Can I work in Cyprus on a tourist visa or a Pink Slip?

No. The Pink Slip is a visitor permit and any work under it is prohibited.

Is the Yellow Slip a work permit?

No. It is EU-citizen registration; the right to work comes with free movement and no separate permit is needed.

From what amount is income tax-free?

From 2026 income up to €22,000 a year is not taxed (it was €19,500 before).

How much is deducted from a salary?

The employee pays 8.8% social insurance and 2.65% GeSY (11.45% in total) plus income tax.

Who pays redundancy pay?

On redundancy, the state Redundancy Fund, once service reaches at least 104 weeks.

What is the retirement age in Cyprus?

65 for the full pension; early retirement from 63 with enough contributions (780 weeks).

How much is the basic pension?

From 01.01.2025 it rose to about €512.50 a month.

Do I pay for GHS healthcare?

Yes — 2.65% of your pension is deducted; the coverage is full.

Work and pensions in Cyprus: work permit, salary, taxes and the state pension

Cyprus runs on English common law, English-speaking workplaces and one of the clearest hiring routines in the EU: EU citizens only register, third-country nationals get an employer-sponsored permit. Below: what the Yellow Slip is, which sectors hire foreigners, what comes off a salary, and what rights an employee has. Figures and sources, not advice.

Yellow Slip, residence and work permit — the difference

The Yellow Slip (form MEU1) is the registration certificate for an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen: it records your right to live in Cyprus, not a right to work. These citizens need no work permit — under Law 7(I)/2007 free movement carries the right to work. Third-country nationals are different: an entry permit, then a temporary residence and employment permit that the employer applies for.

Document	Who for	Right to work	Validity
Yellow Slip (MEU1)	EU / EEA / Swiss citizens	yes, from day one	no expiry
Work + residence permit	third-country nationals	yes, for one employer	usually 1–3 years
Pink Slip (visitor)	third-country nationals	NO — work is prohibited	1 year
Category F / Nomad	living on foreign income	NO local employment	1–3 years

The Yellow Slip costs €20 and never expires; the Pink Slip costs €70 a year and gives no work rights. Both are issued by the Migration Department. Check the current rules with the primary source — they are revised.

Who can work, and in which sectors

Foreigners are hired first where local staff are scarce and the business is international. Since 2022 the quota on foreign staff has been lifted for Companies of Foreign Interests (FIC) — the Business Facilitation Unit (BFU) route is faster than the general procedure with its labour-market test.

IT and engineering: fintech, trading platforms, gaming — Limassol, Nicosia;
finance and forex: CySEC brokers, payment firms (EMI/PSP), compliance and risk;
shipping and logistics: Cyprus is a global ship-management hub (Limassol);
tourism and hotels: seasonal and year-round, Limassol, Larnaca, Ayia Napa, Paphos;
education: international and Russian-language schools, language and IT courses;
professional services: law, accounting, audit, corporate administration;
EU Blue Card: for highly skilled staff (ICT, pharma, shipping) with a degree and an offer.

Salary, tax and contributions

Item	Value (2026)	Source
Income tax (PIT)	0% up to €22,000; then 20 / 25 / 30 / 35%	Tax Department
Bands	20% €22,001–32,000; 25% €32,001–42,000; 30% €42,001–72,000; 35% above €72,000	tax.mof.gov.cy
Minimum wage	€979/month for the first 6 months, €1,088/month after	Ministry of Labour
Social insurance (employee)	8.8% + GeSY 2.65%	sis.gov.cy
Social insurance (employer)	8.8% + GeSY 2.90% + 1.2% redundancy + 0.5% training	sis.gov.cy

The €22,000 tax-free threshold applies from 2026 (reform); it was €19,500 before. The insurable-earnings ceiling for social insurance is €62,868 a year. Rates and thresholds change — check tax.mof.gov.cy and sis.gov.cy.

Employee rights: contract, probation, dismissal

written terms of employment must be given within 7 days of hiring;
probation is capped at 6 months (Law 25(I)/2023); longer is allowed for executives;
the standard working week is 38 hours; overtime over 8 hours a week needs consent;
paid annual leave is 20 working days (4 weeks);
protection against unfair dismissal begins after 26 weeks of continuous service;
during probation there is no statutory dismissal protection, but the contract still binds.

Continuous service	Minimum notice
26–51 weeks	1 week
52–103 weeks	2 weeks
104–155 weeks	4 weeks
156–259 weeks	5–6 weeks
260–311 weeks	7 weeks
312 weeks or more	8 weeks

Notice must be in writing; the employer may pay in lieu of it. A redundancy payment is made by the state Redundancy Fund once service reaches 104 weeks, on a scale set by length of service. Law 24/1967 — check CyLaw.

Working for a foreign employer on a Cyprus permit

Legality turns on the type of permit, not on having residence. For an EU citizen the Yellow Slip allows working for anyone, including a client abroad. For a third-country national a standard work permit is tied to one Cypriot employer and one job — side work for a foreign company is not allowed. A visitor permit (Pink Slip) bans any economic activity. The digital nomad visa allows remote work for foreign clients only, not local employment.

Check your own status with the Migration Department before taking remote work: breaking the permit's conditions is a ground to refuse renewal.

English as the working language

In international companies, banks, fintech and shipping the working language is English; Greek matters mainly in government, retail and small business. English is a real requirement for most expat-facing roles.

Why Cyprus hosts so many headquarters

corporate tax of 15% from 2026 (was 12.5%) and non-dom status — 0% SDC on dividends, interest and rent;
IP box: an 80% deduction on qualifying profits (modified nexus);
EU membership, English common law and courts that work in English;
a wide network of double-taxation treaties;
shipping: a favourable tonnage tax and a ship-management centre;
strong lawyers, auditors and corporate administrators — a company is set up in days.

Where to look for work

Platform	What to search	Language	Posting	Link
Ergodotisi	the largest Cyprus job board, thousands of ads	English, Greek	Free for job seekers	ergodotisi.com · 11.10.2026
Kariera.com.cy	vacancies by sector and city	English, Greek	Free for job seekers	kariera.com.cy · 11.10.2026
CyprusJobs	English and Greek versions, by category	English, Greek	Free for job seekers	cyprusjobs.com · 11.10.2026
JobsCyprus	Limassol and island-wide vacancies	English	Free for job seekers	jobscyprus.com · 11.10.2026
Jobs.com.cy	broad, cross-industry listings	English, Greek	Free for job seekers	jobs.com.cy · 11.10.2026
CareerJet Cyprus	job aggregator across the island	English	Free for job seekers	careerjet.com.cy · 11.10.2026
LinkedIn	jobs and direct contact with employers	English	Free basic	linkedin.com/jobs · 11.10.2026
Indeed	international aggregator; Indeed has no Cyprus domain of its own	English	Free for job seekers	indeed.com · 11.10.2026
hh.ru Cyprus	Russian-language vacancies in Cyprus	Russian	Free for job seekers	cyprus.hh.ru · 11.10.2026
jobcyprus.online	Russian-language Cyprus board	Russian	Free for job seekers	jobcyprus.online · 11.10.2026
Telegram: @jobsincyprus	Cyprus vacancies channel	Russian	Free for job seekers	t.me/jobsincyprus · 11.10.2026
Telegram: @kipr_rabota	'Cyprus Work' chat: jobs and CVs	Russian	Free for job seekers	t.me/kipr_rabota · 11.10.2026

Checked 11.10.2026: every link opened and responded on that day. For job seekers, searching and applying are free; employers pay to post vacancies.

Recruitment agencies

Agencies are paid by the employer — a candidate should never be charged for placement. Some hold a private employment agency licence (Law 126(I)/2012); we have not verified licence numbers against the register. Verified agency cards are below.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work in Cyprus on a tourist visa or a Pink Slip?: No. The Pink Slip is a visitor permit and any work under it is prohibited.
Is the Yellow Slip a work permit?: No. It is EU-citizen registration; the right to work comes with free movement and no separate permit is needed.
From what amount is income tax-free?: From 2026 income up to €22,000 a year is not taxed (it was €19,500 before).
How much is deducted from a salary?: The employee pays 8.8% social insurance and 2.65% GeSY (11.45% in total) plus income tax.
Who pays redundancy pay?: On redundancy, the state Redundancy Fund, once service reaches at least 104 weeks.
What is the retirement age in Cyprus?: 65 for the full pension; early retirement from 63 with enough contributions (780 weeks).
How much is the basic pension?: From 01.01.2025 it rose to about €512.50 a month.
Do I pay for GHS healthcare?: Yes — 2.65% of your pension is deducted; the coverage is full.

Rates, thresholds and deadlines are revised (tax.mof.gov.cy, sis.gov.cy, mof.gov.cy). We are not an agency and do not provide legal services — check the primary source before deciding.

In Cyprus the state pension is paid by the Social Insurance Services. It is contribution-based: a minimum record gives you the basic pension, while the full pension is calculated on your best years. The statutory age is 65, with early retirement from 63.

Age and contributions

retirement age 65 for the full pension (rising gradually);
early pension from 63 with at least 780 weeks of insurance and other conditions;
a minimum of about 13 years (520 weeks) of contributions to qualify; full pension is about 1,560 weeks.

Amounts, contributions and tax (2025–2026)

Item	Value	Checked
Basic pension from 01.01.2025	≈ €512.50 a month (was €483.77) · 11.10.2026	up 5.94%
Social insurance contributions	8.3% employee + 8.3% employer	2026
GHS contribution on pension	2.65% of pension income	2026
Income tax	0–35%, €19,500 threshold	2026

What matters when you move

the UK State Pension is not frozen in Cyprus — it is uprated under the agreement;
a Cyprus resident's foreign pension may be taxable depending on the double-tax treaty;
transferring savings from the UK (QROPS), the EU and elsewhere into Cyprus schemes is possible — check the terms.

Rules and figures change and reform is under way; this is a guide, not advice — check the sources.

Verified specialists

We have collected companies that work with our readers: we check their documents in official registers and state the date of the check. You send the request through the form — we pass it to no more than five suitable companies, so that you are not called by everyone at once.

GRS RecruitmentStaffing and recruitment agenciesEN, EL, RU

Office: Limassol, Cyprus

Specialisation: recruitment and payroll across finance, FX, IT, banking, legal and shipping

Company website: www.grsrecruitment.com