Learning Greek in Cyprus in 2027: Free State Classes, Language Schools and Apps

You can learn Greek in Cyprus for free through the Ministry of Education's State Institutes for Further Education, for €55 a year at the Adult Education Centres, or from about €390 at a university language centre. Most state courses run from September or October to May, so the key is to register on time: several 2026-27 deadlines have already passed, but places for January 2027 and the next exam sessions are still open.

Fees and dates below are as of 2026.

Where can you learn Greek in Cyprus?

Are there free Greek classes in Cyprus?

Yes. The State Institutes for Further Education (Kratika Instituta Epimorfosis, or KIE) are evening schools run by the Ministry of Education, best known for English and exam preparation for teenagers. They also teach Greek to adults who speak other languages and live and work in Cyprus. The Ministry's announcement for 2026-27 lists Greek as free for Turkish Cypriots and for speakers of other languages who live permanently in Cyprus. Other KIE courses cost from €225 a year.

How the KIE year works:

• Registration: for 2026-27 it ran from 22 April to 10 June 2026, in person at your local KIE. The Ministry says extra registrations can happen in September, so ask your nearest institute if places are still free.
• Classes: from the first fortnight of September to late May, two 90-minute lessons a week (120 periods of 45 minutes over the year), in the afternoon or evening.
• Certificates: a KIE leaflet for 2026-27 says successful Greek learners receive Greek language certificates from the Centre for the Greek Language.
• Attendance: if you miss more than 20 lessons in a year you cannot sit the final written exams.

The catch is timing: if you arrive in Cyprus in the autumn, you will usually have to wait for the spring registration for a place the following September.

Charities also run free classes. Generation for Change in Nicosia lists free Greek classes for adults, online and in person, on the UNHCR Cyprus help page. Check with the organisation itself for current groups.

How do the Adult Education Centres (Epimorfotika) work?

The Adult Education Centres are the Ministry's community classes for anyone aged 18 or over who lives in Cyprus, covering dozens of subjects from crafts to languages. Greek for speakers of other languages has been taught in many districts for years; the 2016-17 Larnaca brochure, for example, listed it at several venues across Larnaca and Famagusta. Which villages and towns run a Greek group changes each year, so check the current subject list or phone your district office.

For 2026-27 the Ministry announced:

• Registration: 1 to 30 September 2026 (until noon), online only. This has now closed.
• Start: classes were due to start in the second half of October 2026.
• Format: 25 sessions over the year, once a week, 90 minutes each, in public schools or other local venues.
• Fee: €55 per course in towns and rural areas. People born before 31 October 1961 pay €27.50. In communities with fewer than 500 residents the fee is €27.50, or €13.75 for those born before 31 October 1961. You pay online through JCC Smart, only once your teacher sends the payment details.
• Minimum group: a course runs only with at least 9 members in rural centres or 11 in towns.

The Ministry's registration page says registrations generally open in the first week of September, so set a reminder for September 2027 if you missed this year.

What Greek courses do the universities offer?

University of Cyprus School of Modern Greek (Nicosia and online)

The School of Modern Greek at the University of Cyprus runs the most structured courses on the island, from complete beginner (A1) to C2. Each level is 156 teaching hours, and attendance is compulsory: too many absences and you cannot sit the final exam.

• Winter non-intensive 2026-27: 14 September 2026 to 9 April 2027, face to face on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (A1 to B1) or online three evenings a week (all levels). The application deadline was 31 May 2026.
• Spring intensive 2027: 11 January to 9 April 2027, Monday to Thursday, 18:00–21:00, face to face or online. Applications closed on 7 October 2026, earlier than many people expect.
• Fees: €25 registration per level, €500 tuition per level, and €27–30 for books. A class runs only once enough paid students enrol.

Online students must join from a computer with camera and microphone on, not from a phone. The school also publishes scholarships and discounts on its website.

Cyprus University of Technology Language Centre (Limassol)

The CUT Language Centre offers Greek for the public at six levels, plus a Greek for doctors course at C1. A course lasts one 13-week semester, with two 90-minute classes a week in the morning, afternoon or evening. The fee shown is €390, which includes entry to the end-of-course exams, and it is paid in full in the first week. Courses start in September, January and June. You apply with the online form, a copy of your passport or ID and your bank payment slip; contact greek@cut.ac.cy or +357 25 00 27 08 for the next start date.

Which private Greek schools are there?

Private schools give you smaller groups and more flexible start dates. Learn4Good Larnaca advertised group courses starting on 18 September 2026, with morning and evening classes from A1 to B1, B2 in the afternoon, C1 in the morning and C2 on request, in groups of up to six. Ask the school for current fees.

In Limassol, Paphos and Nicosia many private tutors and small schools advertise Greek lessons; ask about current courses and prices directly. Look for a teacher who prepares students for the official certificate, ask for a trial lesson and compare with the state options above. Our directory lists education businesses across Cyprus.

Which Greek certificate do you need for citizenship?

Under the amendments to the Civil Registry Law published on 19 December 2023, applicants for naturalisation normally need Greek at B1 level. Highly skilled employees can apply with A2 after four years of residence, or B1 after three. A diploma from a Greek-language secondary school or a Greek-taught degree can also count. Long-term residence applications have also asked for an A2 certificate. Our guide on how to get Cyprus citizenship covers the full process.

There are two main ways to get the certificate in Cyprus:

1. University of Cyprus exams. Held twice a year (early September and January) in Nicosia, at every level from A1 to C2. The university says the Ministry of the Interior accepts its A2 and B1 certificates for naturalisation. The January 2027 session runs from 11 to 29 January 2027; registration opens on 2 November 2026 at 09:00 and closes on 30 November 2026 or when seats run out. Fees: €90 for A1 to B1, €100 for B2 to C2.
2. Centre for the Greek Language certificate (Ellinomatheia). Sat in Cyprus every May, organised by the Ministry of Education's Examinations Service. In 2026 applications ran from 1 February to 20 March, the written exams took place between 16 and 30 May, and fees were €90 (A1 to B1) or €100 (B2 to C2). The Centre has announced registration for May 2027 from 1 February to 14 March 2027; the Cyprus exam dates had not been published by 19 October 2026.

You also need to pass the separate multiple-choice exam on Cyprus's modern political and social life, set in Greek by the Examinations Service. In 2026 it was held on 4 July and cost €20.

Should you learn Cypriot Greek or standard Greek?

Learn standard Modern Greek first. Every course and certificate above teaches and tests it, and it is the language of official forms, school letters, the news and written signs. Greek Cypriots understand it and switch to it in formal situations.

Day to day, though, you will hear the Cypriot dialect: a different rhythm and pronunciation, its own everyday words, and expressions you will not find in a textbook from Athens. Most learners find that once they reach A2 or B1 in standard Greek, the dialect becomes much easier to follow. Ask Cypriot friends or colleagues to teach you the local words for the things you say every day, and listen to local radio. Do not worry about sounding "too Greek": people appreciate any effort, and many will happily switch to English if you get stuck, so politely ask them to keep going in Greek.

Are apps like Duolingo enough to learn Greek?

Apps are a good start, not a full course. Duolingo has a free Greek course that helps with the alphabet, basic vocabulary and short daily practice, which is useful before your first class or between terms. Apps rarely get you speaking in real conversations or prepare you for the written and oral parts of a B1 exam, so pair them with a class, a tutor or a conversation group.

A realistic plan for a newcomer:

1. Learn the Greek alphabet and basic phrases with an app in your first weeks.
2. Join a state or university class at the next registration window.
3. Use Greek in daily life: the bakery, the kiosk, your neighbours, the municipality counter.
4. Book a certificate exam once your teacher says you are ready.

For children, public schools give extra Greek support to pupils who are new to the language; see our guide to enrolling your child in a public school.

What to do next

1. If you missed the autumn start, book a January 2027 place: the CUT Language Centre starts courses in January, and you can ask the KIE about spare places.
2. Put 2 November 2026 in your diary if you want to sit the University of Cyprus certificate exams in January 2027.
3. Set reminders for late April 2027 (KIE registration), 1 February 2027 (Ellinomatheia registration) and September 2027 (Adult Education Centres).
4. Check how Greek fits your residence plans in our residency permits guide, and work through the rest of your admin with the first 90 days checklist.