Third-country nationals (non-EU) who plan to work in Cyprus must apply for a work visa for the following categories in accordance with the latest amendments as of September, 29th, 2014.
(A) Residing in Cyprus or entering the Republic for the purposes of employment;
(B) Residing in Cyprus or entering the Republic with the purposes of visiting, but later deciding to find a job.
Working visa for Companies employment
1. MGEN2, MNSP2 form application, served at the regional office of the Migration Department and the Department of Civil Registration and Migration in Nicosia.
2. Applications must be submitted with the employment contract, certified by the Labour Department in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, with confirmation that Cypriot or EU citizens cannot be employed in this vacant position, or hiring recommendations for the position of a third country national.
Registration
Third-country nationals must register with the regional department of the Migration Department, or the Department of Civil Registration and Migration in Nicosia within 7 days after the arrival date. During registration, they must be fingerprinted and provide a photo.
Duration of stay
The maximum period to stay for the purpose of employment is 4 years for third-country nationals.
The exceptions are:
- Highly qualified specialists ,
employed in companies with a turnover of more than a million, or hundreds of thousands of Euros, operating in priority areas for the development of the economy; - CEOs, mid-level management, management and other key personnel in companies with foreign capital (former offshore companies);;
- Qualified nurses, registered in accordance with Cypriot law and entitled to exercise this activity;
- Athletes and coaches in individual or team sports;
- Painters (to complete certain projects).
Working visa to work in the family (nurses, maids, etc.)
The following categories of citizens may be employers:
(A) Families with children not older than 12 years, in which both parents work and pay contributions to social insurance funds;
(B) The family without children, where both spouses work, declared annual taxable income should be more than €52,000;
(C) Single parents, raising children not older than 12 years of age, where the parent is employed and pays contributions to social insurance funds;
(D) In the case of both parents, the declared annual taxable income must be at least €86,000;
(F) In the case of single parent, it should be confirmed that the declared annual taxable income is at least €52,000.
In exceptional cases, employers may be:
(A) The elderly over the age of 75 years;
(B) People with the special needs, to provide a certificate from the attending physician;
(C) People with cancer (requires confirmation from the Cancer Centre), multiple sclerosis (the MS), nephropathy, myopathy, mental disorders and serious psychological problems, a partial or complete loss of vision, deforming arthritis, Alzheimers, dementia, overweight people and people with physical disabilities (medical certificate required);
(D) Persons with disabilities in wheelchairs or bedridden patients;
(F) A couple with more than three children, provided that both parents work and pay contributions to social insurance funds, and have one of the children not older than 12 years.
In this case, you must submit the following documents:
1. Application MDW2 form served in the regional office of the Migration Department and the Department of Civil Registry and Migration in Nicosia.
2. The employer who wants to hire a citizen of a third country, must undergo the procedure in the centre of the EURES (European Department of Employment), to advertise the employment in the press in a prominent place in at least two major newspapers, as well as in the European department of employment for at least 3 weeks.
Duration of stay
The maximum stay for the purpose of employment is 4 years for third-country nationals. Third-country nationals, who are already employed in Cyprus in families that meet the above criteria, applying for visa extension to work, do not fall under this restriction.
Employer change
1. After receiving the visa in this category, it is not allowed to change employer to another Cyprus company (except in cases of death, deportation, employer moving to a nursing home, a criminal offense committed by the employer against an employee, or after the benefit of a third country national decisions on the work of the Committee).
2. During the period of 4 years residence in this category of work, the visa cannot change more than two employers (except in cases of death, deportation, employer moving to a nursing home, a criminal offense committed by the employer against an employee, or after the decision of the Committee on Labour in favour of the citizen’s third country).
3. In case when the employee comes to Cyprus with a view to recruitment for work in the family (maximum employment period of 4 years), and wants to work with another family that has the ability to hire him without time limit, then the employer is allowed to change during the first 2 recruitment years.
4. It is not allowed to change the employer after 3 years and 6 months after the start of work. The amount of the salary with taxes for this category of citizens should be €460 per month.
Return of bank guarantee
1. To return the bank guarantee, the employer of a citizen of a third country must submit a written request to the Department of Civil Registration and Migration.
2. The bank guarantee is returned only if the worker returns to his country and was hired by another employer in the legal case, if the new employer has issued a bank guarantee for him.
3. A bank guarantee is not returned in the following cases:
- Third-country national has become an illegal after the contract has been suspended;
- Third-country national has applied for refugee status;
- Third-country national has been convicted of a criminal offense and is denied entry into Cyprus;
- Third-country national has no residence and work, and is living at an unknown address, or has disappeared and is sought for the purpose of deportation.
