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Establish a Bar in Cyprus

Establish a Bar in Cyprus

The tourism industry is a developed sector in Cyprus, producing 12% of the GDP in this country last year. In the same year, expectations were surpassed and there were a record number of visitors – 3.18 million.

One way of taking advantage of this boom is to establish a bar in Cyprus. It is a kind of business which can prove to be extremely profitable, however, which also needs certain licenses and documents to function.

These licenses may include the permits and licenses to sell alcoholic beverages, to employ a band or to organize certain events. Our lawyers in Cyprus can assist you if you want to open such a business in this country.

Licenses needed to operate a bar in Cyprus

The licenses which are needed to operate a bar establishment in Cyprus are stipulated in the Catering and Entertainment Establishments Regulations (1986-2005).

According to the above-mentioned Regulations, the license needed to operate such a business is issued, depending on the classification of the establishment, in the entrepreneur’s name. Our Cypriot lawyers can provide more details on this matter.

If the entrepreneur or the name of the business is changed, a new license has to be issued. Such license is valid for one year and therefore it expires on the 31st of December of every year.

At the same time, each business can be classified into more than just one category under the same license to activate.

More details on the bar license in Cyprus

Generally, the license needed to open a bar in Cyprus are issued to individual persons, as well as to legal entities. Our team of attorneys in Cyprus can offer more information related to this subject.

To obtain such a license, the applicant has to be a citizen of Cyprus or of the European Union.

When the application is effectuated, the individual should already possess a planning permit and a building permit. Moreover, the bar manager should have an approval issued by the Cyprus Tourism Organization. 

The bar manager also has to possess certain qualifications in the sector, which consist of minimum one year’s experience in the bar industry. Our lawyers in Cyprus can give you more details on this matter, if necessary.

Entrepreneurs interested in learning more information on how to register a Cypriot bar are kindly invited to contact our law firm in Cyprus.