# Self-employemt in Cyprus



## cliffnorm (Jan 23, 2014)

Hello! I am from UK and plan on coming to Cyprus in a couple of months where I will work as a freelance photographer until late autumn. I have been trying to work out what paperwork is needed etc. as I want to be 100% legal. As far as I can gather, I need:

1) Alien registration certificate (which must be applied for within 8 days of arrival)

2) Certificate of registration (yellow card). Must be applied for within 4 months of arrival. 

To get a 'yellow card' and be self employed, I must have a certificate of registration to the social securities. Could anyone please tell me how I go about doing this?

Also, I will need private medical insurance. 

Can I work self-employed on just an EU passport and Alien registration certificate?


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2014)

cliffnorm said:


> Hello! I am from UK and plan on coming to Cyprus in a couple of months where I will work as a freelance photographer until late autumn. I have been trying to work out what paperwork is needed etc. as I want to be 100% legal. As far as I can gather, I need:
> 
> 1) Alien registration certificate (which must be applied for within 8 days of arrival)
> 
> ...


I think I can answer all for you.

1. Alien registration certificate does not exist anymore. 

2. Make an appointment with immigration to get your yellow slip. They will give you a list what papers you need.

3. You register as self employed at the social services office. Then you will know how much you must pay every 3 month. You need to have paid one contribution to get your yellow slip.

As self employed you are entitled to public medical care. That is if you have paid in to the UK system at least 3 years. You need a form E104 from UK.

You need your yellow slip to be allowed to work. At least in theory. You will get it the same day or the day after you apply for it

If you have more questions, please ask. We have just been through all of it

Anders


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## cliffnorm (Jan 23, 2014)

Hello, I was wondering if someone can help me. I have arrived in Cyprus and went to Social services to apply to work as self-employed. They now have the forms and will ''investigate'' and they told me that it will take about 1 month.

I want to get my yellow card and Immigration told me that I can't apply until I am registered as self-employed and have a Cypriot Social insurance number. I can wait but I have a problem- 

I am in Cyrus with my Russian wife. She has a provisa for 3 months. As I understand, she cannot apply for another provisa for 3 months after the current one expires. 

By the time I get my yellow card, which will be in 1+ month, she can also apply for a yellow card as she is a dependant (spouse) of a EU citizen. However, this application can take a maximum of 6 months. 

If she has not been given a yellow card by the time her proviso expires, what should she do? Does she have to leave Cyprus? If she has to leave Cyprus, does she have to wait 3 months before she can return again?


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## Baywatch (Mar 30, 2014)

cliffnorm said:


> Hello, I was wondering if someone can help me. I have arrived in Cyprus and went to Social services to apply to work as self-employed. They now have the forms and will ''investigate'' and they told me that it will take about 1 month.
> 
> I want to get my yellow card and Immigration told me that I can't apply until I am registered as self-employed and have a Cypriot Social insurance number. I can wait but I have a problem-
> 
> ...



There is one misunderstanding in this. You and your wife apply for yellow slip at the same time. It is the application that is important. Then it can take long time, it does not matter, she can stay here. When you go to immigration to get a time for the interview you tell them that you want the list of documents you need and that you are married to someone from a non EU country. . And don't let them trick you that she need a private health insurance, if you are entitled to Cyprus healthcare as self employed, she will be covered also.


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## cliffnorm (Jan 23, 2014)

Thank you for the reply. I have the documents from immigration including the list of documents that must be submitted when applying. We can't apply for yellow cards until I am registered as self-employed. Then, as you say, the application for yellow card can take a long time. My question is what is my wife (Russian, non-eu) meant to do in the mean time? Can she stay legally even though her visa has expired? What if she wants to leave Cyprus for a few days and come back?


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## Rema (Aug 12, 2012)

cliffnorm said:


> Thank you for the reply. I have the documents from immigration including the list of documents that must be submitted when applying. We can't apply for yellow cards until I am registered as self-employed. Then, as you say, the application for yellow card can take a long time. My question is what is my wife (Russian, non-eu) meant to do in the mean time? Can she stay legally even though her visa has expired? What if she wants to leave Cyprus for a few days and come back?


When your wife applied for her yellow slip she will have been given an official receipt which proves the application is in progress so just sit back and wait for the response. So long as her application is in the system there is no problem with overstaying the visa period. My wife's (who is also non-EU) came through in two months - and that was over the Christmas and New Year holidays.
We also left Cyprus for almost two weeks during the processing period too. We were advised by the immigration department not to go away for more than 10 days as it could cause the application to be cancelled. As it was we were away for two weeks with no problem - I don't advise her to stay away for longer than this though. You must show the application receipt to passport control on re-entry if the visa has expired.


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