Cyprus Local Time is GMT +2.

Working Hours

Public service operating hours are flexible all year round. Operating days are from Monday to Friday starting between 07:30 - 08:30 and closing between 15:00 - 16:00. Private sector working hours are 08:00 - 13:00, 15:00 - 18:00 Monday to Friday for the period September 15th - May 31st and 08:00 - 13:00, 16:00 - 19:00 Monday to Friday, for the period June 1st - September 14th.

Shop opening times vary depending on their type and location, though shops normally open between 07:00 and 09:00. During the period November 1st - March 31st shops close at 19:30 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, at 15:00 on Wednesday, and at 19:00 on Saturday. For the period April 1st – October 31st shops close at 20:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, at 15:00 on Wednesday and, at 19:30 on Saturday. During the period June 15th – August 31st there is an optional three hour afternoon break from14:00 - 17:00.

Special shopping hours apply for Christmas and Easter. From December 1st to December 31st, shops may remain open until 20:00 throughout the week but must close by 18:00 on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Shops can also remain open until 20:00 10 days before Easter Sunday but must close by 18:00 on Good Friday.

This is a general guide, not the definitive shop opening times, and as such, you may find some shops opening or closing earlier or later.

* Please note that a new scheme is currently in place, although not yet made permanent, whereby all shops can open on Sundays even outside of the tourist areas.

On 9th July 2013, the labour ministry issued a decree for shops outside tourist areas to enable them to stay open until 10 pm on weekdays (including Wednesdays) and from 10:30 am until 7.30pm on Sundays (the same as in the tourist areas). The decree has been renewed every few months, with the latest renewal lasting until 31st August 2014, whilst a decision is made as to whether or not to keep the new shop opening times permanently. More flexible working hours and Sunday openings were already available to shopkeepers in tourist areas. The latest decision expands this to all areas of Cyprus. The scheme is optional and businesses may adjust opening hours to suit their needs.

Eating Hours

Breakfast is usually served between 07:00 and 10:00 in the morning. Lunch is served in restaurants between 12:00 and 15:00. Dinner is served from 19:00 till late in the evening.

Post offices

The Cyprus Postal Services changed their opening hours to the public early in 2013. These are the new opening hours:-

District Post Offices From Monday to Friday 7:30. – 17:30

Parcel Post Offices From Monday to Friday 7:30. – 14:30

Urban and Rural Post Offices From Monday to Friday 8:00 – 14:30

Pharmacies

Pharmacies have a late duty roster where each city will generally have three nominated pharmacies open for emergency prescriptions etc. The duty pharmacies will stay open late each night until 10pm in the winter months, and 11pm in the summer months, and all day sunday. Details of the duty pharmacies can be found in the local Greek or English papers, or you can telephone any of the following information lines that have recorded details of the duty pharmacies for that day. Calls to these numbers cost around 16 cents per minute.

24-hour Pharmacies Information Lines:

Ammochostos 90901413
Larnaca 90901414
Limassol 90901415
Nicosia 90901412
Paphos 90901416