This guide addresses the obtaining of work permit in Cyprus for non-EU Nationals. It is split into two sections. The first, addresses work permits in Cyprus for companies owned by non-EU citizens and the second, addresses work permits for any company.
Work permits for companies owned by non-EU citizens
All companies of foreign interests need to fulfill certain requirements to obtain the approval of the Civil Registry and Migration Department and be able to employ Non-Eu citizens. A recommendation for the employment of aliens is made by the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance after it. It is satisfied that there is no availability of adequately qualified Cypriots.
The following requirements apply:
- The shareholders’ majority of the company are foreigners, not Cypriots.
- The amount of €170,860 should be presented in the case that foreigners hold 50% or less of the company’s share capital.
- Applications of companies which provide only services and invest capitals at least the amount of €170.860 are being examined because their line of business might not require a higher investment of capital.
- New companies should present banking and other documents to prove direct foreign capital investment which amounts at least to €170.860 and that the share capital is legally established in Cyprus.
- All interested companies should operate in independent offices in Cyprus which are situated in proper spaces and not as part of a private residency or office (unless the rent is joint). If the line of business allows the employment of individuals at home, these cases are examined individually.
Positions
Companies of foreign interests may employ nationals from third countries to the following positions:
- Senior Directors
- Directors, Senior Executives and Other Staff
- Supporting Staff
Work permit for any company
All interested companies must obtain approval by the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance to be able to proceed with the employment of a Non-EU individual. To achieve this, an application along with the required documents, should be sent to the District Office of Labour.
If the remuneration of the individual is less than €35.000, the following are required:
- An application for vacancies to the District Office of Labour
- Publication of the vacancy to either 3 newspapers for 1 day or to 1 newspaper for 3 days and if there are no available Cypriots or EU citizens within 6 weeks, the interested employer may proceed with the application to the District Office of Labour.
- Certificate of Directors and Certificate of Shareholders of the company
- Memorandum and Articles of Association showing the line of business of the company
- Social Insurance receipt of the employer and Social Insurance receipts for all employees
- Curriculum Vitae and any other qualifications of the foreigner
- Passport copy of the foreigner and passport copy of the directors of the company (employer)
- Employer’s Insurance liability
- VAT and Income Tax of the employer
- Letter requesting the employment of the non-EU individual and describing the nature of the employment
If approved by the District Office of Labour, the application will be stamped and sent together with all the documents to the Department of Labour for further approval.
On the other hand, if the remuneration of the individual exceeds the €35.000, the procedure is the following:
- The application is made directly to the Department of Labour (there is no application for vacancies)
- All required documents are the same as per the above for individuals with remuneration less than €35.000 and are provided directly to the Department of Labour.
Disclaimer
This is a guide for information purposes. Laws may change, and you should always take legal advice for the situation in hand. You should seek updated information if required as Polycarpos Philippou & Associates LLC does not take any responsibility for the validity of the material at the time of reading. We suggest allowing qualified professionals to implement and handle the necessary tasks.