Cyprus work permit: salary thresholds, family, changing jobs

Working in Cyprus Checked: 26 October 2026 no change to the rule has been established since the check

In short

Who it applies to: Non-EU nationals hired by a Cypriot company, and their families. EU citizens work without a permit and only need the yellow registration certificate. Remote work for a foreign employer is a different scheme, the digital nomad permit.
What it costs: Ordinary hiring — €120 for entry and the first permit, or €130 for issue and renewal in Cyprus. A foreign-interest company — €70 and €80. The Blue Card — €110 and €95. First registration adds €70 for the ARC alien card.
How long it takes: The department promises a decision within 4 months for ordinary hiring, 1 month for a foreign-interest company and 90 days for the Blue Card — if the documents are complete. The permit follows the contract, up to 3 consecutive years.
Where to apply: The employer applies at the Migration Department's central offices in Nicosia. For ordinary hiring the Department of Labour must first approve the post and seal the contract. Renewal is online through CY Login.
If your case differs: The permit is tied to the employer: lose the job and you usually have a month to find another. A visitor's permit allows no work at all, formal or casual: taking a job ends it at once.

Your case

If an ordinary Cypriot company hires you

First the employer searches for a local worker through the employment service for two weeks and advertises in a newspaper; if none is found, it asks the Department of Labour to approve the post, and the department seals the contract. With that contract the employer applies to the Migration Department: €120 for entry, a decision within 4 months. A permit runs up to 3 consecutive years, 4 years in total. You may change employer after 6 months in the same occupation; after a job ends you have a month to find another. The family joins through reunification after 2 years.

If the employer is a foreign-interest company

The company first registers through the Business Support Centre of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry. A highly paid employee needs €2.500 a month gross, a degree or 2 years' experience and a 2-year contract; there is no labour market test. The fee is €70, the decision takes 1 month, and there is no limit on years. You may change jobs at any time if you find another such company within a month. A spouse may take a job without a labour market test but may not be self-employed. Support staff are handled as ordinary hiring, with the 4-year ceiling.

If you are a specialist in ICT, pharmaceutical research or shipping

In Cyprus the EU Blue Card is issued in three sectors only: ICT, pharmaceuticals for research, and shipping excluding masters and crews; elsewhere the quota is zero. The salary must be at least €43.632 a year. The employer applies, €110, a decision within 90 days; the card runs 24–36 months. In the first 12 months a new job may start only 30 days after the application. You may be out of work for up to 3 months, or 6 after 2 years with the card; the start of unemployment must be reported to the department. The family gets permits for the card's term and may work, including self-employment.

Deadlines and conditions

for ordinary hiring the entry permit with the residence permit costs €120ΚΔΠ 284/2022, item (ζ): «…στο πλαίσιο ενιαίας άδειας, με ισχύ μέχρι 3 έτη, ποσό ύψους 120 ευρώ»; the same on the department's page on remunerated employment (GEN).
issuing or renewing the permit in Cyprus costs €130ΚΔΠ 284/2022, item (η): issue or renewal «…με ισχύ μέχρι 3 έτη, ποσό ύψους 130 ευρώ»; the department's page — «Έκδοση ή ανανέωση άδειας διαμονής, με ισχύ 1 – 3 έτη: €130».
the first entry in the Aliens' Register with an ARC card is another €70The department's pages on all three routes: «Εγγραφή στο μητρώο αλλοδαπών (μόνο στις περιπτώσεις πρώτης εγγραφής): €70».
for ordinary hiring the decision is due within 4 monthsCap. 105, s. 18ΥΖ(1): a decision «πριν από την πάροδο τεσσάρων (4) μηνών από την ημερομηνία υποβολής της αίτησης»; the department's page — «εντός τεσσάρων μηνών».
one permit follows the contract, up to 3 consecutive yearsThe department's page on hiring: «μπορεί να είναι μέχρι τρία συναπτά έτη»; the same for foreign-interest companies.
ordinary hiring allows a total stay of no more than 4 yearsThe department's page on hiring: «Η ανώτατη περίοδος παραμονής υπηκόου τρίτης χώρας για σκοπούς απασχόλησης είναι τα τέσσερα (4) χρόνια»; no ceiling for athletes and coaches, farm workers, «Ομογενείς», specialised cooks and persons on approved lists.
on ordinary hiring you may change employer after 6 months, in the same occupation and sector, with a release documentThe department's Greek page on hiring: «Ο εργαζόμενος έχει δικαίωμα αλλαγής εργοδότη μετά την πάροδο έξι (6) μηνών, στο ίδιο επάγγελμα και οικονομική δραστηριότητα, νοουμένου ότι εξασφαλίσει έγγραφο αποδέσμευσης». The English page says otherwise — see the note on the source.
after a job ends you have 1 month to find a new oneThe Greek page on hiring: «για όλους τους τρόπους λύσης της σύμβασης εργασίας ο εργαζόμενος έχει περιθώριο ενός (1) μηνός να αναζητήσει νέα εργασία»; the page on foreign-interest companies: «εξεύρει εργασία εντός ενός μήνα από τον τερματισμό της προηγούμενης απασχόλησής του».

Show all conditions (25)

a highly paid employee of a foreign-interest company earns at least €2.500 a month grossThe department's page on legislation and policy for foreign-interest companies: «Λήψη ελάχιστου μεικτού μηνιαίου μισθού ύψους €2500»; plus a degree or 2 years' experience and a contract of at least 2 years.
earlier key-personnel permits renew on €2.000 a month only until 31.12.2026 and only with the same employerThe same page: former Key Personnel «με μηνιαία μεικτή μισθοδοσία €2000 και άνω, θα εξακολουθούν, για τα επόμενα 5 έτη – μέχρι 31.12.2026,να ανανεώνουν την άδεια διαμονής τους στον ίδιο εργοδότη χωρίς αύξηση της μισθοδοσίας τους».
with a foreign-interest company the entry permit with residence costs €70ΚΔΠ 284/2022, item (ε): «…για τον σκοπό απασχόλησης σε εταιρεία ξένων συμφερόντων, με ισχύ μέχρι 3 έτη, ποσό ύψους 70 ευρώ»; item (στ) — issue or renewal €80.
issue or renewal costs €80ΚΔΠ 284/2022, item (στ); the department's page: «Έκδοση ή ανανέωση άδειας διαμονής, με ισχύ 1 – 3 έτη: €80».
a foreign-interest company's application is examined within 1 monthThe department's page on the procedure for foreign-interest companies: «Οι αιτήσεις εξετάζονται εντός ενός μήνα, νοουμένου ότι είναι δεόντως συμπληρωμένες».
the company has committed to 30% Cypriot and EU staff, and from 2027 this is checked on new hiresThe policy page: «Όλες οι εταιρείες δεσμεύονται να επενδύσουν το 30% του συνολικού προσωπικού τους σε Κύπριους/ πολίτες της ΕΕ… μετά τις 2.1.2027, θα ελέγχεται η αναλογία για νέες προσλήψεις».
above €35.000 a year there is no labour market testDepartment of Labour, employers' applications: «Απασχόληση υπηκόων τρίτων χωρών υψηλής ειδίκευσης με ετήσιες ακαθάριστες απολαβές πέραν των €35.000 — Δεν απαιτείται ο έλεγχος της αγοράς εργασίας».
the Blue Card needs a salary of at least €43.632 a year grossΚΔΠ 457/2024, para. 2: «Ως κατώτατος ακαθάριστος ετήσιος μισθός για απασχόληση υψηλής ειδίκευσης υπηκόων τρίτων χωρών καθορίζονται οι €43.632».
entry with a Blue Card costs €110ΚΔΠ 200/2025 (from 07.07.2025), item (α): «…για έκδοση άδειας εισόδου και Μπλε Κάρτας της ΕΕ, με ισχύ μέχρι 3 έτη, ποσό ύψους €110».
issuing or renewing a Blue Card costs €95ΚΔΠ 200/2025, item (β): «…για έκδοση/ανανέωση Μπλε Κάρτας της ΕΕ, με ισχύ μέχρι 3 έτη, ποσό ύψους €95».
a Blue Card application is examined within 90 daysThe department's Blue Card page: «Η αίτηση για Μπλε Κάρτα της ΕΕ εξετάζεται εντός 90 ημερών από την υποβολή της».
the Blue Card is issued for 24 to 36 monthsThe department's Blue Card page: «τουλάχιστον είκοσι τέσσερις (24) μήνες και δεν υπερβαίνει τους τριάντα έξι (36) μήνες»; with a shorter contract — the contract plus 3 months.
in the first 12 months on a Blue Card a new job may start only 30 days after the applicationThe department's Blue Card page: in the first «δώδεκα (12) πρώτων μηνών» the new job may not start for 30 days after the application; later «επιτρέπεται άμεσα η απασχόληση».
on a Blue Card you may be out of work for up to 3 months, or up to 6 after 2 years with the cardThe department's Blue Card page: the card is withdrawn if unemployment «υπερβαίνει τους τρεις (3) μήνες» while the card is under 2 years old, or «υπερβαίνει τους έξι (6) μήνες» after 2 years.
on ordinary hiring the family can join through reunification after 2 years in CyprusThe department's page on family reunification (FR): the sponsor must have resided lawfully «για περίοδο δύο (2) τουλάχιστον ετών»; for employees of companies approved to hire foreign staff the director may waive this (Cap. 105, s. 18ΛΒ).
a family member's reunification permit and each renewal cost €200The department's page on family reunification (FR), “Fees and duty stamps” (modified 17.09.2026): “Issuance of entry permit and residence permit: €200”, “Renewal of residence permit: €200”.
parents and adult children can come as visitors on an income of €24.000 a year or moreThe department's pages on families of foreign-interest company staff and Blue Card holders: parents, partners and adult children up to 25 come as dependent visitors with «ετήσιο εισόδημα ύψους τουλάχιστον €24000», +20% for a spouse, +15% per child or dependant.

The employer, not your profession, decides the route — and the route decides when you can change jobs

What this means in practice:

ask your employer whether it is registered as a foreign-interest company: the fee, the waiting time and your family's rights all depend on it
on ordinary hiring you may change jobs only after 6 months and in the same occupation — so says the department's Greek page; the English one says otherwise
renewals on the old €2.000 threshold work only with the same employer and only until 31.12.2026 — after that the salary must be €2.500
the Blue Card in Cyprus is closed to every sector except ICT, pharmaceutical research and shipping, however high the salary
if you lose your job you usually have a month; a Blue Card gives 3 or 6 months, and unemployment must be reported to the department

Changing employer on ordinary hiring

The department's English and Greek pages describe changing employer differently: the English one allows it at any time with 30 days to search, the Greek one only after 6 months, in the same occupation, with a month to search. Before ending the contract, ask the Migration Department which rule will apply to you.

Sources

Aliens and Immigration Law, Cap. 105 (single permit — ss. 18ΥΓ–18ΦΣΤ, Blue Card — ss. 18ΣΑ–18ΥΒ)www.cylaw.orgThe single residence and work permit, the 4-month decision period, Blue Card conditions, family reunification (ss. 18ΚΘ–18ΛΗ).
ΚΔΠ 284/2022 — single permit feeswww.cylaw.org€120/€130 for ordinary hiring, €70/€80 for a foreign-interest company, domestic work, family of Cypriot citizens.
ΚΔΠ 456/2024 and 457/2024 — Blue Card sectors and minimum salarywww.cylaw.orgThree sectors with no cap, a zero quota for the rest; €43.632 a year gross.
ΚΔΠ 200/2025 — Blue Card feeswww.cylaw.org€110 for entry with the card, €95 for issue or renewal, €40 for mobility; from 07.07.2025.
Migration Department, “Remunerated employment (single permit – GEN)”www.gov.cyEntry permit, fees, 4 months, up to 3 consecutive years, the 4-year ceiling, change of employer and the month to find work.
Migration Department, foreign-interest companies: “Legislation and policy” and the application procedurewww.gov.cyThe Council of Ministers' Strategy of 15.10.2021: €2.500, the transitional €2.000 until 31.12.2026, 30% Cypriot and EU staff, 1 month, no limit on years, change of employer.
Migration Department, “EU Blue Card”www.gov.cySectors and threshold, fees, 90 days, a 24–36-month term, changing employer, 3 and 6 months of unemployment, family rights.
Migration Department, family reunification (FR)www.gov.cyThe sponsor's 2 years of residence and the exception for staff of companies approved to hire foreigners; which spouses may work.
Department of Labour, “Employers' applications”www.mlsi.gov.cyApproval of hiring and sealing of the contract; no labour market test above €35.000, for support staff of foreign-interest companies and for trainee accountants.