With its rich culture and history, Cyprus is an exciting study destination for international students. Situated between Europe and the Middle East, Cyprus is the third biggest island in the Mediterranean. 

As one of the richest and most diverse islands in the world, it has a long and varied history and is very important to the future development of the region.

An attractive climate and affordable living costs make it an ideal place to study.

A wide range of programs are available for international students in Cyprus, including bachelor’s, master’s, diploma, and PhD programs. The academic year in Cyprus consists of two semesters, and undergraduate bachelor’s degrees are offered through lectures, seminars, group projects, and other academic activities.

There are a wide range of institutions available to international students in Cyprus, including specialist business schools, medical universities and engineering universities. Whether you’re looking to study for a bachelor’s, master’s, MBA or PhD, Proxy Education can help you find the perfect place to study abroad.

Foreign students from countries outside of the European Union must obtain a visa to enter Cyprus. It is issued only to those who plan to study full-time which means that they will have a training load of at least 12 ECTS per semester. You can apply for a visa if you have a letter of admission from the university. As a rule, the university asks the applicant to send the necessary documents via mail, and then the employee of the international office independently redirects them to the Migration Department. If there is no such service, you should contact the Cyprus Embassy in your country.

All documents must have a notarized translation into English. Applicants from third countries will additionally need to legalize documents of previous education with the help of apostille or consular legalization (except for the countries which have mutual agreements).

After approval of the documents, the Cyprus Migration Department sends the student an entry visa scan (blue slip) via email. In addition to a visa and passport, the following documents will be required at the airport:

• Receipts for tuition and accommodation;
• Confirmation of admission to a university in Cyprus;
• 2,134 USD in cash;
• Copies of all documents required to obtain the blue slip (see above);
• Return ticket with an open date.

Within 10 days after arrival to Cyprus, you must change the entry visa for a Temporary Residence Permit Card. To do this, you must first retake the medical tests and do a photofluorography. It will cost about 53 USD. Then the student must contact the Department of Migration, prove their solvency and pay a fee of 37 USD. As a rule, a representative of the host university helps at all stages. A temporary residence permit is renewed once a year. 

Important: if the university is located on the territory of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), you might encounter a variety of issues. A student visa is issued upon arrival at the university. If your passport has stamps on entering the TRNC (they can be put on a separate form), entering the southern part of the island will be problematic even with a separate visa of the Republic of Cyprus. It is also possible to get into the stop list of the EU countries since the TRNC is an unrecognized territory for the whole world except Turkey.

Public Universities in Cyprus

Private Universities in Cyprus

Public Institutions of Tertiary Education in Cyprus

Private Institutions of Tertiary Education in Cyprus

The Cypriot Primary Education is the initial stage of education and has as its basic aim to create, establish and offer opportunities to all children, regardless of age, gender or country of origin, to achieve a balanced cognitive, emotional and psychomotor development.

Pre-Primary Education is compulsory for all the children that have reached the age of four years and eight months before September 1st of the year during which they will attend school. Attendance of Primary Education is compulsory for all the children that have reached the age of five years and eight months.

The National Curriculum and the teaching methodologies adopted in Cyprus Primary Education emphasize the learning process and focus on strategies which assist pupils in learning how to learn and in developing their critical and creative thinking.

A basic responsibility of Primary Education is to help pupils become acquainted with their civilization and tradition and to develop respect and love for their national heritage, become aware of their national identity, the Greek language, the Greek Orthodox religion and their history.

At the same time, there is awareness of the multicultural trends which are developing in the modern world. Consequently, Primary Education supports the development of intercultural awareness, tolerance and respect of otherness.

Primary Education works towards the harmonious coexistence of pupils regardless of differences in ethnicity or cultural background. The Primary Education Department is continuously working towards the improvement of Cyprus Primary Education. It aims at the continuous and systematic training of teaching staff, the upgrading and writing of new textbooks that will cater to the needs of the National Curriculum and society in general. Moreover, it aims towards the improvement of teaching methods and approaches, the design and implementation of modern developmental programmes, the increase of special education programmes and of programmes which support pupils with learning difficulties, the extension and building of new school units and the overall development of the infrastructure required for quality education.

The various areas for which the Primary Education Department is responsible include: Primary Education (private and state primary schools), Pre-Primary Education (private, public and community Pre-Primary schools), Special Education (special schools, special units and support services offered to children with special needs who are taught inclusively in public primary and Pre-Primary schools), the Cyprus Educational Mission (Cyprus community schools in Great Britain), the Education of the children of Greek of the Diaspora, Educational and Summer Camps, and Adult Education Centres.

Cost and structure table of education in Cyprus

The opportunity to work while studying

Students gain the right to work 6 months after arriving in the country, that is from the second semester. With a work permit, a student at a recognized university can work up to 20 hours a week for a semester and up to 38 hours a week during study breaks. If you are an EU student, you are allowed to work without a work permit. If you are a non-EU student you must apply for a work permit through the university or independently at the Ministry of Labor and Social Insurance.

In general, it is rather difficult for a foreign student to find work in Cyprus. Work is allowed only in certain sectors and positions. This is mainly hotel business and agriculture. A full list of permitted jobs can be found here. Traditionally, in the summer season, there is a huge demand for temporary workers in the tourism industry with the knowledge of the English language. On average, students can earn 533-640 USD per month for part-time work.

Admission and requirements in Cypriot universities

For admission to a university in the Republic of Cyprus or the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), it is not necessary to speak Greek or Turkish. Most universities and institutes offer English-language programs. At the same time, the requirements for the level of proficiency are low and start from B1. A certificate is also not always required. Many universities conduct their own language tests as a part of the admission process. If the applicant speaks Greek or Turkish, he can also take an entrance test.

In general, the process of admission to universities in Cyprus is not that difficult. Most universities divide the academic year into 2 or 3 semesters (A, B, and C). You can start training during any of them, not only in September.

At the first stage of the admission process, universities require you to fill out a digital application and attach the following documents to it:

• Digital application on the university website;
• Bachelor’s or another diploma of previous education for Master’s and Doctoral programs;
• Language certificate IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge exam of at least B1 level (universities also conduct their own language exams);
• Letter of recommendation;
• Motivation letter;
• CV;
• Copy of an ID;
• Registration fee.

For diplomas issued by some countries, it is important to have an apostille or consular legalization. All documents must be translated into English. In the event of the admissions office having questions or additional requirements, a representative of the faculty will contact the student via email.

A characteristic requirement of the Republic of Cyprus is the mandatory testing for AIDS, syphilis, tuberculosis, and hepatitis B and C. All tests are done twice: once before applying for a visa and again upon arrival in the country.