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    Employer guide

    Domestic worker public holidays, day off and leave in Cyprus (2026–2027)

    Under the official Contract of Employment for Domestic Workers, a domestic worker in Cyprus is entitled to 9 public holidays and 24 working days of annual leave with full pay, and works 6 days a week. Below are the dates for the rest of 2026 and for all of 2027.

    The dates

    Rest of 2026

    DateHoliday
    25 DecemberFridayChristmas Day
    26 DecemberSaturdayDay after Christmas

    2027

    DateHoliday
    1 JanuaryFridayNew Year's Day
    6 JanuaryWednesdayEpiphany
    1 MaySaturdayHoly Saturday (Easter Saturday) · Labour Day
    3 MayMondayEaster Monday
    15 AugustSundayAssumption of the Virgin Mary
    1 OctoberFridayCyprus Independence Day
    25 DecemberSaturdayChristmas Day
    26 DecemberSundayDay after Christmas

    In 2027 Holy Saturday falls on Labour Day (Saturday 1 May), so the 9 holidays fall on 8 dates. The contract does not say what applies when two holidays fall on the same day.

    Public holidays that are not in the contract

    Green Monday · 25 March · 1 April · Good Friday · Easter Tuesday · Pentecost Monday (Kataklysmos) · 28 October

    Working hours and the day off

    The contract sets 6 working days a week, 7 hours a day, by day or by night as the employer needs, and the employer must keep a record of the working hours. It does not say which day is the day off. The general working-time law gives every worker at least 24 consecutive hours of rest each week and at least 11 consecutive hours of rest in every 24 hours.

    Annual leave

    24 working days a year with full pay, under the Annual Leave Laws. The contract does not say when or how the leave is taken. Under the general rules, leave can be accumulated over a period of two years by agreement between employer and worker, and it can be paid out in money only when the employment ends.

    Sick leave

    The contract gives 30 days of sick leave with full pay. The first 3 days are unpaid, unless she is admitted to a clinic or hospital. The employer pays the difference between the Social Insurance sickness benefit and the salary.

    FAQ

    What employers ask

    9 public holidays with full pay, as set by the official contract: 1 and 6 January, Holy Saturday (Easter Saturday), Easter Monday, 1 May, 15 August, 1 October, 25 and 26 December.

    The contract sets 6 working days a week, but it does not say which day is the day off. The general working-time law gives every worker at least 24 consecutive hours of rest each week.

    A domestic worker's contract has only the 9 holidays. Green Monday, 25 March, 1 April, Good Friday, Easter Tuesday, Pentecost Monday (Kataklysmos) and 28 October are not in it.

    In 2027 Holy Saturday and Labour Day are the same day, Saturday 1 May, so the 9 holidays fall on 8 dates. The contract does not say what applies when two holidays fall on the same day.

    The contract gives the 9 holidays with full pay, but it does not say what applies if the worker works on one, or if a holiday falls on her day off. Ask us about your own case.

    24 working days a year with full pay. By agreement between employer and worker, leave can be accumulated over a period of two years, and it can be paid out in money only when the employment ends.

    According to the Migration Department, the temporary residence permit is not cancelled when the worker leaves Cyprus, unless she stays abroad for more than 3 months.

    The contract does not provide for it. It says that the employer may not deduct the costs of first arrival in Cyprus and of repatriation from the salary.

    Official sources

    Updated on 10 November 2026, from the official sources.

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