax year after you begin |
You cannot claim both. On 80,000 EUR a year the 50 percent exemption cuts the taxable figure to 40,000 EUR, which at the 2026 bands is about 4,000 EUR of tax instead of about 16,300 EUR. Get the claim in with your first tax return; it is not automatic.
Cyprus employment law is EU law with local numbers. The figures below come from the EU's EURES service, which the Department of Labour maintains for Cyprus. Collective agreements can only improve on them.
| Topic | The rule |
|---|---|
| Working week | 38 to 40 hours is standard; 48 hours is the legal maximum including overtime. Night work (23:00 to 06:00) is capped at 8 hours in any 24. |
| Rest | 11 consecutive hours off each day, 35 consecutive hours off each week, a 15 minute break once you work more than 6 hours. |
| Annual leave | 20 working days on a five day week, 24 on a six day week, plus whatever the collective agreement adds. |
| Public holidays | 14 to 17 a year depending on sector; which ones are paid is set by the collective agreement or contract. The 2026 dates are below. |
| Probation | The first 26 weeks. Either side can end the contract without notice during it. |
| Notice and dismissal | After probation a dismissed employee is owed notice and compensation that rise with length of service under the Termination of Employment Law. Redundancy pay comes from the state Redundancy Fund once you have 104 weeks with the same employer. |
| Fixed-term contracts | Become permanent once they run past 30 months. Seasonal work of more than 15 weeks a year with one employer counts as continuous. |
| Sick pay | Set by your contract or collective agreement. If the employer pays nothing, you claim sickness benefit from Social Insurance Services (apply on gov.cy). |
| Maternity leave | 22 weeks for a first or second child, 26 weeks for a third or later child; 9 of those weeks must be around the birth, starting at least 2 weeks before. Adoptive mothers get 16 weeks. Paid as maternity allowance by Social Insurance. |
| Paternity leave | 2 weeks with allowance, to be taken within 16 weeks of the birth, for insured fathers. |
| Parental leave | Available to each parent after 6 months with the employer, with a Social Insurance benefit for part of it. Apply on gov.cy; check the current weeks with them. |
| Part-time | Pro rata treatment, same hourly rights as full-timers. |
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Thursday 1 January | New Year's Day |
| Tuesday 6 January | Epiphany |
| Monday 23 February | Green Monday |
| Wednesday 25 March | Greek Independence Day |
| Wednesday 1 April | Cyprus National Day |
| Friday 10 April | Orthodox Good Friday |
| Monday 13 April | Orthodox Easter Monday |
| Tuesday 14 April | Easter Tuesday (banks only) |
| Friday 1 May | Labour Day |
| Monday 1 June | Orthodox Whit Monday (Kataklysmos) |
| Saturday 15 August | Dormition of the Virgin |
| Thursday 1 October | Cyprus Independence Day |
| Wednesday 28 October | Ochi Day |
| Friday 25 December | Christmas Day |
| Saturday 26 December | Boxing Day |
Cyprus had 12,385 registered unemployed at the end of August 2026 (seasonally adjusted 10,671), up 7.2 percent on a year earlier, and Eurostat put the unemployment rate at 3.9 percent in July 2026. That is a tight market, but a lopsided one: the shortage is in tourism, construction, care, tech and professional services, while the registered unemployed cluster in retail (1,404 people), hotels and restaurants (841) and, increasingly, information and communication (544).
| Sector | Where | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Tourism and hospitality | Paphos, Ayia Napa, Protaras, Limassol | Seasonal April to October, English essential, Greek a plus, Russian and German useful. Collective agreement covers hotel staff. Minimum wage is the floor for many front-line roles. |
| Forex, fintech, payments, iGaming | Limassol, Nicosia | The best-paid private sector work on the island: compliance, dealing, marketing, customer support in a dozen languages, software. Many employers are foreign interest companies that can sponsor non-EU staff. |
| Shipping and ship management | Limassol | Crewing, operations, accounting, legal. English-speaking and international. |
| Accounting, audit, legal, corporate services | Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca | Big Four and dozens of local firms. ACCA or ACA travels well; Greek helps with local clients but is not always required. |
| Tech and software | Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos (remote) | Product companies that relocated since 2022 plus the forex houses. Remote-first roles are common; the Digital Nomad Visa exists for people employed abroad. |
| Construction and trades | Island-wide | Steady demand for electricians, plumbers, tilers and site staff. Collective agreement sets pay. Many roles filled through word of mouth and village networks. |
| Care, domestic and nursing | Island-wide | Large third-country workforce on employer permits. Nurses and carers need their professional registration recognised before they can be hired. |
| Teaching | Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos | Private English-medium schools and universities hire abroad; state schools require Greek and are civil service posts. |
| Public sector | Nicosia mostly | Open to EU citizens in principle but conducted in Greek, with exams. Not a realistic route without fluent Greek. |
Agencies are concentrated in Limassol and Nicosia and work for the employer, who pays the fee. Never pay an agency to find you a job. GRS Recruitment (Limassol and Nicosia, about 977 live permanent jobs on its site), CareerFinders (Nicosia and Limassol) and Golden Careers cover most sectors; Emerald Zebra is a specialist for fintech, tech, financial services and iGaming. We could not verify a Paphos-based agency with a live website on the research date, so Paphos jobseekers use the portals, the Paphos labour office and the Limassol agencies.
Plenty of new arrivals end up self-employed: tradespeople, therapists, consultants, freelancers billing clients abroad. EU citizens can register straight away; third-country nationals need a residence status that allows it, which the Digital Nomad Visa does for foreign clients only.
| What you pay as a self-employed person | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Social insurance | 16.6 percent of income | Since 1 January 2024 (15.6 percent before). Calculated within a minimum and maximum insurable income set each year for your profession or trade, so check your category with Social Insurance Services. Rises in five-year steps to 19.6 to 20.4 percent by 2039. |
| GESY | 4.00 percent of income | Up to the 180,000 EUR cap. Gives you the same health cover as an employee. |
| Income tax | 2026 bands above | Provisional tax is paid during the year on your own estimate, then settled with the annual return. |
| VAT | 19 percent standard rate | Registration is compulsory above the turnover threshold; ask an accountant before you invoice. |
Job portals, recruiters, district labour offices, the government services you will deal with, the unions and the adult education centres, each verified on the date below.
The largest Cypriot job board: more than 2,600 live adverts and about 800 new ones a week on 14 September 2026, sales, accounting, customer service and admin heavy, English and Greek.
Tip: Upload a CV to the Seek4U bank so employers can find you; it is where a lot of first contact happens.
Where forex, fintech, shipping, tech and professional services roles are advertised and where Limassol and Nicosia recruiters search first.
Tip: Set your location to Cyprus and switch on the open-to-work flag; local recruiters filter on it.
Bilingual Cypriot board with latest and trending listings, strong on engineering, sales and Greek-speaking roles from smaller employers.
Third of the Cypriot boards, with English and Greek versions and a browse-by-category listing; worth a weekly sweep alongside Ergodotisi.
The EU's job portal, the route the Cyprus government recommends for finding work before you move; EURES advisers work from the district labour offices.
Tip: Its living and working conditions page for Cyprus is the clearest official summary of employment law in English.
The Department of Labour's own vacancy and registration platform: register as unemployed, renew, and see the jobs employers notify to the state.
Tip: Greek by default; the English toggle is at the top. Registration only completes when a labour officer phones your Cyprus number.
Eighteen years in Cyprus and Malta, 35 plus sectors from accounting and banking to gaming, IT, legal and shipping; about 977 live permanent jobs on its site.
Tip: Employers pay the fee; you never should.
Limassol branch of the Nicosia recruiter, covering accounting, IT, banking, engineering, HR, legal, marketing, pharma, shipping and gaming.
Specialist search consultancy, not a volume agency: fintech (FX and CFD brokers, EMIs, PSPs, crypto), tech and IT, financial services and iGaming, from specialist to C-suite.
Tip: The right door if you are in compliance, dealing, DevOps or product and want Limassol.
Head office of one of the island's broadest recruiters, 27 plus industries, with a searchable jobs portal.
Nicosia office of GRS, same sector coverage as Limassol with more accounting, legal and corporate services roles.
Generalist recruiter placing across accounting, finance, customer service, engineering, hospitality, HR, IT, iGaming, marketing and sales.
Department of Labour office for the Paphos district: register as a jobseeker, get guidance, EURES advice and referrals to notified vacancies.
Tip: Bring your passport or ID on a first visit; only residents can register as unemployed.
Department of Labour office for Limassol district: jobseeker registration, guidance and placement, with local offices at Ypsonas and East Limassol.
Local Department of Labour office serving the western Limassol suburbs and villages.
Local Department of Labour office for the eastern side of Limassol and the tourist area.
Department of Labour office for Larnaca district: jobseeker registration, guidance and placement, with a local office at Aradippou.
Local Department of Labour office north of Larnaca town.
The main Department of Labour office: jobseeker registration, guidance, EURES advisers and placement, with local offices at Lakatamia and Latsia.
Local Department of Labour office for the south-western Nicosia suburbs.
Local Department of Labour office for Latsia and the southern Nicosia suburbs.
Department of Labour office for the free Famagusta area, the one to use for hotel and restaurant seasons in Ayia Napa and Protaras.
Local Department of Labour office for Polis, Latchi and the Akamas villages, so you need not drive to Paphos.
Ministry of Labour service that issues your social insurance number, collects the 8.8 percent and 16.6 percent contributions and pays sickness, maternity, paternity, parental and unemployment benefits.
Tip: Self-employed? Look up your profession's insurable earnings category on the site before you register.
Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry one-stop portal for foreign interest companies, which is how forex, fintech, tech and shipping employers bring in non-EU staff.
Tip: If a Limassol employer says it is BFU-registered, the permit route is quicker; ask for the timeline in writing.
The Deputy Ministry of Migration accepts residence permit applications under the Cyprus Digital Nomad Visa scheme for people employed by or working for clients outside Cyprus.
Tip: Check the current income threshold and permit cap with them before booking flights; both are set by the scheme, not by law.
Monthly statistical release on gov.cy showing registered unemployed by sector and district, useful for judging where demand is before you target a town.
The official UK guidance on MUKW residence cards, work permits for post-2021 arrivals, qualification recognition and social security, rewritten on 5 February 2026.
Regional offices of the Pancyprian Federation of Labour, one of the two big confederations, covering hotel, construction and retail workers in the west.
Headquarters of PEO: collective bargaining through its affiliated unions, welfare fund, housing help and guidance on pay, hours and dismissal. English toggle on the website.
The other big confederation, with federations for public services, hotels and catering, industry, transport and petroleum, construction, mining and agriculture. Website in Greek.
The employers' side of the table: industrial relations and social policy department, employment law guidance and training for member companies. Useful if you are the one hiring.
The third confederation, with published labour law guides for members, placement help, training and advice on social insurance and dismissal. Website in Greek.
Ministry of Education evening classes in every district, mainly foreign languages, crafts and vocational skills, with online enrolment each autumn. Ask your nearest centre about Greek for non-native speakers and this year's fee.
Tip: Classes fill in September; put your name down the week enrolment opens.
Details checked 14 September 2026 against each business's own website or listing. Hours and prices change: confirm before you travel. Spotted an error? Tell us and we fix it the same day.
1,088 EUR gross a month once you have six months' continuous service with the same employer, and 979 EUR gross a month for the first six months. The decree runs from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027. Sectors with collective agreements (hotels, construction, banking) have higher floors.
If you were living here before 1 January 2021 and hold or exchange for an MUKW card, yes, as before. If you arrived after that date you are treated as a third-country national: an employer has to obtain a permit for you, or you qualify under a scheme such as the Digital Nomad Visa for work done for employers abroad. A job offer on its own does not let you start.
Nothing on the first 22,000 EUR a year (2026 bands), then 20 percent to 32,000 EUR, 25 percent to 42,000 EUR, 30 percent to 72,000 EUR and 35 percent above that. On top come social insurance at 8.8 percent and GESY at 2.65 percent. Someone on 2,000 EUR a month takes home about 1,738 EUR.
If you take your first job in Cyprus on or after 1 January 2022, earn more than 55,000 EUR a year and were not tax resident here for the previous 15 years, half your employment income is exempt from income tax for 17 years. A smaller 20 percent exemption (capped at 8,550 EUR a year, 7 years) exists for lower salaries; you cannot claim both.
20 working days a year on a five day week or 24 on a six day week, plus 14 to 17 public holidays depending on your sector and agreement. Collective agreements often add days. Holidays that fall on a weekend are not moved.
Not in forex, fintech, shipping, tech, tourism, international schools or most of Limassol's corporate sector, where English is the working language. You do need it for the public sector, state schools, local retail, bank branches and most Greek-Cypriot owned businesses. Even basic Greek widens the field and improves how interviews go.
Register on the Public Employment Service platform (pescps.dl.mlsi.gov.cy) or at your district labour office, giving a Cyprus mobile number. Registration only completes when a Department of Labour officer phones you. You must be resident; visitors cannot register. The labour office also refers you to notified vacancies and to EURES advisers.
Social insurance at 16.6 percent of income within the minimum and maximum insurable earnings set for your profession, GESY at 4.00 percent, income tax on the 2026 bands (first 22,000 EUR free) and VAT at 19 percent once you pass the registration threshold. Register with Social Insurance Services and the Tax Department before your first invoice.
Yes, and it is famously straightforward: Cyprus is the easiest legal wedding destination in Europe. Civil ceremonies take place at town halls such as Ayia Napa, Paphos, Peyia, Geroskipou and Polis Chrysochous, and many hotels and venues are licensed for civil ceremonies too.
It varies hugely by venue and season. As a general guide, expect anywhere from a few hundred euros for a simple town hall ceremony to several thousand for a full venue wedding, and prices change year to year. Venues quote on enquiry, so ask us and we will get you the real, current numbers for free.
Ayia Napa Town Hall is the most popular civil ceremony venue in Cyprus, with the sea right next door. It is quick, simple and legal, which is exactly why so many couples choose it.
Absolutely: bare feet in the sand with the turquoise sea behind you is the simplest and most romantic option of all. Beach ceremonies run at resorts such as Anassa, Columbia Beach Resort and Coral Beach, and at dedicated beach venues like Atlantida Beach. Take the sunset slot if you can.
Yes. Couples wanting tradition can have an Orthodox blessing in the mountains at Kykkos Monastery, with the civil ceremony done separately. There are also whitewashed chapels like the Agioi Anargyroi Chapel at Cape Greco, the classic Cyprus elopement photo spot, and Anassa has its own Byzantine-style chapel.
Yes. You can say your vows on a private yacht or catamaran, on charters of two to six hours with buffet or sit-down dining and DJ options, running out of Paphos and Latchi. The open sea and a sunset no venue can match.
Our directory lists 98 wedding venues across the island, from five-star icons and clifftop decks to wineries, village inns, beach gazebos and the town halls where the paperwork happens. Every venue quotes on enquiry and prices move season to season, so ask us and we will get you the real numbers and honest advice for free.
