Getting work in Cyprus

There are plenty of available jobs in Cyprus. Luckily for you, you have come to the right place to find Cyprus jobs.

The type of jobs can you find in Cyprus?
There is as big a variety amongst the types of jobs offered in Cyprus as in any other country and you will find any type of employment from jobs within tourism to service jobs and jobs in high tech industries that requires university degrees and multiple years’ experience.
Jobs in tourism
Getting work in Cyprus in the tourism industry which is a major part of the Cypriot economy is perhaps the easiest. Therefore many jobs in Cyprus will be within the tourism sector or within service businesses that are closely related to tourism. This also means that many jobs in Cyprus will be time limited as most tourists tend to visit Cyprus during the long Cypriot summer that lasts from late March until mid to late November.
But if ever there was a time to look for a temporary job at a bar, restaurant or hotel during the summer, Cyprus is amongst the absolute best options. It will not only enable you to earn some cash but also allow you to enjoy the weather in Cyprus and the long hot summer nights. Not a bad solution at all.
But tourism isn’t the only line of business and you will find plenty of options for long term employment in Cyprus, if you look outside the tourism sector. In recent years particularly the real estate and forex business have increased a lot and there is always the classic: Shipping.
Real estate and property development jobs
During the last half a decade Cyprus has seen a spike in immigration from Russia and Asian countries, particularly China and most notable most have been wealthy immigrants. This has resulted in a boom in the property business, which means that if your area of expertise is within sales and marketing or you have the linguistic skills to deal with Russians and Chinese in their native language, you will be the perfect match for this interest boom.
Jobs in the shipping industry
Cyprus and particularly Limassol has for many years been home to the shipping industry and still is. This means that there are many jobs to find within the shipping industry and while Limassol harbour as such is not a major port in the Mediterranean it is located close to the Middle east and Africa, while still enjoying the benefit of being part of the European Union.
Jobs in forex and binary options
The later years has seen a massive increase in the interest for forex and binary options across the world. Cyprus is no different, but you will also find companies that focuses outside the local market and this can be an opportunity for you to find a job in Cyprus even if you don’t speak Greek. So if you could see yourself in a position within forex or binary options you should have a look at the wide variety of jobs there is to be found – everything from back and front end management to acquisition, sales and accounting. It might just be a Cyprus job for you.
Skilled and certified jobs in cyprus
Of course there is much more to the job market in Cyprus than within the tourism sector and the above mentioned businesses. As in most other countries there is a need for skilled or certified employees to for a variety of jobs such as:
Mechanics
Nurses
Doctors
Dentists
Veterinarians
Chefs
Graphic designers
Web developers
Dive instructor
Primary and secondary school teachers
And many more
You can find a list of available skilled jobs in Cyprus on LinkedIn.
Language skills
Greek, being the official language in Cyprus, is of course the most important language in Cyprus, but other languages are also important. Depending on the industry you are looking for a job in, you don’t necessarily need to be able to speak Greek and you will learn that you can do just fine with particularly English and Russian skills.
English and Russian language skills are particularly relevant if you are seeking employment in the tourism or property sector, where the language requirements is mostly mirrored in the language of the majority of the tourists.
Besides Russian, Chinese and English, and German are also good languages to know when you need to find a job in Cyprus.
How to apply for a job in Cyprus
There is no special trick to applying for a job in Cyprus. You should do exactly the same as if you are applying for a job in any other country: Follow the instructions given in the job advert and make sure that you do your best to highlight what makes you the best fit for the job.
In order to make sure you are at your best, when you apply for a job, here is a few suggestions.
This is probably a section where we should give sound advice reg. how to do it best:
Call and enquire more about the job. If there is a specific person, call him/her and if you are encouraged to contact the HR department, give them a call to learn about any details that didn’t make it to the job advert.
Send a killer resume and application that matches what the company is looking for. You can read more about how to write a job application here.
Call to follow up a few days after you sent your resume.
Salaries and working hours in Cyprus
Salaries and working hours in Cyprus varies a lot. You will find everything from low income jobs with many hours to high income positions with many working hours.
You will find a large variety of working hours from one sector or professions to the other, but many jobs in Cyprus are based on an eight (8) hour working day with one or one and a half hour lunch break. However, this can also vary based on contractual agreement between employer and employee(s).
Minimum salary
There is no minimum salary in Cyprus

Moving to Cyprus for a job
When you have a job in Cyprus and are contemplating moving, I can only give you one recommendation: Do it – you will never regret it. But before you get your stuff packed and book that one way flight to Cyprus, there are a few things that you probably want to consider first:
Read more about living in Cyprus
Personal income tax in Cyprus (this is a real positive element)
Work permit
A place to live in Cyprus
But this will be covered right below here:
Personal income tax in Cyprus
When you have secured your job in Cyprus – and hopefully a very nice salary – it is time for one of the big benefits of working in Cyprus. Compared to other countries (in particular compared with northern European countries) the tax rate is very low. You can read more about tax in Cyprus but here is the short version:
First €19,500 = 0% tax
Between € 19,501 – € 28,000 = 20% tax
Between € 28,001 – € 36,300 = 25% tax
Between € 36,301 – € 60,000 = 30% tax
€ 60,000+ = 35% tax
What do you need to do to be legally employed
In order to be employed in a job in Cyprus you need to hold either a work permit or a residency permit. It is a lot easier to obtain these if you are a citizen in another EU country. If you are not registered as a citizen in another EU country, you should not let that stop you – You can still get a work permit in Cyprus.
If you are looking for a job in Cyprus as a non EU citizen it is slightly more difficult, as you will need to offer the job market something that is not already existing. Examples of this could be linguistic skills, high level education etc. You can read more about employment criteria in Cyprus if you are a non EU citizen here.
When it all comes down to it, it would be our suggestion that you simply ask your future employer regarding this. He/she or the company should know about this and be able to help you. If they are not, maybe it is not the right employer to look for – after all you can face a hefty fine, if you are working in Cyprus without having a work permit (or at least having applied for a work permit that has not been denied).
Finding a place to live
Luckily for you there are plenty of options to find a decent place to live in Cyprus at a decent cost. With the economical crisis reaching Cyprus as well after 2010 the prices for rental apartments have dropped significantly.
Wherever you want to work and live in Cyprus, you will be able to find an apartment, villa or mansion to buy that matches your needs and financial situation. You can find a big variety of options available for you on our page,