Work in Cyprus | The Hidden Gem of Europe

Cyprus is a beautiful country with tall mountains, 160 wide beaches and interesting fauna because of its location for migratory species to pass by. This island is also known as the land of Aphrodite (The greek goddess of love) she was born from the sea foam on the southwestern coast of Cyprus. This country has passed through centuries of historical challenges with conquerors, pilgrims and travelers that have made the culture of Cyprus very rich and with a cosmopolitan but also provincial air.

Since It join the european union in 2004, Cyprus became a perfect location for settling businesses because of its beneficial infrastructure, specially for IT and technological companies, this also increase the rate of jobs available for financial and corporate services. This have lead for a growing expat community from all the world and many consider it’s easy to integrate to the culture and lifestyle because of their many benefits, like a low livingcost, taxes are more lenient and it’s considered a very secure country in Europe.

Basic Facts about Cyprus 

Cyprus is an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, its capital is Nicosia, their population is 1.207 million people, most of them are Greeks, only one fifth part of the population is turkish so their official language is Greek and Turkish but most part of their people talk 1 or 2 foreign language like english, french or german. Their currency is the Euro (€) and it has a land area of 9.251km2 of valleys, mountains and beautiful beaches.

Cyprus has an intense mediterranean climate, with all four seasons but the spring and autumn are not that long as you may experience in other countries, moreover summer is intense and very hot, perfect to enjoy the beaches, while winter is rainy and has snow to explore the highest altitudes.

5 Curious Facts about Cyprus

1. A whole town as world heritage: Cyprus has a very rich history, as proof of that it still posses the remains of ancient tombs, fortresses and palaces from 4th century B.C in the city of Paphos, so the UNESCO named the entire city as world heritage.
2. The Oldest Wine Label: Cyprus has the oldest named wine label in the world, the commandaria wine emulates the essence of the very island in its flavor, common says talks about Richard Lionheart, the British King, even called it “A wine of Kings and the King of wines”
3. Their Carnival is a Dionysian blend: The carnival in Cyprus is the most organized and popular event in the island, with influences from venetian rules and old greek traditions this majestic and long event honors Dionysus God, the god of wine and fun, with masked balls, fancy dresses, serenades, music and dancing children in the 10 or 12 days before easter lent.
4. Haloumi, the Cypriot majestic Cheese: This cheese belong to Cyprus and is made from sheep and/or goat’s milk that’s been soaked in brine and mint, it can be eaten raw, grilled or fried and whatever form you choose it will surely taste like heaven.
5. Tropical like climate: Cyprus has the great amount of 320 days of sunshine during the year, that means 8 months of sunny weather, and even the winter months (January and february) are not that cold with a temperature of 14 – 18 ºC

The Cultural heritage of Cyprus

Cyprus’s history has been shaped by its beneficial position, therefore, has been exposed to a number of different cultures and civilizations over the centuries that have occupied the country during a certain period of time and this has left a merge of different customs and historical remains in the country. Right now the island is divided into the Turkish side and the Greek side which is the republic.

The Greek Cypriots have retained their ancient, Byzantine-style cuisine and their own distinctively Byzantine language and dialect. The Turkish Cypriots have retained the same language, religion, and cultural traditions that they brought with them over the centuries, but they have adapted to a life in a largely Greek-speaking society.

Towards expats, the locals are friendly and it’s a save place for locals and expats with low crime rates, also since the last occupation of the island was made from Britain, the English is a common spoken language in Cyprus, which makes it perfect for foreigners. 

If you’re wondering about the life style in Cyprus, you must know that there are many social clubs in Cyprus, for any taste, they have clubs for walking, sailing, card games, crafts, winemaking, dancing, touring and so many more so you can join any of them to know new friends. And if you’re the party type you will find across the big cities many nightspots, being Ayia Napa the most popular with an endless list of nightclubs and bars, however since Limassol to Paphos you can also find a lot of chances to spend a party night.

The Gastronomy in Cyprus

Being mostly a greek society is understandable to think that their food is very similar to traditional Greek food, however the cypriot food has subtle differences according to the natural resources in the island that have changed the usual recipes. Is part of the cypriot food souvlakia (grilled meat kebabs), shaftalia (grilled sausage), afella (pork marinated in coriander), fried halloumi cheese, olives, pitta bread, kolokasi (root vegetables), lamb, artichokes, chickpeas and rabbit stews (stifado).

The flavours of cypriot dishes consist in very seasoned food but not spicy and they use a lot of fruit along with many dishes so you can find fruit available over all the country in every corner as a normal thing.

Work in Cyprus

Cyprus is one o f those perfect countries to work abroad because of their benefits regarding salaries, taxation and working conditions. The gross revenue in  Cyprus is a bit lower than other european countries but the taxation rates are, by difference, way lower than that, so you can find it’s possible to obtain a net income higher in Cyprus than any other country, this is merged with a cheap lifestyle which mean that if you’re looking to save money while exploring whole different cultures at once, this is the perfect place to start.

About working benefits, Cyprus counts with the general benefits you can find in other European countries like health insurance, annual bonus, life insurance and pension contributions. The working hours are about 40 hours a week and the minimum holiday allowance is 21 days up to 25 days over time.

Work in Limassol

This city has all the common things you may find in any other big city in the world like industries,  commercial buildings, restaurants, bars and more, but with a chill atmosphere around. The local economy in Limassol is based on the trade and industry sector, if you are seeking for experience in the seafaring industry, Limassol is perfect for you, but you’ll find all kinds of opportunities for expats to work in the industry sector and its huge variety of alternatives.

Taxation in Cyprus

If you have made your choice about which city will you live in cyprus, it’s important to register in the Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD) in order to obtain your Registration certificate, and then you can fill this form, once you done this, just scan both documents and send them by email to the corresponding department in your chosen city, which are these ones:

• Nicosia:
  lefkosia@tax.mof.gov.cy
• Limassol:
  lemesos@tax.mof.gov.cy
• Paphos:
  paphos@tax.mof.gov.cy
• Larnaca:
  larnaca@tax.mof.gov.cy
• Famagusta:
  ammoxostos@tax.mof.gov.cy

Be sure to ask for your Unique Registration Number – necessary to register in TAXISnet (later on) and a representative of the cyprus tax office will contact you to provide you one.  After this you’re ready to start making contributions and your salary is registered to pay at the end of the fiscal year around 20% if you earn at least EUR 1.700 monthly and then it rises depending on your income. Remember that you will be allowed to pay taxes only if you have more than 183 days living in the country during the calendar year..

Finding Rent in Cyprus

Finding accommodation is not difficult at all in Cyprus, there are many options of furnished, unfurnished and with different treats according to your needs. The recommendation is to live near your job in order to lose the lesser time commuting

Here you have some major tips that will help you find accomodation in Cyprus.

1. Join local Facebook Groups: Depending on the city you’re working, find a group about renting in that city.
2. Network: Comment to your colleagues and the team in JobSqd to help you look for renting opportunities
3. Try to arrange longer stays: The longer your contract, the lower your monthly fee.
4. Negotiate: Usually the prices in the market are below the offer you see, you can use this argument to find a discount in the final price of rent. 
5. Be patient: There’s many alternatives and you will probably be visiting a lot of apartments before finding the perfect one, so just be patient.

Living cost in Cyprus

The living cost in cyprus is one of their most attractive benefits of living there because of the low prices. The average wage is about € 1,405.45 and even if it’s lower than other countries in europe, after taxes and expenses you realize you end up having more money saved than if you were earning more in another country. 

Here we will tell you an average of the main expenses in Cyprus taking as reference the city of Limassol:

* Hinnat voivat vaihdella naapuruston, asunnossa asuvien ihmisten määrän ja tilojen mukaan.
** Riippuu suuresti ruokavaliosta ja siitä, mistä kaupoista ostat ruokaa ja juomia.

Expats in Cyprus

The diversity in Cyprus is highly varied so you can find plenty of groups in the social media of expats living there and their comments about the country. Also in your workplace you can find people alike and arrange meetings to get along with. On the Internet it is useful to search for expats communities and meetings, so just take the opportunity. But also, don’t forget to try to merge with Cypriots and be open to their customs and traditions, that way you learn something new.

Languages in Cyprus

If the language is something that worries you, then nevermind about that in cyprus, since it’s such a diverse country and as an heritage of the many occupations, they speak at least 1 or 2 languages beside greek and turkish, about the 75% of the population talks fluent english, 12% French and 5% German. However if you’re interested into learning Greek, because you decided to Live in Cyprus, then you need to know that the Cypriot government has launched free courses to learn Greek, just visit this website and register.

Why Cyprus?

Beside the experience that brings you to work abroad, in Cyprus because of their location you will have the opportunity to directly interact with people from many different countries and customs, also the climate is warm and you have beaches, mountains and valleys to like any tastes. Plus, the nightlife in Cyprus is A THING with so many night spots and bars over the cities. You have the opportunity to save money to keep traveling if you desire thanks to the low living cost. So, if you’re interested in an opportunity in Cyprus, don’t hesitate to contact us and we can help you through the entire process.