English is often enough for daily life. Greek is needed for citizenship, state school and conversations with locals. Find the phrasebook with audio in “Greek language”.
Ελληνομάθεια certification
- The exams are run by the Centre for the Greek Language; registration usually runs from 1 February to 20 March, with written exams in May.
- It costs around €90 for levels A1–B1 and around €100 for B2.
- The pass mark is 60%, with a minimum in each of the four parts.
- An alternative is the School of Modern Greek at the University of Cyprus, with exams in January and September.
- For citizenship you need the standard A2 or B1 certificate, not the "for professional purposes" variant.
Where to learn
- State evening schools run by the Ministry of Education are the cheapest option.
- Private language schools in every city, in groups or one-to-one.
- Online tutors from Greece are a popular and affordable option.
- Conversation clubs and language groups: they also discuss preparing for the Cyprus history exam for citizenship.