Law Providing for the Protection of Natural Persons with Regard to the Processing of Personal Data and for the Free Movement of Such Data of 2018 (Law 125(I)/2018)
Access to Public Sector Information Law 184(Ι)/2017
Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council 26 October 2016 on the Accessibility of the Websites and Mobile Applications of Public Sector Bodies
Processing of Personal Data (Protection of Individuals) Law (138(I)/2001)
156(I)/2004, the Electronic Commerce Law
Minister of Transport, Communications and Works
Director, Medical and Public Health Services
Director, Department of Information Technology Services (DITS)
Central Government, Ministry of the Interior, Civil Registry and Migration Department
Information and forms to download.Due to security issues (biometric data), a passport can only be provided to the applicant upon his personal visit to the relevant local authority or department. The eService could be improved in case of modification of the related legislation where the application for passport can be submitted online.Alternative delivery channels for the service are available via the Citizen Service Centres (CSC).
Information and forms to download.Due to security issues (biometric data), a passport can only be provided to the applicant upon his personal visit to the relevant local authority or department. The eService could be improved in case of modification of the related legislation where the application for passport can be submitted online.
Central Government, Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance, Department of Labour
The Public Employment Service Online System enables users to search the job vacancies database according to criteria that matches their profile. It also allows employers to publish and manage job vacancies.
The national eGovernment portal acts as an institutional website through which the public can access various government information and services via a single point of entry, based on the life-event cycle. The portal’s services are classified first by the types of users: citizen, residents abroad, business and government, and second by themes of interest (or life events) depending on the selected user. The portal is available both in Greek and English.
Legal information system (incl. information on the regulated professions)
Depending on the profession, this information is provided by the relevant stakeholder in Cyprus. For example, KYSATS is the competent authority of the Republic of Cyprus for the recognition of Higher and Tertiary Education qualifications obtained home and abroad.
Unemployment benefits (Standard procedure to obtain replacement income in case of unemployment)
Central Government, Ministry of Welfare, Labour and Social Insurance, Social Insurance Department
Information and forms to download. Applications and payments are managed by local Social Insurance Offices, in cooperation with the Department of Labour.
Income taxes: declaration, notification of assessment
Central Government, Ministry of Finance, Tax Department
The TaxisNet system allows taxpayers - natural persons and businesses/partnerships - to submit initial tax returns electronically. The income tax declaration is pre-filled with the taxpayer´s relevant information, such as name, address, correspondence address, contact details and taxpayer ID. Alternative delivery channels for the service are available via the Tax Department.
Central Government, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, Road Transport Department
Personal submission of documents to the Department of Road Transport is required for obtaining the licence. The site contains information, forms to download and offers some online features. For example, candidate drivers are given the option to select the date, time and place of their test via the Internet. Online payment of the fee is also available. A once-only option to retrospectively change the date of the driving test is also available.
Under N.96 (I)/2000 Third party Motor Insurance Law, all vehicles must have at least third-party liability insurance. Third party insurance is the minimum obligatory cover under Cypriot law to ensure that compensation can be paid to victims of an accident.
Car registration (new, used, imported cars)
Central Government, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Work, Department of Road Transport
The site offers services for the registration of motor vehicles and motor bikes. For new cars, the entire process can be completed online, including payments. Registration of vehicles can also be made via intermediaries, such as authorised car dealers and importers. The use of the web system is not mandatory; some dealers follow the manual process.
Announcement of moving (change of address)
Central Government, Ministry of Interior, Civil Registry and Migration Department
The following related eServices are offered:Change of postal address; Verification of personal details.Sign on for accessing is achieved through the Ariadne portal. The service 'announcement of moving' and change of residence address requires a revision of the related law, as it affects the electoral district of a citizen/voter.
Certificates (birth, marriage): request and delivery
Central Government, Ministry of the Interior, Civil Registry and Migration Department, Municipalities
The following related eServices are offered through online application submission:Re-issuance of Birth Certificates and Consular Birth Certificates;Re-issuance of Election Booklets (due to loss);Re-issuance of Permanent Residence Certificate.Sign on for accessing as well as payment for the above services are achieved through Ariadne portal.
Physical presence is required because the service is not online.
Declaration to the police (e.g. in case of theft)
Information only, no online declaration possible.According to current legislation, citizens must declare crimes such as theft, in person.
Housing (building and housing, environment)
Central Government, Ministry of the Interior, Town Planning and Housing Department, Municipalities
Information and forms to download. The related procedure involves a number of authorities. In general, before any development is realised, it is necessary to secure first a planning permit (unless such a permit is considered as given) and subsequently a building permit. Planning permits are issued by Planning Authorities and building permits are issued by Building Authorities. The municipalities of Nicosia, Limassol, Paphos and Larnaca and the regional Officers of the Town Planning Department are Planning Authorities. All municipalities as well as all District Officers are Building Authorities. For developments in communities, a planning application is submitted to the Planning Authority (regional Officers of the Town Planning Department) and once it is approved, a building application is submitted to the Building Authority (the District Officer). Similarly, for developments within municipal limits, a planning application is submitted to the Planning Authority (the regional Officer of the Town Planning Department or the municipality itself) and once the planning permit is granted a building application is submitted to the Municipality.In December 2014, the responsible department signed the relevant contract for the development of an integrated information system aiming at covering the IT needs and demands of the department, as well as managing the building permits from the district administration offices. The project duration is 52 months. The project does not cover municipalities. The integrated information system is expected to be a powerful tool for the upgrading of the services offered by the Department, with purpose that of improvement in the bureaucratic procedures as well as of the average response time to citizens’ requests, and therefore the better and more effective public service. The system was up and running in the first quarter of 2019.
Procedures relating to immovable property
Departments of Land and Surveys, Ministry of Interior
The Department is solely responsible for the provision of services in connection with all the rights related to immovable property – registration, valuation, general assessment (for tax purposes), tenure, surveying, cartography, geodesy and hydrography, as well as the management of all property belonging to the State.
Ministry of Interior, Central Election Service
Citizens living abroad can submit electronically a declaration for exercising their right to vote. This service becomes available online only for a few months, prior to an election (please note that no dedicated url address exists; it is specified accordingly, and the relevant link is displayed on the official government websites of the Ministry of Interior and Press and Information Office).
Enrolment in higher education/university
Central Government, higher education institutions
University of Cyprus; Open University of Cyprus; Cyprus University of Technology; Higher Hotel Institute; The Cyprus Forestry College; The Police Academy
Information and forms to download, using the websites of the individual institutions.
Public libraries (availability of catalogues, search tools)
Some libraries provide catalogues which can locate holders and allow electronic reservations, for example the library of the Cyprus University of Technology. For online public libraries, which offer electronic reservations, prior registration of users is required.
Central Government, Ministry of Welfare, Labour and Social Insurance.
Information and forms to download.Alternative delivery channels for the service are available via the Citizen Service Centres.
Information and assistance to researchers
EURAXESS Cyprus provides information and assistance to mobile researchers – by means of the web portal and with the support of the national EURAXESS Service Centres. The portal contains practical information concerning professional and daily life, as well as information on job and funding opportunities.
Research funding support Research Promotion Foundation (RPF) (currently N/A)
The Electronic Proposal Submission System of the RPF is currently under construction. Until the completion of the electronic system, all research proposals should be submitted in printed form.
Central Government, Office of the Commissioner on Volunteerism and NGOs
The Commissioner’s office supports voluntary initiatives that encourage the active participation of citizens, especially the youth, in environmental awareness issues, education, culture, sport, etc., always respecting the autonomy and independence of voluntary and non-governmental organisations. The website of the Commissioner on Volunteerism and NGOs allows citizens to apply online for becoming volunteers and provides information regarding the activities planned (current/future) under the supervision of the Commissioner for Volunteerism and NGOs.
The Youth Board of Cyprus acknowledges the importance of volunteerism not only on the personal development of young people but also on the cultivation of collective consciousness and social solidarity developed a Youth Volunteer Team, in order to actively contribute in the promotion of volunteerism amongst young people.
Health related services (interactive advice on the availability of services in different hospitals; appointments for hospitals)
Medical costs (reimbursement or direct settlement)
Information and forms to download for an application to obtain a medical card.With regard to medical costs, no application for reimbursement of the citizen is required because citizens are charged according to what they are entitled to, i.e. according to their medical card category. Depending on entitlement status, medical costs to the citizen for government medical services can vary from zero fees, to reduced fees, to payment of full cost.
Alternative delivery channels for the service are available via the Citizen Service Centres. Information and forms to download
Ministry of Finance (Department of Customs and Tax Department)
Several related online services are available from the websites of the responsible departments or from the Cyprus Business Portal. The portal serves businesses and entrepreneurs, whether established in the Republic of Cyprus or in other EU member states, interested in pursuing their business aspirations in the services sector of Cyprus. The portal provides comprehensive information relating to the procedures and formalities required for the access to, and the exercise of, service activities in the Republic of Cyprus, online submission of application forms, tracking the progress of applications submitted, and receipt of decisions.
Competition and Consumer Protection Service, Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Cyprus Consumers' Union and Quality of Life
These websites allow consumers to fill in an online form in order to submit a complaint and find information regarding their rights as consumers.
Postal Codes, Postal rates, Track & Trace of postal items, and Location of Post Offices and Citizen Centers (KE.PO.)
As far as the online postal services are concerned, new Application Programme Interfaces (APIs) have been built to facilitate the easy integration to online systems for Postal Codes, Postal rates, Track & Trace of postal items, and Location of Post Offices and Citizen Centers (KE.PO.).
Telecommunication service comparison tool
Office of Electronic Communications & Postal Regulations (OCECPR)
The tool allows customers to compare different products and services offered by telecommunication providers operating in Cyprus.
The website of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus provides the following online services: bill payment, meter reading, submission of complaints about street lighting, tree punning or other complaints and suggestions.
Department of Registrar of Companies and Official Receiver
Information on the patent process in Cyprus is freely available at the web portal of the Republic of Cyprus, as well as several forms available for download and reuse.
Front Office for Trade Marks (Electronic Filing of Trade Mark Applications)
Central Government, Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism – Department of Registrar of Companies and Official Receiver
System for submitting electronically applications for trademarks. The service is now offered through the Cyprus Government Gateway Ariadni, provided that a citizen has been registered to the system as a user.
Submission of data to statistical offices
Central Government, Ministry of Finance, Statistical Service of Cyprus (CYSTAT)
Information and downloads of statistical data, results of surveys and publications.Collection of data is primarily made via statistical questionnaires acquired through interviews and processed by CYSTAT staff. Other sources of data include government operational systems; their use, however, does not render them a substitute for data supplied via the questionnaires method applicable (by law) to businesses.
Central Government, Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Department of Registrar of Companies and Official Receiver
The eFiling system supports the delivery of a number of eServices regarding the registration of companies and provides access to relevant information. Available eServices allow for search for information regarding companies present in the registers of companies, partnerships, business names and overseas companies and submission of applications for approval of company names; reservation of a company name.The above web services can be also accessed through the Point of Single Contact.
Corporate tax: declaration, notification
The TaxisNet system allows all taxpayers - natural persons and businesses - to submit VAT tax returns, VIES and INTRASTAT declarations electronically.Alternative delivery channels for the service are available via the Tax Department.
Central Government Ministry of Finance, Tax Department
The TaxisNet system allows all taxpayers - natural persons and businesses - to submit V.A.T. tax returns electronically. As from May 2017 the electronic submission of the VAT declaration (form VAT4) is mandatory through TaxisNet. In 2018, the Taxisnet system was updated to enhance users’ experience and automatically calculate citizens’ taxes. Alternative delivery channels for the service are available via the Tax Department.
Central Government, Treasury of the Republic of Cyprus, Public Procurement Directorate
The service is a total solution for the implementation of electronic procedures in conducting public procurement competitions. The system is compliant with the provisions of the European and Cypriot Law.
Central Government, Ministry of Finance, Customs & Excise Department
The THESEAS system is the first fully integrated and web-enabled customs system in Cyprus. All customs stations are connected to the system via the Intranet, operating over the Government Data Network. An interface exists with the Cyprus Ports Authority for the electronic submission of cargo manifests and a standard XML development has been made available to traders for bulk input to the system. THESEAS includes several modules such as: import manifest system; import declaration system; tariff-traffic system; import control system (ICS); export control system (ECS); excise movement and control system (EMCS) among other modules.
SPECTRAweb allows businesses to make license applications online through any WEB browser in a computer aided way. SPECTRAweb is an application that allows users to upload paper forms as data inputs. After logging in, all users have the possibility to view, edit and track their applications.
The Social Insurance information system provides services for online payment of social contributions for employees or the self-employed, via direct debit. Registration as an authorised user requires an application and a direct debit order submitted to the District Offices, or the Citizen Service Centres. Upon submission of an application, a subscriber’s number is given to the applicant. This number must be specified in the direct debit order prior to its submission to a bank. The order must be submitted by the applicant.
Environment-related permits (incl. reporting)
Central Government, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Department of Environment
Information and relevant applications are available for download from the web sites of the relevant authorities involved, depending on the nature of the permit.
REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals, EU Regulation no 1907/2006)
Central Government; Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance (Department of Labour Inspection)
Laws and regulations regarding chemical substances are accessible on the dedicated part of the websites of the Government and Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance (Department of Labour Inspection)
Comparison of fees by credit institution
A new website has been created to allow citizens and businesses to compare banks’ fees linked to their bank accounts. This tool allows the public to be informed of current charges per service, thus increasing transparency and provide important information. The comparison includes 11 financial institutions operating in Cyprus. Through the website, consumers can learn in advance and before any transaction what the bank charges they are going to pay, and in particular the corresponding fees of other banks, to make informed decisions. It is an important and useful tool for promptly informing consumers about the fees charged in relation to the following representative services through the provision of clear, comprehensive and complete information: maintaining an account (current account, savings account, etc.), provision of debit cards, provision of credit cards, cash withdrawal, granting of a cheque book, SEPA credit transfers in euro, credit transfers outside SEPA in euro and in other currencies, standing orders, direct debits, return of checks due to inadequate balance, currency services, overdrafts, exceedances, and providing a copy of account statement.
The Cyprus Entrepreneurship Fund (CYPEF)
CYPEF is a fund established by the Republic of Cyprus to support and strengthen entrepreneurship in the country by enhancing access to finance to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Detailed information with regards to eligibility and financing terms can be obtained from CYPEF’s financial intermediaries, which are commercial banks operating in Cyprus. The bank, which is solely responsible for receiving and evaluating loan applications, and subsequently disbursing and monitoring the SME loans, for the time being, is inside the Bank of Cyprus and is acting as an intermediary for CYPEF’s purposes. It is expected that other banks will soon join the specific financing mechanism.
The Information Portal for Funding Programmes serves as the first step in finding information about funding opportunities offered through both national and European Programmes and Schemes. It is supported by a help desk offering additional information by email, telephone or direct contacts. Enterprises, organisations and citizens may also register as members of the Portal and receive email alerts whenever new calls are uploaded on the Portal, in the programme categories of their interest. They can also get alerts on new calls through the Portal’s account on twitter at @FundingPortalCY.