The Temporary Residence Employment (TRE) Permit acts as permission to live and work in Cyprus, and these are usually classified as 'Executive' (usually directors or general managers), and 'Non-Executive'. Applicants for an Executive TRE should apply through the Central Bank of Cyprus, and must be over 24 years of age, earning more then £12,000, and be registered as a director with the Registrar of Companies.
Non-Executive TREs are harder to obtain, as it must be proven that there is no suitably qualified Cypriot that could fill the position, and must be applied for through the Ministry of Labour.
Non-executive applicants are advised not to commit themselves to a position in Cyprus before consulting the Ministry of Labour.
However, temporary residence and employment permits are issued fairly freely to employees of, or consultants, to offshore operations, and also to foreign nationals wishing to retire to the island, hence their preponderance there.
The first TRE permit is granted by the Migration Department of the Ministry of the Interior, and is usually valid for a two-year period, renewable every three years after that. However permits issued to intending retirees are only valid for a one-year period, and are renewable annually thereafter, subject to a demonstration of adequate financial resources.
Cyprus has recently introduced legislation to make the jurisdiction more 'family friendly' for working expatriates in certain sectors.
Before November 2000, an expatriate had to have obtained a (rare) five-year permit, or to have been resident in the country for five years, before they were permitted to bring their spouse and/or children to live with them. However, new legislation introduced at the end of 2001 has meant that for workers in the education, foreign media, offshore, and accounting sectors, and for those that have invested more than CY£100,000 in local enterprise, this rule has been significantly relaxed.
For further information concerning employment in Cyprus please apply to:
Ministry of Interior ( Department of Aliens and Immigration )
CY 1457 Lefkosia (Nicosia)
Tel: +357 22 80 45 02, Fax: +357 22 80 45 87
E-mail: migration@crae.moi.gov.cy
