Food Handler (chef, cook, kitchen staff)

Any individual (physical person) is eligible to apply in order to obtain a Health Certificate for Food Handlers provided that a Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health is satisfied that the state of his/her (the applicant’s) health is such that it does not pose any risk to food safety.

There is no application document available for the issuance of a Health Certificate for Food Handlers. For the issuance of a Health Certificate for Food Handlers the interested party has to provide a clinical laboratory (public or private) with a stool sample which will be analyzed for the detection of salmonella and parasites. It should be noted that the cost for the specific laboratory analysis is not covered by the General HealthCare System.
Health Certificates are issued at the following medical centers:

Nicosia:

• Nicosia General Hospital;
• Lakatamia Health Center.

Limassol:

•  Limassol General Hospital;
• Linopetra Health Center;
• Kyperounda Hospital.

Larnaca:

• Larnaca General Hospital.

Paphos:

• Paphos General Hospital;
• Polis Chrysochous Hospital.

Famagusta:

• Famagusta General Hospital.

Please find the contact details of the Government Hospitals, in the “Related Links”.

The contact details of the competent authority are the following:

Public Health Services of the Ministry of Health
1 Prodromou str., 1449, Nicosia
Tel.: +357 22605554
Fax : +357 22605482
Email: healthservices@mphs.moh.gov.cy
Website: http://www. moh.gov.cy/moh/mphs/phs.nsf

The issuance of the Certificate entails a fee of €22 plus the registration fee.

Administrative Action Against a Competent Authority’s Decision

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.

Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs

Regulations on the Hygiene and Official Controls of Foodstuffs (see “Applications & Documents”)

Food Handlers are obliged to comply with the provisions of the Regulations on the Hygiene and Official Controls on Foodstuffs of 2006, and Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs, as periodically amended, and also, among others, to always have their health certificate for food handlers readily available to be presented to the authorized officer of the competent authority during the official control of the food business premises.