Finding Work and Employment Contracts in Cyprus

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Finding Work and Employment Contracts in Cyprus

To work legally in Cyprus foreigners need to have a valid work permit. Individuals working in the country without a permit face a fine, as do their employer.

• For more information on types of work permit for EU and non-EU citizens and how to apply for them see the AngloINFO INFOrmation page Work Permits in Cyprus

Finding a Job

There are a number of ways to find employment in Cyprus. Job adverts are placed in newspapers, in recruitment agencies and online.

The Cypriot government has a number of online services designed to help people find work. Their public employment service is the online system of the Department of Labour. It allows individuals to search current job vacancies, upload their CV to the system so that employers can view it, and complete applications. To make full use of the services available a person needs to create an account.

• To access the public employment service: Click here

Finding a job via the Internet is very common in Cyprus. There are a number of dedicated career and job search websites. Many of the sites are in English including:

• Jobs in Cyprus allows users to upload their details and search for job opportunities in most sectors
• Cyprusjobs lists jobs in all areas and users can search by sector, location and type of employment
• Cyprus Recruiter is one of the island's largest recruitment agencies. People can upload their details to the site database and directly apply for positions they are interested in
• Global Recruitment Solutions advertises vacancies in Cyprus

District Labour Offices provide advice and information on finding work on the island as well as arranging job placements and vocational training. They are attached to the Department of Labour within the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance and have offices throughout the island.

• To find a local District Labour Office: Click here

To access the services offered by a District Labour Office it is first necessary to register with them, which can be done online or at one of their offices. The services are available to citizens of European Union member states as well as Cypriot nationals. When registering, or visiting an office for the first time, a valid passport or identity card must be shown and all education or training certificates presented.

Employment Contracts in Cyprus

In Cyprus job contracts are not obligatory and terms of employment are defined by collective agreements. These are made between trade unions and employers and usually last for two or three years. Trade unions have to send any new collective agreements to the Department of Labour. Some of these can be viewed on the Greek version of their website. Collective agreements are only available in Greek.

• To view the Greek version of the Department of Labour website: Click here (in Greek) 

All employees who work for more than eight hours per week and for longer than a month should be informed in writing of the terms of their employment. The employee should receive this written contract or letter within a month of starting work. This applies to temporary, fixed-term and permanent employment. The written document should be signed by the employer and include the following:

• The names of the employer and employee
• The address of the business and, if different, the employee's place of work
• The job title, grade and a description of the role
• The employee's start date
• For temporary employment the duration of the job
• The collective agreements which govern the employment

The following information or mention of the relevant laws or collective agreements should also be included:

• The amount of paid leave the employee is entitled to and when or how it may be taken
• The required notice period
• Normal working hours
• Salary details

Employers must tell their staff if changes are made to the collective agreement governing their working conditions within a month of the changes being made. Any changes to the terms of an individual's employment must be discussed with them before being implemented.

A normal working week in Cyprus is 38.5 hours and overtime is paid. The law states that people should not work more than 48 hours per week, including overtime. Salaries are increased twice a year as part of reviews of the cost of living. Beyond this, salary reviews are defined by collective agreements. The country has a minimum wage which is defined annually and comes into force on 1 April each year. The amount increases once a person has been employed in a role for six months. Legislation states that people are entitled to at least four weeks annual leave each year. Any medical care offered will be defined in the collective agreement.

Part time employees are defined as people who work fewer hours than people doing a similar job on full time hours in that organisation. They are entitled to the same rights and working conditions as full time employees. They should receive all benefits and remuneration at a level directly proportional to the number of hours they work relative to that of a comparable full-time employee.

Further Information

• Cypriot government web portal pages on employment: Click here
• Cypriot government employment policy: Click here
• Department of Labour description of District Labour Offices: Click here
• Cypriot Department of Labour Relations: Click here
• Cypriot Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance comprehensive guide to terms of employment: Click here (PDF)

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