Stay for the purpose of job-searching or entrepreneurship after the completion of studies or research
Residency route facts
Identity
| Official name (local) | Not established from a qualifying source[2][4] |
|---|---|
| Official name (English) | Stay for the purpose of job-searching or entrepreneurship after the completion of studies or research as of 2026-01-02[1][3] The department's own English section heading rather than a named permit; English is not an official language of Cyprus. |
| Legal basis | Directive (EU) 2016/801, transposed by the Aliens and Immigration (Conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects) Law of 2019, L. 7(I)/2019; the department attributes the permit to 'the provisions of the law' without citing an article as of 2026-01-02[1][3] |
| Instrument type | residence permit as of 2026-01-02[1][3] |
Who can apply
| Nationals not served by this route | EU, EEA as of 2026-01-02[1][3] The regime applies to third-country nationals; EU and EEA nationals are recorded as outside its scope on that basis. Whether Swiss nationals are likewise outside its scope is not stated. |
|---|---|
| Criminal-record condition | Not established from a qualifying source[1][3] Not stated. |
Permit terms
| Initial duration | up to 12 months as of 2026-01-02[1][3] 'For maximum twelve (12) months in order to seek employment or set up a business.' The same maximum is stated on the students page and on the researchers page. |
|---|---|
| Renewable | Not established from a qualifying source[1][3] Not stated. |
| Maximum total duration | 12 months as of 2026-01-02[1][3] Stated as a maximum on both pages. |
| Work rights | own activity only as of 2026-01-02[1][3] The permit exists to seek employment or set up a business corresponding to the level of studies or research completed; neither page states what work the holder may do while searching. |
Permanent residence and citizenship
Requirements
| Job offer required | No as of 2026-01-02[1][3] By definition — the permit is granted in order to look for employment or set up a business. |
|---|---|
| Labour-market test | Not established from a qualifying source[1][3] Not stated. |
| Qualification requirement | degree as of 2025-12-31[3] For the student limb: 'the minimum level of study, which the students should have completed is set as the level corresponding to level seven of the European Framework of Professional Qualifications (master's or higher than a master's degree)'. For the researcher limb the page requires confirmation from the research organisation that the research activity is complete, and states no qualification level. The employment sought, or the business being set up, must correspond to the level of studies or research completed. |
| Employer sponsorship | No as of 2026-01-02[1][3] |
| Job-search route | Yes as of 2026-01-02[1][3] This route is itself a job-search instrument, per the v1.0 definition of the flag (schema §7.5, G9). It covers two limbs on the same statutory basis — students who have completed studies at EQF level 7 or above, and researchers who have completed a research activity — recorded as one route because the permit, its 12-month maximum and its 'seek employment or set up a business' purpose are identical and are published in identical terms on both pages. |
Family inclusion
| Family members may be included | Yes as of 2026-01-02[1] For researchers only, and by implication: family permits issued on a researcher sponsor expire with the sponsor's permit, and the researchers page states that this 'includes permits granted to the researcher in order to seek employment or to do business'. The students page says nothing about family members on this permit, so the value rests on the researcher limb alone. |
|---|---|
| Eligible relations | Not established from a qualifying source[1][3] Not stated for this permit. |
Your next step
Read the requirements above considering your own situation: the income multiple, the absence limits, who you can bring. Check the country record for the reference figure those amounts are calculated from, and for anything that has changed recently.
The next step is your own case. That assessment is legal work. Create profile for our assistance in this.
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Verification
| Sources cited | 4 |
|---|---|
| of which official (tier 1) | 4 |
| Oldest as-of date | 2025-12-31 |
| Newest as-of date | 2026-01-02 |
| Reviewed on | 2026-08-11 |
| Schema version | 1.1 |
Sources
- [1] Researchers
Migration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection · official portal · Tier 1 · Published 2026-01-02 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [2] Ερευνητές
Migration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection · official portal · Tier 1 · Published 2026-01-02 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [3] Students
Migration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection · official portal · Tier 1 · Published 2025-12-31 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [4] Φοιτητές
Migration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection · official portal · Tier 1 · Published 2025-12-31 · Accessed 2026-08-08