Working in Cyprus

For Sri passport holders · Checked 2026-08-15

Route available

Cyprus appears on Sri Lanka's approved job-order register, mostly for hospitality and care work, under employer-held permits.

What the employer must have

The Cypriot employer must obtain approval to employ a third-country national before the visa is issued.
The demand must be approved by SLBFE as a job order.

Register with SLBFE before you leave. It is not optional: section 53(3) of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Act No. 21 of 1985 requires every Sri Lankan leaving for employment to register with the Bureau first, and registration is what puts you inside the welfare and insurance system if things go wrong.
Use a licensed foreign employment agency and check its licence number on slbfe.lk before you hand over anything.
Ask for the JOB ORDER, and read the maximum fee printed on it. SLBFE approves each job order with a maximum amount the Sri Lankan agency may charge you — charging above it is an offence, and the figure is published on SLBFE's own site for anyone to check.
Complete the pre-departure training the Bureau requires for your job category and keep the certificate.
Ask which permit category the job falls under; Cyprus approves third-country hiring by sector and quota.

SLBFE states plainly that it cannot guarantee a listed vacancy is still open, because the agency may already have filled it. Always confirm the job order is live before you pay, resign or travel.
The maximum chargeable amount on the job order is the whole protection. If an agency asks for more than the printed figure, that is the moment to walk away and report it to SLBFE — not after you have paid.
Small market, tight quotas — an offer with no named employer and no permit category is the one to distrust.

⚠️ Never pay anyone for a job offer or a visa on this route. Legitimate employers and licensed agents do not charge workers for jobs.

This describes the immigration system, not your personal case, and not this specific vacancy.