Getting licensed: the regulated professions of Cyprus

Some businesses you can simply start. Others, roughly 180 regulated activities in Cyprus, need a licence, a registration or a permit before you may trade at all. The good news is that they all follow the same logic, and one portal points you to the right door.

One point of contact

Regulated activities are searchable through the Point of Single Contact on the businessincyprus.gov.cy portal, under the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry. The regulated sectors include Agriculture and Veterinary Services, Construction and Engineering, Education, Firearms and Explosives, Health, Welfare and Beauty, Mass Media Communication, Metrology, Professional Services, Radiocommunication Services, Tourism and Leisure, Transport and Logistics, Wholesale and Retail Trade, and Cross-Border Provision of Services. The portal directs you to the competent authority for each.

What a licence actually involves

Every licence follows a pattern: a competent authority, a set of qualifications, often an examination, a fee, and a decision window. A few real examples show the shape of it. An estate agent registers with the Real Estate Agents Registration Council in Strovolos, sits a written examination on property and town-planning law, pays 100 euros to apply, 350 for the certificate and 250 for the annual licence, and is answered within three months. A pharmacy is licensed by the Pharmacy Board, must be owned or majority-controlled by a registered pharmacist, carries no fee, and passes three on-site inspections before approval. A doctor registers with the Cyprus Medical Council, needs Greek at level C1 and twelve months of clinical service, and pays 300 euros to join the register.

The professional trades

Advocates are entered on the Register of Advocates by the Supreme Court, licensed annually by the Bar Council, and must complete a pupillage of at least twelve months. Accountants and auditors are authorised by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus after examinations and three years of practical experience. In each case the route is the same: confirm the authority, meet the qualification, pass the exam, pay the fee, and wait out the decision period.

Check before you commit

Because the exact requirements and fees are set by each authority and change over time, confirm your specific activity on the official portal before you sign a lease or enrol in a course. For the legal and professional help to get licensed cleanly, see our professional services directory, or tell the concierge which profession you are entering. Source: Point of Single Contact, businessincyprus.gov.cy.