Your rights as an asylum-seeker

Non-refoulement is the fundamental right of all refugees and asylum-seekers. What this means is that you are protected against deportation or return to a country where your life or freedom may be in danger on account of your race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. Even if you enter Cyprus without a visa or entry permit, you should not be deported until your refugee application has received a final decision.

You have the right to remain in the country while the procedure before the Asylum Service is pending. If you have submitted an appeal before the Administrative Court, you have the right to remain, except for the following cases:

• Your application is considered manifestly unfounded i.e. it is unrelated to the refugee definition;
• Your application is inadmissible i.e. you are protected in another country, or you are resubmitting your application but there are no new elements to your case, or a dependent who has previously agreed to be part of your application, and has since submitted a separate application, and there are no facts that justify a separate application;
• The reopening of your application is rejected after it has already been closed because of implicit withdrawal or abandonment of the application the first time;
• Your application is not examined or not examined fully because the competent authority has established that you are seeking to enter the country, or have entered illegally, from a safe third country.

You can legally reside and move freely in the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus. If you cross to the northern part of Cyprus, which is not controlled by the Republic of Cyprus, even for a short visit, you may not be permitted to cross back to the government controlled areas. You may also risk arrest and imprisonment of up to 12 months, or a fine of up to EUR 1,700.

As soon as you get your Confirmation Letter you are eligible to access certain rights, including access to the coverage of your material needs, and access to public healthcare services.

After applying for asylum, and receiving your Confirmation Letter, you will need to apply for a medical card at the Ministry of Health, or the General Hospital in your district, in order to have access to the public healthcare system. For more information and to download the application form for a medical card see here. When you go to submit your application, you must have your Confirmation Letter with you.

During the period that you are waiting to receive your medical card, the Ministry of Health has announced that, effective 2nd May 2022, asylum-seekers can access healthcare at the public hospitals by presenting their Confirmation of Submission of an Application for International Protection (Confirmation Letter). This policy will be in effect for one year from the date of issuance of the Confirmation Letter.

Important note as of May 2023: Asylum-seekers who cannot physically go to the Ministry of Health in Nicosia to apply for a medical card can now apply by sending an email to [email protected] in order to receive their medical card by post. The following information must be included in the email:

– completed application form with full and correct address
– copy of Confirmation Letter
– copy of Alien Registration Certificate (ARC)
– copy of appeal, if applicable

Note: Since 2013 all holders of a valid medical card are required to pay certain fees in order to access the public healthcare system. If you are a recipient of social assistance, you are eligible for a medical card with exemptions from all fees. You must request a letter from the Social Welfare Services proving you are receiving social assistance, and submit this letter together with your application for a medical card. If you are working, you will be requested to provide proof of your income for possible exemption from fees.

If you are not a recipient of social assistance, or you do not submit a letter from the Social Welfare Services proving you are receiving assistance, you will receive a standard medical card, with no exemption from fees.

If you reside in Kofinou, you will receive a medical card with an exemption from all fees.

Click here for more information about the procedure to apply for a medical card.

The form also includes explanatory notes and instructions. In order to submit your application you will need to include the following documents with your completed form:

• Letter of confirmation issued by the Asylum Service.
• Copy of Social Insurance Account from the Department of Social Insurance Services or the Citizen Service Centres (for all family members except for children below the age of 18 who are not employed).
• Employer’s certificate showing the amount of earnings, or a work contract, or recent certificate on the social assistance received issued by the Department of Social Welfare Services).

Note: Asylum-seekers are currently not covered by the General Health System (GeSY).

You have access to the educational facilities of the public sector. Primary and secondary education are mandatory in Cyprus. Attendance in the public sector schools is free, and it is compulsory until the age of 15 years. Children are required by law to be in school from age 5 onwards. State provisions for pre-primary education are made from this age onwards.

A guide to education in Cyprus:

• In English 
• In Arabic

According to the Ministerial Decree 312/2023 asylum-seekers are entitled to work nine months after the submission of their asylum application.

You should register with your local Labour Office immediately after nine months have passed. There is no work permit for asylum-seekers.

Registrations for unemployed persons, as well as renewals, are performed online through the Labour Departments’ web platform.

Please read below to see under which category you fall:

• If  this is the first time you will register with the Labour Office in order to find work, you will need to do so by registering in the Labour Department’s platform here.
• If you are already registered with Labour Office and you have already created an account at the Labour Department’s web platform, remember to renew your registration on time. IMPORTANT: If you are already registered at the Labour Office as unemployed and you have changed your telephone number, please inform the Labour Office as soon as possible.

You are permitted to work in certain sectors only, per the table below. These sectors may change from time to time – you can stay informed by regularly visiting your local Labour Office. For contact details of the Labour Office and other relevant government departments, click here.

You must register with the Labour Office in order to continue to receive your social assistance benefits until you are able to secure a job. In case you cannot work due to medical reasons, registration with the Labour Office is not required to receive social assistance benefits, but medical proof will be required to support your claim at the Social Welfare Services.

As a registered asylum-seeker you are entitled to the assistance of the Labour Office to help you find a job, and you can also seek employment by yourself. If you reject two offers of employment following the referral of the Labour Office, you may lose your social assistance benefits.

If you are successful in securing a job independently, you must notify the Labour Office that you are no longer unemployed. In order to secure your work position, your employer must submit an application to the Ministry of Labour to employ asylum seeker for approval. The employer must inform you in writing the terms and conditions of the job, which must be at the same level for all the employees of the company, regardless of their residence status.

Once you begin working you will no longer be entitled to receive unemployment allowance, or social benefits allowances. If you are caught working illegally before the period you are entitled to work, or while receiving unemployment and social assistance benefits, then these benefits will stop, and you may be prosecuted.

Additionally, note the following conditions for employment:

• Employers are responsible to have all social insurance obligations settled, employer’s liability insurance and medical insurance. Employers must inform the employee about the basic terms and conditions, within seven days from the starting date and for the complimentary terms and conditions within one month.
• Asylum applicants formerly registered as workers in the farming and agriculture sector will only be allowed to work in that field. Permission to change employer but not sector can be granted only if both parties sign a release document.

The sectors of employment have been expanded and are as follows:

Click here for more information about your access to the labour market and employment rights in Cyprus.

National Statutory Minimum Wage

According to the Ministerial Decree 402/2023, the National Minimum Wage for full time employment is €900 gross and increases to €1000 gross after completing 6 months of continuous employment with the same employer. Note that full time employment refers to a maximum 48 working hours weekly.

Domestic, Agricultural, and shipping workers are excluded from the Decree.

Important: The minimum wage can be reduced up to 25% if the employer provides the employee with food and accommodation.

If you are an asylum-seeker without an income or any other means of subsistence, you can apply for social assistance. After submitting your application for Material Reception Conditions at the Pournara First Reception Centre, and upon your release from the Centre, you should visit the Social Welfare Office in your district in order for your file to be opened.

The application forms for material reception conditions are available here in multiple languages.

For more information about Social Welfare Services in Cyprus, click here.

Your needs may be covered in two ways:

• The Welfare Services may refer you to the Kofinou Reception Centre for Asylum-seekers. If there is a vacancy you have to move to the Reception Centre. If you have serious reasons for which you believe you cannot stay at the Reception Centre, you must explain these in detail to the Welfare Services. At the Reception Centre, if you have a family, you will have exclusive use of one or more rooms, depending on the size and the composition of your family. If you are a single person, you will share a room with other people of the same gender. You will receive meals, a monthly allowance and you will have access to social support and free medical care. The stay in the Centre is allowed while your asylum application is pending. Note: If you have serious reasons for which you believe you cannot stay at the Reception Centre, you must explain these in detail to the Welfare Services. If you refuse to move to a Reception Centre without valid reasons, you will not be eligible to receive support from the Social Welfare Services.
• If the referral to the Reception Centre is not possible, you may receive support from Social Welfare Services. To this end, you will need to secure your own accommodation and provide your address. The aid is currently being offered through cheques. The Welfare Services can refuse an application for social assistance, if they can prove that you are working or you have enough money to cover your needs. After 1 month from the date of the application of asylum, support from Welfare Services is dependent on proof that you are not able to work, either for health reasons or due to not being able to find work. If your health does not permit you to work, you will need a medical report, preferably from a governmental medical institution. This report must certify your inability to work, along with the reasons, as well the duration for which you are unable to work.

The Kofinou Reception Centre

The Kofinou Reception Centre is currently the only Reception and Accommodation Centre for Applicants for International Protection in Cyprus. It is managed by the State, under the Ministry of Interior and is located in Kofinou, in the district of Larnaca. It has a maximum potential capacity of approximately 600 persons. It offers basic accommodation and meals to its residents, as well as access to basic medical services; there are security guards and social workers on duty. Residents receive a small monthly allowance as well as a free medical card for access to the public healthcare system, and bus passes to travel for free to Larnaca, the nearby coastal town. UNHCR has staff present at the Centre to offer individual counseling and integration support, including networking opportunities with potential employers.

For more information about the Kofinou Reception Centre, click here. 

Levels and categories of social assistance granted to asylum-seekers living outside the Kofinou Reception Centre:

The monthly assistance amount provided to asylum-seekers is determined by the Decision of the Council of Ministers to cover the Material Reception Conditions for Applicants for International Protection. The amounts are determined based on the number of family members in the household and may not be exceeded. See below table for breakdowns: