Cyprus citizenship

raj · new member

Hello everyone,

Please advice me,

I am from India. I am a Diploma in hotel management and have work experience of 5 years in different hotels. I am interested to work in Cyprus.
I have work in Swiss (8 months) Ireland (1 year) London (1 year) India (2.6 years) in a supervisory position. Could you please let me know if I qualify for a work permit. If yes, could you please let me know how long it takes to get a work permit.

Could you also let me know, How long it takes for a foreigner to get a citizenship in Cyprus. I mean to say for how many years should an foreigner work in a full time job to get a citizenship.

Thank you in advance
Raj
Smile

Svetlana · Moderator

Hi Raj

As a non EU citizen you will find it hard to get work in Cyprus; many Sri Lankan and Filipino people working here currently are not getting their Visas renewed and the Government policy is to encourage the employment of EU Nationals if foreign workesr are required.

To get a Visa you will need an employer to sponsor you, make an application to the Department of Labour and lodge a Bond, covering your return airfare.

Unless you have special skills, I do not think you will be able to findsuch a sponsor, who must be able to show that there is no Cypriot, or other EU National not available to do the job.

Citizenship requires tou to have been a Resident for at least 5 years as I understand it; again few foreignesr are granted Cypriot citizenship. You would then have to spend 26 months in the National Guard!

Lana

raj · new member

Thank you verymuch for you reply Svetlana.

raj · new member

Hi Svetlana,

I am planning to do my MBA in Cyprus. Could you please let me know if I can work part time during study and can I get a work permit after finishing MBA. (I guess if I pass out from a university in Cyprus, I am eligible for a work permit, is that true?

Confused

Raj

sk · instructor

hi raj!
i think you are allowed about 20 hours of work a week when you are a student....but you better check it with your uni....i think some also offer part tme jobs in uni premises(gym,library etc) ,you better check it!!!as for a working permit i dont know.....it depends what you are capable to do....if your employer really needs you ,they will find a way to keep you with them,thats for sure!!!

Sotos · professor

Olga · advanced member

Hello raj!

I can confirm that unfortunately even if you finish college here you will not get automatically a work permit.
When you are a last year student in the college they give you at the immigration department a final pink slip (temporary residence permit) that is hard to get renewed.
And about 20 hours of work per week for foreign students, I read that they are planning to introduce it but have not done so yet.

raj · new member

Thank you Olga and everybody how have been so helpful in this regard.

Raj

bkoumis · new member

Raj

since your in the hotel / hospitality industry, if you work for a major hotel chain that is in cyprus you can ask to get a transfer, this will be the easiest thing.

As for citizenship, cyprus will not grant citizenship to foreigners outside of the EU or of cyprus ansestry - you can forget any misconceptions you have on this.
otherwise a loop hope is to marry a cypriot woman