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Time
Cyprus Time is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) +2 hours.
Time difference from other countries
Country | Hours fast or slow on GMT |
Austria | +1 |
Bahrain | +3 |
Belgium | +1 |
Canada | -5 |
China | +8 |
Cyprus | +2 |
Denmark | +1 |
France | +1 |
Germany | +1 |
Greece | +2 |
Hong Kong | +8 |
India | +5.30 |
Iraq | +3 |
Italy | +1 |
Daylight Saving Time
Each year on the last Sunday of March at 01:00 GMT (03:00 Local Time), Daylight Saving Time comes into effect in Cyprus and all clocks are advanced by one hour.
On the last Sunday in October at 01:00 GMT (04:00 Local Time), Cyprus reverts to Standard Time.
Sunrise and Sunset Times
Sunrise and sunset times are given for the 15th of each month with the hours and minutes at 5 minutes approximation.
Month | Sunrise | Sunset |
January | 6:55 | 17:00 |
February | 6:35 | 17:30 |
March | 6:00 | 17:55 |
April | 6:15 | 19:20 |
May | 5:45 | 19:45 |
June | 5:30 | 20:00 |
July | 5:45 | 20:00 |
August | 6:05 | 19:35 |
September | 6:30 | 18:55 |
October | 6:50 | 18:15 |
November | 6:20 | 16:45 |
December | 6:45 | 16:35 |
Working Hours
Government offices, private businesses and shops do not keep the same hours. Below is a general guide to office, shopping and banking hours.
Public Service 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 Hours
Each company keeps its own hours, but generally, office 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 Hours
Shop opening hours vary depending on their type and location and whether they are located in urban, tourist or rural areas.
Generally, shops will open between 07:00 – 21:00 on Monday – Saturday, but this can vary an hour or two either way, depending on the type of shop and the area it is located in. On Sunday, opening times are later, typically around 11:00, and closing times vary from 14:00 – 22:00, again depending on the type of outlet and its area.
Some shops still observe a half-day closing on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, and close on Sunday, although in most of the tourist areas of Cyprus, both shops and supermarkets stay open till late at night, and are also open on Sundays.
During the period June 15th – August 31st there is an optional three-hour afternoon break/rest from 14:00 – 17:00 (siesta).
Special shopping hours apply for Christmas and Easter with shops permitted to stay open later during the run-up to the events, but must be closed by 18:00 on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and by 18:00 on Good Friday.
Eating Hours
Breakfast is usually served between 07:00 and 10:00, lunch is served in restaurants between 12:00 and 15:00, and dinner is served from 19:00 till late in the evening.
Public Holidays
The days listed below are Public Holidays in Cyprus. All public services, private enterprises, banks and shops are closed on Public Holidays, although many shops and certain services remain open in resorts and coastal areas. Banks are closed on Easter Tuesday but not on Christmas Eve. During the Holy Week the main archaeological sites and museums are closed only on Easter Sunday.
– January 1st – New Year’s Day
– January 6th – Epiphany Day
– March 25th – Greek National Day
– April 1st – National Anniversary Day
– May 1st – Labour Day
– August 15th – Assumption of the Virgin Mary
– October 1st – Cyprus Independence Day
– October 28th – Greek National Anniversary Day
– December 24th – Christmas Eve
– December 25th – Christmas Day
– December 26th – Boxing Day
– Variable – Green Monday (50 Days before Greek Orthodox Easter)
– Variable – Good Friday (Greek Orthodox Church)
– Variable – Easter Monday (Greek Orthodox Church)
– Variable – Pentecost – Kataklysmos (Festival of the Flood)
Variable Public Holidays for the period 2023-2027
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
Green Monday | 27/2 | 18/3 | 3/3 | 23/2 | 15/3 |
Good Friday (Greek Orthodox Church) | 14/4 | 3/5 | 18/4 | 10/4 | 30/4 |
Easter Sunday (Greek Orthodox Church) | 16/4 | 5/5 | 20/4 | 12/4 | 2/5 |
Easter Monday (Greek Orthodox Church) | 17/4 | 6/5 | 21/4 | 13/4 | 3/5 |
Monday of Pentecost (Kataklysmos) | 5/6 | 24/6 | 9/6 | 1/6 | 21/6 |
Catholic Easter Sunday | 9/4 | 31/3 | 20/4 | 5/4 | 28/3 |