Cyprus will tighten checks on foreign students, including attendance and employment.

International students in Cyprus are to be subject to more stringent controls. Authorities want to monitor their academic progress, attendance, and compliance with employment restrictions. This is due to cases of students using their student residence permits for purposes other than actual study.

The announced measures apply to citizens of non-European Union countries. Therefore, they do not apply to Poles studying in Cyprus under the same conditions as EU citizens. However, the changes may be important for Polish businesses employing students in industries such as catering, hotels, delivery, and services.

International students in Cyprus under greater scrutiny

Deputy Minister of Migration Nikolas A. Ioannidis and Minister of Education, Sports, and Youth Athina Michaelidou discussed strengthening controls. Representatives of private higher education organizations also attended the meeting.

The government emphasizes its continued commitment to attracting international students to the island. Their presence supports the Cypriot economy, generates revenue for universities, and strengthens the country's position as a regional educational center.

At the same time, offices are recording cases in which individuals who legally arrive to study later cease to meet the conditions of their permit. This may include dropping out of school, failing to attend classes regularly, or taking up illegal employment.

The residence permit is to depend on actual study

The authorities want to link the issuance and extension of student residence permits more closely to actual participation in the curriculum.

The following can be controlled:

• attendance at classes,
• systematic participation in studies,
• academic results and progress,
• continuation of the declared program,
• compliance with the conditions of the residence permit,
• legality of the employment undertaken.

The new sanctions system and detailed inspection schedule have not yet been presented. Ministries have begun reviewing existing procedures and are looking for loopholes that could allow for circumvention of the regulations.

One of the solutions being considered is a more efficient exchange of information between universities, migration offices, the Ministry of Education and services responsible for the labor market.

This would allow the office to find out more quickly if a student stopped showing up for classes, withdrew from the program, or was not making the required progress.

Non-EU students can work, but limits apply

The government emphasizes that it does not intend to deprive people who are actually studying and meet the required conditions of the right to legal work.

Third-country national students may work a maximum of 20 hours per week during classes. During official study breaks, this limit increases to 38 hours per week.

Students must sign a contract with their employer and then submit it to the local Department of Labor office for approval. A schedule of classes is also included with the documents to ensure that employment does not conflict with their studies.

Acceptable occupations include, but are not limited to, selected positions in hotels, restaurants, cleaning, agriculture, food production, and delivery. Student status alone does not entitle you to any job, any number of hours.

Inspections may also cover employers.

The announced actions may be important not only for students, but also for the companies that employ them.

The employer should verify that the individual has a valid student permit, is eligible to work in the specific position, and will not exceed the permitted number of hours. The contract should be approved in accordance with the required procedure.

Employing a student without the required documents, outside the permitted sector or in excess of the limit may be considered illegal work.

The authorities want to react even before arrival

The checks won't be limited to people already on the island. The government also wants to better vet applicants before granting entry.

The aim is to determine whether the individual actually plans to start studying, has the appropriate qualifications and resources, and intends to pursue the chosen programme.

Cypriot authorities emphasize that the student migration route should remain available to those who genuinely want to pursue education. However, it cannot be used solely as a means of legally entering the island, followed by abandoning studies, illegal residence, or working without the required permits.

For now, this is an announcement of a strengthening of the existing system, not an announcement of new regulations. Details are to be worked out jointly by the Ministries of Migration and Education, as well as representatives of private universities.

Sources: Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection of the Republic of Cyprus, Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, Department of Labor, Department of Migration