Foreign Interest Company work permit for Cyprus: requirements and salary
Most tech hires from outside the EU work in Cyprus for a "company of foreign interests" registered with the Business Support Center. These companies can hire any number of highly paid non-EU staff without a labour market test, under the strategy in force since 2 January 2022.
Checked against the official sources below on 2026-10-26. Rules and thresholds change, so confirm on the official page before you apply.
- Minimum salary: €2,500 gross a month
- Qualifications: Relevant degree, or at least 2 years of relevant experience
- Contract: At least 2 years
- Decision time: Set at one month
Visa-sponsored jobs in Cyprus
35 visa-sponsored tech jobs in Cyprus on The Stack right now, from 13 companies, the latest posted on 2026-10-22. See all visa sponsorship jobs in Cyprus
Companies sponsoring
Who qualifies
- A job with a company registered on the Register of Foreign Interest Companies. Companies not yet registered first apply to the Business Support Center (Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry).
- A gross salary of at least €2,500 a month.
- Relevant academic qualifications, or at least two years of experience relevant to the position.
- An employment contract of at least two years. Even for a one-year permit, the contract and its stamp duties must cover 2 years.
How it works
- You need a temporary residence and employment permit, issued by the Migration Department.
- The examination time for residence and employment applications is set at one month.
- There is no labour market test and no quota, but companies commit to 30% of their staff being Cypriot or EU citizens over five years. The ratio is checked after 2 January 2027.
- Support-level jobs at these companies are different: they need a labour market test and a contract sealed by the Department of Labour.