Work Permit

The professional activity of foreign citizens on national territory can only be carried out with a Work Notice or a Work Permit.
According to the European Union regulations, every EU/EEA citizen enjoys the same labour rights as the ones applied to Romanian citizens, and thus, they do not need a work permit. Foreign citizens who are third country nationals, can work in Romania only after obtaining a work permit, and subsequently a long stay visa for work and a residence permit.

Types of work permits

There are several types of work permits that can be granted to foreign citizens: for permanent workers, seasonal workers, for trainees, for athletes, for cross-border workers, nominal work permit. Depending on the category of your activity, the right to extend your temporary stay for employment purposes can be extended up to 1 year, as a general rule. As far as highly skilled workers are concerned, their stay can be extended up to 2 years.

Steps to obtain a work permit

The steps necessary to obtain a work permit are initiated by the employer who will submit the necessary files and pay the applicable taxes at the offices of the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI). It takes up to 30 days for IGI to solve such requests. For additional information, please visit the official IGI page regarding work permits.

More details and prerequisites for foreigners can be found on the official website of the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Protection and Elderly, Work Section – Information guide for third-country nationals.

The Republic of Cyprus secures equal treatment between foreign workers and local personnel through its Constitution, Article 28(2), which guarantees the protection of human rights regardless race, religion or ethnic origin. Moreover, the Cyprus Government has also ratified several International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions, as well as the Article 19 of the Revised European Social Charter i.e. the right of the migrant workers and their families to protection and assistance. These instruments provide, inter alia, for no less favourable treatment for incoming workers than that of nationals.

Decisions of the Council of Ministers as well as a number of administrative arrangements also exist to promote and guarantee that migrant workers are at least treated equally with nationals in respect to, among other things, terms and conditions of employment. The Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance safeguards the equal treatment between foreign workers and local personnel through written contracts of employment signed by both the employer and the foreign employee. These contracts contain all terms and conditions of employment (hours of work, salary and other benefits, holidays, overtime pay, duties etc.), which also apply for Cypriot employees, mainly on the basis of collective agreements.

Employment of EU nationals

As from 1st May 2004, nationals from EU member states (including European Economic Area countries and Switzerland) can work in Cyprus without restrictions. However, they will need a residence permit if they intend to stay longer than 3 months and take up employment in Cyprus. They must apply for such a residence permit to the Civil Registry and Migration Department, as soon as they secure employment and in any case before the expiration of this 3-month period.

EU nationals working in Cyprus have the same rights as Cypriot nationals with regard to pay, working conditions, access to housing, vocational training, social security and trade union membership. Family and relatives, who are dependent on them such as children, have similar rights.

Foreign nationals seeking employment in Cyprus must secure through personal efforts a local employer who should submit an application to the Director of Civil Registry and Migration Department, Ministry of Interior, who is the competent authority for the issue of such permits. The Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance acts as an advisor to the Director of Civil Registry and Migration Department as regards the situation in the labour market and the compliance by the abovementioned employer with the criteria regulating the employment of aliens.