Company of foreign interests
A Cyprus company on the government register that may hire non-EU staff directly through the Migration Department, without the usual labour market test. Registration is the gate for everything else on this page.
CFI-000 · LimassolTeam relocation to Cyprus · 2026 rules
Move your team to Cyprus.Company eligibility, who qualifies, family permits, cost and timeline, planned in one place.
Cyprus lets a foreign-owned company bring non-EU staff on a fast track, without a labour market test, once it registers as a company of foreign interests. The conditions are specific: ownership, a €200,000 investment, real offices, a salary floor, and a staff ratio that is checked from 2027. Test your company, map every person to a permit, and budget the move.
FIG-01 · INVEST€200kMinimum initial investment in Cyprus to register as a company of foreign interests
FIG-02 · SALARY€2,500Gross monthly salary for a non-EU employee to count as highly skilled
FIG-03 · RATIO70%Ceiling on third-country staff as a share of headcount, first checked from 2027
FIG-04 · PERMIT4-8Weeks Aqualis typically sees for a work permit, with 6 to 10 for residence
SEC-01 · Rules manifest
Sixteen rules that decide the move.
The fast track is a Council of Ministers policy, not a single statute, so parts of it live in decisions and guidance rather than law. Where two current sources agree it is stamped In law. Where they differ, or a figure could not be confirmed for 2026, it is stamped Confirm.
| Rule | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| R-01 · CompanyOwnership test | Majority of shares held by third-country nationals. At 50% or less, the third-country stake must be worth at least €200,000 | In law |
| R-02 · CompanyInitial investment | At least €200,000 brought into Cyprus, held with a licensed credit institution or spent on offices or equipment. E-money and payment accounts do not count | In law |
| R-03 · CompanyAlternative categories | Earlier policy also admitted listed companies, shipping, high-tech, pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Whether these still replace the ownership test in 2026 is not settled | Confirm |
| R-04 · CompanyOffices | Independent business premises in Cyprus, separate from any home. A virtual office or mailing address is not enough | In law |
| R-05 · CompanyStaff ratio | Third-country nationals at most 70% of total staff, reached over five years. Compliance for new recruitment first checked from January 2027 | Confirm |
| R-06 · CompanyRegistration | Online through the Business Support Centre, which absorbed the Business Facilitation Unit in 2025. About ten working days for a complete file. No government fee reported | Confirm |
| R-07 · PeopleHighly skilled employee | Gross salary at least €2,500 a month, a degree or two years of relevant experience, and a contract of at least two years. No labour market test | In law |
| R-08 · PeopleSupport staff | Paid under €2,500. Needs Department of Labour approval, and at least the national minimum wage of €1,088 a month, or €979 in the first six months | Confirm |
| R-09 · PeoplePermit length | Matches the employment contract, up to three years, renewable for highly skilled staff | In law |
| R-10 · FamilyFamily reunification | Spouse and unmarried children under 18 of highly skilled staff, without the usual two-year wait. Health insurance required for each family member | In law |
| R-11 · FamilySpouse’s right to work | The spouse of a highly skilled employee may take paid employment without Labour Department approval. Self-employment is not covered | In law |
| R-12 · FileMedical tests | HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, and a chest X-ray for tuberculosis, certified by a doctor in Cyprus. Sources differ on where tests may be taken | Confirm |
| R-13 · FileInsurance and records | Medical cover for inpatient and outpatient care and repatriation, or GHS registration plus repatriation cover. Criminal record certificate from the home country, apostilled or legalised and translated | Confirm |
| R-14 · FileGovernment fees | Family reunification entry and residence permit €200. Per-person employee permit and registration fees could not be confirmed for 2026 | Confirm |
| R-15 · PeopleEU, EEA and Swiss staff | No work permit. Apply for an MEU1 registration certificate within four months of arrival | In law |
| R-16 · TaxRelief for relocating staff | 50% of employment income exempt for 17 years where pay exceeds €55,000 a year, for a first Cyprus employment after 15 years of non-residence | In law |
In law sources agree, in force for 2026Confirm sources differ or unverified, adviser to sign off
SEC-02 · Tool 01
Does your company qualify, and is the ratio safe?
Enter the company as it will stand on the day you apply. The checker tests each criterion with a reason, then plots your staff mix against the 70% ceiling and tells you how many local or EU hires keep you inside it.
Eligibility and staff ratio
Tool 01 / 03Ownership and money
%
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€
Premises and company
Staff, today and planned
0%
0%50%100%
0 third-country0 Cypriot or EU
Assumptions. Ownership passes above 50% third-country shareholding, or at 50% or less where the third-country stake is worth at least €200,000. Investment passes at €200,000 or more, in a licensed Cyprus bank or in office premises or equipment. Offices pass only for independent premises. The older sector categories are flagged as a possible alternative, not counted as a pass. The ratio counts every employee on the Cyprus payroll at full headcount: third-country nationals divided by the total, against a 70% ceiling. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens count on the local side. The 2027 check date and the five-year measurement window are still to be confirmed by the adviser.
SEC-03 · Explained
Eight terms you will meet in the file.
The vocabulary is half the battle. Each term below appears on forms from the Business Support Centre or the Civil Registry and Migration Department.
Business Facilitation Unit
The unit that runs the fast track. Since May 2025 it has been part of the government’s Business Support Centre. Applications are online only, through the company’s CY Login account.
Highly skilled employee
A non-EU employee paid at least €2,500 gross a month, with a degree or two years of relevant experience and a contract of two years or more. Directors and key staff now fall under this test.
Support staff
Anyone paid less than €2,500. The role needs Department of Labour approval showing it cannot be filled locally, the family rules are narrower, and permit periods are shorter.
The staff ratio
Third-country nationals may make up at most 70% of headcount, so at least 30% should be Cypriot or EU. It is reached over five years and first checked for new hires from January 2027.
Family reunification
The permit that lets a spouse and children under 18 live in Cyprus with the employee. For highly skilled staff the usual two years of prior residence is waived. Aqualis typically sees 4 to 8 weeks.
MEU1 registration
The registration certificate, often called the yellow slip, that EU, EEA and Swiss citizens obtain within four months of arrival. No work permit, no salary floor, no ratio impact on the third-country side.
Tax relief for relocating staff
Half of employment income is exempt from income tax for 17 years where pay exceeds €55,000 a year, for staff taking a first Cyprus job after 15 years abroad. A 20% relief, capped at €8,550, may help lower earners.
Explainer 01
What registration gives you, and what it asks of you.
Registering as a company of foreign interests changes who decides on your hires. Without it, every non-EU employee goes through a Department of Labour market test that a tech company rarely passes. With it, highly skilled staff are filed straight with the Civil Registry and Migration Department.
What you get
Non-EU hires at €2,500 or more with no labour market test.
Permits of up to three years, renewable, decided in about a month for a complete file.
Families join without the usual two-year wait, and the spouse may work.
Directors and shareholders can be employed, if the role and salary qualify.
What you sign up to
Keep the €200,000 investment and the evidence for it.
Run real offices, separate from anyone’s home.
Move towards at least 30% Cypriot or EU staff within five years.
Pay every salary as declared, through Cyprus payroll, with social insurance and General Healthcare System contributions.
The obligations are checked at renewal. A company that let its office lapse, or paid below the declared salary, will find it at the first permit renewal, usually two or three years in. Treat the file as a live compliance record, not a one-off application.
Explainer 02
Families: work rights, schools and healthcare.
For most senior hires the family decides the move. Plan their paperwork in parallel with the employee’s, not after it.
- Spouse work rights. The spouse of a highly skilled employee can take a job in Cyprus without Labour Department approval. Self-employment is not covered, and the spouse of a support staff member gets no such access.
- Schools. Limassol has a dense cluster of English-language private schools. Typical published fees run from about €7,000 to €15,000 a year depending on age and curriculum, before registration fees and transport. Popular year groups fill early, so apply when the move is approved, not when the family lands.
- Healthcare. Employees pay 2.65% of pay into the General Healthcare System (GHS, also called GESY), and the employer pays 2.90%. Once the employee is registered, a spouse and dependent children can usually register too and choose a personal doctor. Confirm each dependant’s eligibility, because sources still differ for some non-EU categories.
- Insurance. Private cover for inpatient and outpatient care and repatriation is still asked for in the family file, even where GHS will apply.
Explainer 03
Run the move in waves, not as one shipment.
Moving 40 people on one date means 40 permit files, 40 flats and 40 bank accounts landing on the same fortnight. Waves spread the load and let the first group build what the next one needs.
Wave one builds the port. Waves two and three just dock.
Wave one is the directors, finance and HR lead, and two or three key engineers. They sign the lease, open the bank account, register payroll and social insurance, and find housing. Wave two brings the core team six to eight weeks later, once the employer file is proven. Wave three brings the rest and the local hires that protect the 70% ratio.
Families usually follow 4 to 8 weeks after each wave. Time the family waves to the school year, which starts in September. The budget tool below draws this as a plan.
SEC-04 · Cases
Three teams, three different answers.
Realistic composites, run through the same rules as the tools on this page. One of them should not move as planned.
CFI-101 · LimassolFintech
25-person Israeli fintech
Wholly owned by its Tel Aviv parent, €250,000 deposited with a Limassol bank, a twelve-month office lease in Agios Athanasios. Nineteen Israeli staff relocate, six roles are hired locally.
76%Third-country
+3Local hires
€319kLow budget
The company qualifies on every test, but 19 of 25 is over the ceiling. Three more Cypriot or EU hires fix it, and so may staff who hold an EU passport, which many Israelis do. Payment services need a separate Central Bank licence.
Eligible, adjust the ratio
Hire three locally or count EU passport holders before the 2027 check.
Hire three locally or count EU passport holders before the 2027 check.
CFI-102 · LimassolGames
60-person game studio
22 staff are EU citizens from Poland, Greece and France. 38 are Ukrainian, Serbian and Brazilian. Six junior artists among them are offered €2,100 a month.
63%Third-country
22MEU1 only
6Below floor
The ratio is safe, with room for 13 more non-EU hires. The six juniors are under €2,500, so they would need Labour approval as support staff. Raising them costs €28,800 a year in pay, about €33,200 with employer contributions.
Eligible, within ratio
32 highly skilled permits, 22 MEU1 registrations, and a pay decision on six roles.
32 highly skilled permits, 22 MEU1 registrations, and a pay decision on six roles.
CFI-103 · NicosiaIT delivery
10-person Indian IT delivery centre
A Pune parent plans a Nicosia delivery centre with ten engineers from India, paid €1,800 to €2,400 a month, and no local staff in year one.
100%Third-country
0Qualify as skilled
+5Local hires
Nobody reaches €2,500, so none qualifies as highly skilled, and support roles must pass a labour market test. Ten of ten is far over the ceiling. Paying €2,500 adds about €48,000 a year, before the €200,000 investment.
Not as planned
Raise pay and hire five locally, or start smaller through an employer of record. Cyprus may not be the cheapest base for this model.
Raise pay and hire five locally, or start smaller through an employer of record. Cyprus may not be the cheapest base for this model.
SEC-05 · Tool 02
The team and family manifest.
List each person who will work in Cyprus. The manifest assigns a route, counts the permits to file for them and their family, and flags anyone who does not qualify as planned. Up to 30 people.
Team manifest
Tool 02 / 03| ID | Role | Nationality | Gross / month | Spouse | Children | Route | Permits and flags | Remove |
|---|
0Permits and registrations to file
0Family members relocating
0Highly skilled permits
0Not eligible as planned
Assumptions. Route is set by nationality and salary, not job title. Cypriot staff need no permit and their families are not counted. EU, EEA and Swiss staff and their family members each need an MEU1 or, for a non-EU family member, a residence card. Third-country staff at €2,500 gross a month or more are highly skilled: one residence and employment permit each, plus one family reunification permit per spouse and child. Third-country staff below €2,500 in a support role need Labour Department approval and at least the €979 entry minimum wage, and their families are treated as not covered on arrival. Third-country staff below €2,500 in a director, key or skilled role are flagged as not eligible. The 50% tax flag uses twelve times the monthly salary against €55,000 and assumes a first Cyprus employment after 15 years abroad. All to be confirmed by the adviser.
SEC-06 · Tool 03
Relocation budget and arrival plan.
A first budget for the board and a wave plan for HR. Every unit cost is editable. Professional fees and school fees are shown as typical market ranges, not as an Aqualis quote.
Cost and timeline
Tool 03 / 03People
Move costs
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Fees, estimates
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Waves
First-year relocation budget, low to high
Flights for 0 travellers
Temporary housing
Relocation allowances
Government fees, 0 non-EU permits
Medicals, translations, apostilles
Professional fees, typical market range
School fees, first year, typical market range
Total budget
Per employee
Arrival plan, weeks from start
Company set-upWork permit, 4 weeksUp to 8 weeksArrivalFamily permits, 4 to 8 weeks
Assumptions. Travellers are employees plus one spouse for each employee bringing a spouse, plus children. Housing counts employees without a spouse as single units and the rest as family units, for the months entered. Government fees and document costs apply to non-EU employees and to all relocating family members, which overstates them where EU staff bring families. The €200 default reflects the published family reunification fee and is an estimate for employee permits, which the adviser should confirm. Professional fees are a typical market range, not an Aqualis quote. School fees are a typical market range for English-language private schools in Limassol, one year per child. The plan takes Aqualis’s published times: work permit 4 to 8 weeks, family permit 4 to 8 weeks after the employee arrives, and arrival at the 8-week end of the range. Employer payroll costs are not included.
SEC-07 · Process
From registration to the last family, in four steps.
Most delays come from documents gathered abroad: criminal records, apostilles and degree certificates. Start those in week one, before the company is even registered.
Weeks 0 to 4
Register the company
Form or adapt the Cyprus company, open the bank account, bring in the €200,000, sign the office lease, then apply online to the Business Support Centre for the register of companies of foreign interests.
Share register, proof of funds from abroad, lease or title deed, and a verified CY Login account for the company.Weeks 2 to 10
File the employee permits
Issue contracts of at least two years at €2,500 or more, collect degrees or proof of experience, criminal record certificates and insurance, and file each residence and employment permit with the Migration Department.
Aqualis typically sees work permits in 4 to 8 weeks. Order apostilles on the first day.Weeks 6 to 14
Arrive and register
Employees arrive, complete medical tests and biometrics, and receive social insurance and tax numbers. Payroll starts, with General Healthcare System registration. EU staff apply for MEU1 within four months.
Residence permits take 6 to 10 weeks. Claim the 50% exemption through payroll from the first month.Weeks 10 to 22
Bring the families and settle
File family reunification for spouses and children, enrol children in school, register dependants with the General Healthcare System, and track the staff ratio ahead of the 2027 check.
Family permits take 4 to 8 weeks. Diarise every permit renewal well before expiry.SEC-08 · Questions
What leadership teams ask before they move.
Fourteen questions in plain terms. Each one carries the review date in the page’s structured data.
Ask one we missed →01Can a foreign company move its whole team to Cyprus?
Yes, if the Cyprus company registers as a company of foreign interests and each non-EU employee earns at least €2,500 gross a month. EU staff only need an MEU1 registration. The limits are the staff ratio, which caps third-country nationals at 70% of headcount, and the salary floor, which rules out most junior roles.
02What is a company of foreign interests in Cyprus?
A Cyprus company entered on a government register run by the Business Support Centre. It must be majority owned by third-country nationals, or have a third-country stake worth at least €200,000, plus a €200,000 initial investment and real offices. Registration lets it hire non-EU staff without a labour market test.
03Do we need €200,000 to register with the Business Facilitation Unit in Cyprus?
Yes. The initial investment must be at least €200,000, either deposited with a licensed Cyprus bank or spent on office premises or equipment. One 2026 source says it must be made within six months before the application. Funds in an e-money or payment account do not count.
04What salary does a highly skilled employee need in Cyprus in 2026?
At least €2,500 gross a month, with a degree or two years of relevant experience and a contract of at least two years. Holders of older key personnel permits on €2,000 or more may renew with the same employer until 31 December 2026, which the adviser should confirm for your staff.
05Can we bring support staff paid less than €2,500 to Cyprus?
Yes, but not on the fast track. Each role needs Department of Labour approval showing it cannot be filled locally, pay must meet at least the national minimum wage of €1,088 a month, or €979 in the first six months, and family rights are narrower. For a relocating team it is usually simpler to raise pay to €2,500.
06What is the 70% rule for third-country staff in Cyprus?
A company of foreign interests should employ no more than 70% third-country nationals, so at least 30% Cypriot or EU staff, reached over five years. Sources say compliance for new hires is first checked from January 2027, with shortfalls reviewed case by case. Our eligibility checker shows how many local hires you need.
07How long does a Cyprus work permit take for our employees?
Company registration takes about ten working days once the file is complete. Aqualis typically sees work permits in 4 to 8 weeks, residence permits in 6 to 10 weeks and family permits in 4 to 8 weeks. Missing apostilles or translations are the most common cause of delay.
08Can employees bring their spouse and children to Cyprus?
Highly skilled employees can bring a spouse and unmarried children under 18 through family reunification, without the usual two years of prior residence. Each family member needs health insurance. Support staff do not get the same family rights on arrival.
09Can my employee’s spouse work in Cyprus?
If the employee is highly skilled, yes. The spouse can take paid employment without a separate Labour Department approval. Self-employment is not covered by this right, and spouses of support staff do not have it.
10Do EU citizens on our team need a Cyprus work permit?
No. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens may work freely and register for an MEU1 certificate within four months of arrival. They count on the Cypriot and EU side of the staff ratio, which is why EU passport holders in a relocating team are valuable.
11Which documents need an apostille for a Cyprus work permit?
Usually the criminal record certificate, degree certificates, and for families the marriage and birth certificates. Countries in the Hague Apostille Convention apostille them. Others need legalisation through the Cyprus consulate. Documents not in English or Greek also need a certified translation.
12Is a virtual office enough for a company of foreign interests in Cyprus?
No. The company needs independent business premises separate from any home. A serviced office or shared space can work if a room is reserved for the company’s exclusive use. A mailing address or registered office service is not enough.
13Does the 50% tax exemption apply to staff we relocate to Cyprus?
Often, yes. Half of employment income is exempt for 17 years where pay exceeds €55,000 a year, for a first Cyprus employment by someone not resident here for the previous 15 years. It is claimed through payroll. Staff below €55,000 may qualify for a 20% exemption capped at €8,550 a year.
14Are directors and shareholders automatically allowed to work in Cyprus?
No. Owning shares or holding a directorship gives no right to live or work in Cyprus on its own. A director or shareholder can be employed by the company if the role and salary meet the highly skilled test, and is filed like any other employee.
Free template · XLSX and PDF
Relocation project plan template: 16 workstreams
- Company registration and BFU file
- Investment and office evidence
- Per-person document tracker with apostilles
- Wave plan with permit and family dates
- Housing, schools and GHS registration
- Staff ratio and renewal diary
Request the template →
Sent by the adviser. Ask for it in the form below.
Who stands behind this page
Aqualis Ltd, chartered accountants in Nicosia.
Aqualis registers companies of foreign interests, files work, residence and family permits, and runs Cyprus payroll for relocated teams. The adviser named here signs off every figure on this page.
ICPAC memberICAEW memberEnglish and Greek
Immigration adviser[name, title]
Office[address], Nicosia, Cyprus
Immigration servicesaqualis.com.cy/immigration
ResponseWithin one working day