ClearfileEU residency, company and licence filings
Menu

Residency

EU programmes

Business setup

Country guides

Pricing

Get a quote

Employment · CyprusCyprusEU

Work permit for highly paid employees in Cyprus

From €1,20015–30 working days

Government fees are paid separately at cost and are listed below with their source.

Indicative prices; the final quote depends on your case.

  • Eligibility review against the salary threshold
  • Employer and employee documents check
  • Application filing
Minimum income
€2,500/monthChecked onsource
Processing time
1 monthChecked onsource

For non-EU employees of foreign-interest companies in Cyprus, and for the companies hiring them.

Check your eligibility

Companies registered with the Business Facilitation Unit can hire non-EU staff at €2,500 gross a month or more without quotas or a labour market test. The employee needs a degree or 2 years’ experience and a contract of at least 2 years.

Updated

Cyprus highly paid employee permit in figures

CyprusEU

Minimum income
€2,500/monthChecked onsource
Processing time
1 monthChecked onsource
Permit validity
3 yearsChecked onsource
Family included
YesChecked onsource
Sources behind each figure

How it works

The company qualifies first, then the employee

The route belongs to the 2021 strategy for attracting companies. Without the company’s registration with the Business Facilitation Unit, there is no fast track.

Salary and qualifications

The employee needs €2,500 gross a month, a relevant degree or 2 years’ experience, and a contract of at least 2 years. Support-level staff below these terms go through a labour market test instead.

Time and term

Permits run 1 to 3 years depending on the contract and renew with no maximum total stay for highly paid staff. The entry and residence permit costs €70, with €80 for issue or renewal and €70 for the Aliens’ Register.

Companies commit to 30% Cypriot or EU staff over 5 years; the 70:30 ratio for new hires is checked after 2 January 2027.

Who this is not for

  • Employees of companies not registered with the Business Facilitation Unit
  • Salaries under €2,500 a month for new hires
  • Self-employed people

How we handle it

We check the company’s registration and the employee’s terms, prepare the permit application and the Aliens’ Register filing.

What you getEU

What the permit gives

Requirements

Who qualifies

Two sets of conditions: the company’s and the employee’s.

Legal basis:Companies of Foreign Interests - Legislation and policyCompanies of Foreign Interests - Procedure, processing time and maximum duration of residenceFamily members of third-country nationals legally residing in Cyprus (family reunification)

Employee

Minimum income€2,500/monthChecked onsource

  • €2,500 gross monthly salary or more
  • Relevant degree or 2 years’ experience
  • Employment contract of at least 2 years
Reasons for refusal

Company

Family includedYesChecked onsource

  • Registered with the Business Facilitation Unit
  • Commitment to 30% Cypriot or EU staff over 5 years

Existing staff on €2,000+

Key personnel already employed on €2,000 or more can renew with the same employer until 31 December 2026.

Who this is not for

  • Support-level roles
  • Companies outside the strategy

Where files usually break

The company’s registration is missing or the contract is shorter than 2 years.

Cost

Cost by family size

Our fee plus the state permit fees from our reference.

Who appliesOur fee fromGovernment feeTotal
Single applicant€1,200€70Checked onNot publishedSome state fees for family members are not published in our reference.
Couple€1,200€70Checked onNot publishedSome state fees for family members are not published in our reference.
Couple with two children€1,200€70Checked onNot publishedSome state fees for family members are not published in our reference.
Who appliesOur fee fromGovernment feeTotal
Single applicantNot published€70Checked onNot publishedSome state fees for family members are not published in our reference.
CoupleNot published€70Checked onNot publishedSome state fees for family members are not published in our reference.
Couple with two childrenNot published€70Checked onNot publishedSome state fees for family members are not published in our reference.

Renewal falls due at the end of the permit term:3 yearsChecked on

Government fees are paid separately at cost and are listed below with their source.

No investment by the employee is required.Conditions

Hiring into Cyprus?

Indicative prices; the final quote depends on your case. We usually reply within one business day.

From €1,20015–30 working days

Check your eligibility

Process

From company registration to permit

Four steps.

  1. 01We

    Company check

    We confirm the company’s Business Facilitation Unit registration.

    Confirmed eligibility

  2. 02You

    Employee file

    You send the contract, degree or experience evidence and passport.

    Complete file

  3. 03We

    Application

    We prepare and submit the permit application.

    Submitted application

  4. 04Authority

    Decision

    The Migration Department decides, in about a month.

    Residence and work permit

    What you receive

    • Submitted application
    • Permit decision
    • Aliens’ Register entry
Our part
15–30 working days
AuthorityCivil Registry and Migration Department
1 monthChecked onsource

After the permit

  • Register in the Aliens’ Register.
  • Plan family reunification applications.

Check your eligibilityDocuments

Refusals

Why applications are refused

Three grounds.

Checked on

Reason for refusalWhat closes itLegal basis
Salary under €2,500 a monthWe check the contract before filing.€2,500/monthChecked onCompanies of Foreign Interests - Legislation and policy
Company not registered with the Business Facilitation UnitWe confirm the registration first.Not published
No degree and under 2 years’ experienceWe ask for evidence at the first step.Not published

After the permit

  • The 70:30 hiring ratio is checked after 2 January 2027.

Long term

From work permit to Cypriot citizenship

Highly qualified employees can naturalise after 4 years with Greek B1 or 5 years with A2.

  1. Permit validityNot published
  2. Years to permanent residenceNot published
  3. Years to citizenship8 yearsChecked onsource
  • 12 months’ continuous residence plus 3 years (Greek B1) or 4 years (Greek A2)
  • Employed 2+ years under the strategy
Citizenship law:Acquisition of Cypriot Citizenship by Naturalization (due to years of residence) (form M127)

Changes

Dated changes in Cyprus

Updated

Companies of foreign interests - highly paid employees (Business Facilitation Unit strategy)Open

DateWhat changedApplies toSource
TransitionMiCA transitional period ended; crypto-asset services in Cyprus require MiCA authorisation.Whole countryCyprus Securities and Exchange Commission
ReformDeadline for existing Cyprus CASPs to apply for MiCA authorisation.Whole countryCyprus Securities and Exchange Commission
ClosureTax reform in force (Income Tax (Amending) Law N. 244(I)/2025 and related laws, gazetted 31 Dec 2025): CIT 15%, tax-free threshold EUR 22,000, SDC on dividends for domiciled individuals 5%, deemed dividend distribution abolished for 2026+ profits, non-dom extension for EUR 250,000 per 5 years, 60-day rule relaxed, incorporation test for company residency, 8% tax on crypto gains, 7-year loss carry-forward, stamp duty abolished.Whole countryTax Department, Ministry of Finance of Cyprus
ReformDigital Nomad Visa scheme accepting applications again; cap remains 500 permits.Whole countryMigration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection
ReformBlue Card minimum gross annual salary set at EUR 43,632 (K.D.P. 457/2024); only ICT, research pharmacy and maritime occupations without quotas.Whole countryMigration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection
ReformRevised Cyprus Startup Visa scheme: 3-year permits, up to 150 visas, scheme valid until December 2026.Whole countryDeputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy
ReformCySEC stops accepting CASP registrations under national rules ahead of MiCA.Whole countryCyprus Securities and Exchange Commission
ReformNew EU Blue Card rules (Directive 2021/1883) transposed by L.111(I)/2024.Whole countryMigration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection
ClosureEUR 350 annual company levy abolished from 2024 onwards (Companies (Amendment) Law N.25(I)/2024).Whole countryDepartment of Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property
ReformCivil Registry (Amendment) Law 2023 in force: naturalisation requires Greek B1 and a civics test; fast track of 4-5 years for highly qualified employees of foreign-interest companies.Whole countryMinistry of Interior of Cyprus

Check your eligibilityHow often we check changes

Documents

Documents for the permit

Five documents.

Checked on

DocumentWho issues itApostilleTranslationWho prepares
Employee
Valid passportCountry of citizenshipNoNoYou provide
Employment contract (2+ years)Cyprus employerNoNoYou provide
Degree or experience lettersUniversity or employersYesYesYou provide
Criminal record certificateCountry of residenceYesYesYou provide
Application formsMigration DepartmentNoNoWe prepare

Send us the contract; we reply with the list.Get a quote

Request

Check your Cyprus hire

Salary, contract length and company status are enough for a first answer.

Privacy Policy

We use your details only to answer this request.

We usually reply within one business day.

Legal disclaimer

The information on this site is general and is not legal advice for your specific situation.

Legal disclaimer

Questions

Cyprus work permit: short answers

Figures from our reference, checked on the date shown.

Rules

What is the minimum salary for a Cyprus work permit as a highly paid employee?

€2,500 gross a month for new hires; existing key personnel on €2,000 or more can renew with the same employer until 31 December 2026.

How long does the permit take?

About 1 month from a complete application.

Is there a labour market test?

Not for highly paid staff of registered companies; support-level staff go through one.

Sources

Where the figures come from

Cypriot government pages behind this page.

3Sources
SourcePublisherTypeChecked on
Government sites
Companies of Foreign Interests - Legislation and policyMigration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International ProtectionGovernment sitesChecked on
Companies of Foreign Interests - Procedure, processing time and maximum duration of residenceMigration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International ProtectionGovernment sitesChecked on
Family members of third-country nationals legally residing in Cyprus (family reunification)Migration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International ProtectionGovernment sitesChecked on
Editorial policy

Cookies on this site

Two first-party cookies count visits on our own server. No Google Analytics, no ad cookies; “Necessary only” turns counting off.

  • Your cookie choice (365 days)
  • Visit count (first-party)

Change it later on the Cookie Policy page.Cookie Policy

Accept allNecessary only
Cyprus work permit for highly paid employees: €2,500 a month | Clearfile