New regulations for public service leave calculation in Cyprus

The Public Administration and Personnel Department of the Ministry of Finance has issued a new circular regarding the calculation of annual leave for civil servants. This follows the approval of amended regulations by the Parliament on July 9, 2026, which were subsequently published in the Official Gazette of the Republic on July 17, 2026, as KDP 296/2026.

Circular No. 1793, dated July 27, 2026, outlines the implementation framework for all ministries, deputy ministries, and independent state departments. The core change focuses on the method of calculating leave for specific categories of employees. It now allows for the recognition of previous service within the state or broader public sector, which was previously excluded, when determining the scale of annual leave before a permanent appointment is confirmed. These regulations do not grant additional leave days to all staff but aim to standardize the recognition of tenure for seniority purposes.

The updated policy is currently in effect across all government entities. Departments have been instructed to follow the new procedural guidelines to ensure consistency in human resource management regarding employee service records and leave entitlements.