12 · STUDENT WORK RIGHTS
International students may work — but Cyprus applies a specific, occupation-based framework.
Important: Part-time work is legally regulated. The published 20-hour/week and 38-hour/week limits do not, by themselves, create an automatic work entitlement for every newly arriving 2026 student.
During teaching periods Where the student is legally eligible to work under the applicable decree, the maximum permitted employment is 20 hours per week.
During class interruptions Where the student is legally eligible to work, the maximum permitted employment is 38 hours per week during periods when classes are interrupted, subject to the applicable rules.
Occupation restrictions The Minister of Labour determines the sectors and occupations in which students may be employed. A student cannot assume every job is permitted.
Employment approval Students must have an employment contract and submit it to the District Labour Office for approval, with the study timetable attached.
Permitted occupations (for eligible students) The current Department of Labour list includes selected roles in retail/repairs, health and social care, household work, manufacturing, agriculture/animal husbandry/fishery, services, food and hotels — including roles such as retail salesperson, porter, gas-station/car-wash worker, caregiver, bakery worker, cleaner, kitchen assistant, waiter/waitress, barman/barmaid and hotel receptionist. The exact occupation and eligibility conditions must be checked against the current decree.
Critical 2026 eligibility update: Cyprus regulates third-country student employment through a specific decree. The Department of Labour’s current published guidance includes a transitional eligibility condition for the listed student-employment framework: it refers to foreign full-time students of recognised universities/university programmes who were already in Cyprus by 1 December 2024. Therefore, a student planning to arrive in Cyprus in 2026 must not assume that part-time employment is available simply because the 20-hour/38-hour limits are published. Confirm eligibility, permitted occupations and any current transitional rules directly with the Department of Labour before relying on employment income.
Financial planning
Do not build the initial study-funding or immigration plan around future part-time income. Employment is supplementary and subject to the current legal framework, employer approval and the occupations permitted at the time.
Wage note
National minimum-wage figures are not a substitute for the student-work rules and should not be used to estimate guaranteed student earnings.
Always verify the current student-employment decree and permitted occupations with the Cyprus Department of Labour before accepting employment.
