Optician or Technical Optician

Every physical person is eligible to register with the Cyprus Optical Council, provided that the Cyprus Optical Council is satisfied that the following criteria are met:

• Is a citizen of the Republic of Cyprus or a citizen of another EU member state or a spouse or a child of a Cyprus citizen who has his/her usual residence in the Republic of Cyprus, at the time of the application’s submission;
• Is at least twenty one years old;
• Possess a clear criminal record certificate;
• Holds a Degree in Optometry, in the case of an Optician, or has a degree in Technical Optics in case of Technical Opticians:
  • accredited by the Member State in which it was obtained, where the profession of the Optician (in case of Opticians) or the Technical Optician (in case of Technical Opticians) is regulated and he/she is licensed to exercise his/her profession; or
  • accredited by the Cyprus Council for the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications (KYSATS), in case where the title was obtained in a third country or in a Member State where the profession of the Optician (in case of Opticians) or Technical Optician (in case of Technical Opticians) is not regulated.
• Has at least one year of working experience gained after the obtainment of the above mentioned qualifications;
• The above mentioned academic and working experience do not apply to those who, before the 31st of December 1996, had registered or had obtained a position or studied at Higher Education Institute for a title, degree or a diploma of at least 3 years of studies in Optics or technical Optics, provided that before the 31 of December 1996 they had graduated from at least six years of a secondary education school.

Irrespective of the above, every natural person is eligible to register with the Cyprus Optical Council, provided that the Cyprus Optical Council is satisfied that the following criteria are met:

• Is a European citizen;
• Possesses professional title, licensed, by the competent authority of the member state of establishment;
• Possess a clear criminal record certificate.

The Optician Registration Application or Technical Optician Registration Application can be submitted either through the PSC Cyprus or by contacting directly the competent authority:

Cyprus Optical Council
1 Prodromou & 17 Chilonos
1448 Nicosia
Tel.:+357 22605418
Fax:+357 22605623
E-mail: echrysostomou@moh.gov.cy
Website: www.moh.gov.cy

1. The application should be accompanied by the following documents:

   • Clear criminal record Certificate;
   • Certified Copy of a Degree in Optometric or Technical Optics accredited by the Cyprus Council for the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications or by Cyprus Optical Council;
   • Copy of the Certificate of registration to the competent authority of an EU member state and relevant declaration that the optician continues to practice his/hers profession and that the license has not been suspended or revoked (in case of EU citizen with a professional title in an EU member state);
   • Application fee €34,17 (payable either by cash, cheque or bank transfer).

• The application fee is €34,17 and is payable either by cash, cheque or bank transfer
• The renewal fee is €34,17 and is payable either by cash, cheque or bank transfer.

Administrative Action Against a Competent Authority’s Decision

A person who is not satisfied by a Council decision may, within twenty (20) days of the date on which the Council’s decision is notified to him/her, challenge that decision by written Administrative Action to the Minister of Health; this provision is regulated in the Health Professionals Registration Councils (Exercise of Hierarchical Administrative Action) Law of 2017.

Any person may file an Administrative Action at the Administrative court against a decision, act or omission of any competent authority or body.

Pursuant to Article 146 of the Constitution, an Administrative Action may be lodged within 75 days from the date of the decision or act or omission or from the day when such decision or act or omission was notified to the applicant.

The Administrative Court acts as a cassation Court and not as a substantive Court. In other words, the Administrative Court may:
I. Dismiss the Administrative Action
II. Annul wholly or partially the contested decision or act
III. Compel the relevant authority or body to take a certain action

After a decision is annulled, the authority and/or public body must reverse things back to the state prior to when the concerned decision and/or act was executed and reexamine.

Appeal Information

An Appeal may be filed against the Administrative Court’s first-instance decision within a period of 42 days from the date such a decision was given.

At the Supreme Court (Court of Appeal Section) hearing, the contested issue of the appeal remains the legality of the decision or act already adjudicated. However, such a revision of the legality of the decision or act is solely examined on the matters and the extent that the two parties have limited the reasons in the relevant notice of appeal.

The decision adopted by the Supreme Court is considered final in relation to the matter that has been judged.

The Regulating the Practice of the Opticians’ Profession Law of 1992 (16 (I) / 1992)

Registered Opticians and Technical Opticians are obliged to comply with the provisions of the Law regulating the practice of the profession of opticians of 1992, as periodically amended.