Study costs & money in Cyprus
Tuition, living-cost context, banking, taxes and practical money guidance for students planning to study in Cyprus.
Read the complete Cyprus study abroad guide.
Bank Accounts
A Cypriot account opens with passport, the residence document and proof of address; the banks run student accounts and euro membership (since 2008) means no currency friction. A local account helps with any Labour-Office-registered work later.
Cash still matters in smaller establishments; cards dominate the cities.
Source: https://www.centralbank.cy/en/home
Taxes
Where a third-country student is lawfully eligible to work under the current decree, employment should be documented through the approved contract process and ordinary payroll/social-insurance rules apply. GHS contributions and beneficiary eligibility are separate from the immigration permission to work.
For a student arriving in 2026, the bigger issue is eligibility rather than income tax: the currently published Labour Department decree restricts the student-employment route to specified occupations and full-time third-country students who were already in Cyprus by 1 December 2024. New arrivals should therefore budget on the basis that student work is not available unless a newer decree or another lawful work basis applies.
Source: https://www.mlsi.gov.cy/mlsi/dl/dl.nsf/page5h_en/page5h_en
Common questions
What should international students know about banking in Cyprus?
Euro since 2008; a local account eases registered student work.
What should international students know about taxes in Cyprus?
Lawful student employment uses payroll, social-insurance and GHS rules; new arrivals should not budget on work eligibility.