A Short Guide to Working in Cyprus – Understanding your Employment Contract
A clear, written contract protects you. Before you sign anything, here’s what to check — and what the law guarantees you regardless of what’s written.
Step 1: Know What Your Contract Must Include
📄Essential Information
Your employment contract should contain at least:
- The identities of both parties, and the place of work (or, if there’s no fixed place, a statement that you’re free to determine where you work)
- The title, grade, nature, or category of the work
- The date your employment begins
- The duration and conditions of any probationary period
- Your remuneration (including any separate elements), and how/when it’s paid
- Your standard working day or week, and any overtime arrangements
- For fixed-term contracts: the duration and end date
- For temporary agency workers: the identity of the user undertaking, hours/days, and remuneration
- Notice periods for termination
- Details of any paid training you’re entitled to
Tip: If your contract is only in Greek, you can ask for a certified translation into a language you understand before signing.
Step 2: Understand Fixed-Term Contracts
📌Fixed-Term Work
A fixed-term contract can be renewed, but the total duration cannot exceed 30 months, unless there’s an objective justification — for example, the temporary nature of the role, or a legal or judicial requirement.
Step 3: Know the Minimum Wage
💶Minimum Wage
As of 1 January 2023, the minimum wage is €885/month, rising to €940/month after six months of continuous employment with the same employer. Certain sectors are excluded or subject to different rules, including minors and some specialised or regulated professions.
Some employers are allowed to make deductions from the minimum wage for food and/or housing they provide — but only within limits set by law.
Step 4: Know Your Working Hours
⏰Working Hours
- Maximum average: 48 hours/week, calculated over a 4-month reference period
- Minimum rest: 24 consecutive hours per week
- If your workday exceeds 6 hours, you’re entitled to a break of at least 15 minutes
Step 5: Know That Your Wages Are Protected
💰Protection of Wages
Employers cannot make deductions from your wages except where allowed by law, regulation, collective agreement, court judgment, or with your written consent (for example, to repay damage caused by your own negligence or gross fault).
Your Next Steps
- Read your contract carefully before signing — ask for a translation if needed.
- Confirm your wage meets the legal minimum for your sector.
- Check your working hours and rest periods match what the law requires.
- Keep a copy of your signed contract in a safe place.
Source: Inclusive Labour Market — A Short Guide to Working in Cyprus for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, May 2023.