Domestic work (DW)Work Visa Permit

Procedure for application submission, fees, processing time and duration of residence permit

For the employment of a third country national as a domestic worker the employer must fulfill one of the income criteria listed below:

Families with an annual gross total family income of at least:

• €24.000 without children,
• €30.000 with one (1) dependent child,
• €36.000 with two (2) dependent children, and
• €42.000 with three (3) or more dependent children.

Single-parent families with an annual gross total family income of at least:

• €24.000 with one (1) dependent child,
• €30.000 with two (2) dependent children, and
• €36.000 with three (3) or more dependent children.

Single persons with an annual gross total income of at least €24,000.

Persons over the age of 65 with an annual gross total family income of at least:

• €24.000 for a couple, and
• €18.000 for solitary.

Following categories of employers are exempted from the income criteria:

• People certified by the Department of Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities.
• Beneficiaries of the Guaranteed Minimum Income.
• Beneficiaries of Low Pensioners’ Allowance and Beneficiaries of Incapacity and Invalidity Pension.

Employment of a male domestic worker

The employment of a male domestic worker is allowed only in cases where the employer has severe mobility problems (e.g. bedridden, severe disabilities or overweight) provided that a medical certificate is presented.

Minimum qualification for domestic workers

• The minimum qualification for the employment of a domestic worker is the basic knowledge of the Greek or English language.
• For the employment of a homolingual foreign domestic worker, in cases where the employer is a foreign national with permanent residence in Cyprus, knowledge of English or Greek is not required.

Entry in the Republic for the purpose of domestic work

A third-country national may enter the Republic in order to be employed as a domestic worker after obtaining an entry permit from the Department. The application for the entry permit must be submitted either by the employer or through an authorized representative. Nationals of Myanmar and Ethiopia are not allowed to enter the Republic in order to work as domestic workers.

Allowed number of domestic workers per employer

It is allowed to employ up to two domestic workers in the case the employer is bedridden or overweight.

It is allowed to employ up to three domestic workers in the case the employer:

• suffers from severe disability, paraplegia or quadriplegia upon presentation of a relevant certificate from the Department of Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities,
• suffers from severe physical disability upon presentation of a relevant certificate from the Guaranteed Minimum Income,
• suffers from medium and heavy intellectual or mental disability upon presentation of a relevant certificate from the Guaranteed Minimum Income, and
• individuals or families with an annual gross family income of at least €100,000.
  

Maximum allowed duration of stay

There is no maximum duration of stay for domestic workers.

Change of Employer

A domestic worker is not allowed to change more than 2 employers (i.e. total of 3 employers) unless:

• the new employer is up to a second degree relative, or
• the new employer is over 75 years old.

To apply for employment with a new employer, the domestic worker must provide the original release document signed by the previous employer along with a detailed statement from the Social Insurance Services. As the date of release by the previous employer will be noted the last payment of social security for the employee.

The following cases are not considered as change of employer:

• death of the employer,
• transfer of the employer to a nursing home or rehabilitation center,
• employer immigration,
• the commission of a criminal offence from the employer against the employee;
• decision of the Department of Labour Relations in favor of the employee.

Salary of domestic workers

The minimum monthly gross salary is €460 regardless of the country of origin of the domestic worker. The above salary is subject to the following reductions:

• Contributions to the Social Security Services (incl. GeSY),
• 15% for food expenses when the worker is staying at the employer’s premises, and
• 10% for accommodation expenses when the worker is staying at the employer’s premises.

Domestic worker accommodation

According to the legislation, a suitable space should be provided for the accommodation of the domestic worker, as follows:

• a private room within the employer’s premises, or
• a private room in an outbuilding of the employer’s premises, or
• a private room in a rented building.