COVID-19 rules
Countries may restrict travel or bring in rules at short notice. Check with your travel provider for changes.
If you test positive for COVID-19, you may need to stay where you are until you test negative. You may also need to get treatment there.
You should also read TravelHealthPro’s general COVID-19 advice for travellers.
Travel to Cyprus
There are no COVID-19 testing or vaccination requirements for travellers entering Cyprus.
Passport validity requirements
Your passport must be:
- issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
- valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)
You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.
Contact the Cyprus High Commission if you think that your passport does not meet both these requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
Visa requirements
You do not need a visa to visit Cyprus for up to 90 days for tourism, visiting friends or family, attending business meetings or short-term study.
To stay longer or if visiting for other reasons, check what you need from the Cyprus High Commission.
There is separate guidance on visas and permits to work in Cyprus.
Residents should carry residency documents issued by the Republic of Cyprus when entering and exiting Cyprus.
The Republic of Cyprus authorities will count time in the north of Cyprus towards the 90-day visa-free total. For information about the north of Cyprus, see Regional risks.
Do not overstay your visa. You could be:
- questioned by immigration at the airport on exit
- put on a ‘stop list’ and refused entry for up to 5 years
Schengen area
Cyprus is not part of the Schengen area, so:
- visits to Cyprus do not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit in the Schengen area
- visits to other EU or Schengen countries do not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit in Cyprus
Passport stamping
As a visitor, your passport will be stamped when you enter and exit Cyprus. Border guards will use the passport stamps to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays.
If you enter or exit the Schengen area through Cyprus as a visitor, check that your passport is stamped. This will show border guards that you are complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for Cyprus and the separate 90-day visa-free limit for the Schengen area.
If the relevant entry or exit stamp is not in your passport, border guards will presume you have overstayed your visa-free limit. If you show evidence such as transport tickets to prove when you entered or exited Cyprus, border guards should add the entry or exit date and location in your passport.
You may also need to:
- show a return or onward ticket
- prove you have enough money for your stay
If you have a Withdrawal Agreement residency document for another country, your passport might still be stamped if you are a visitor to Cyprus.
If you are a resident, read the Living in Cyprus guide.
Applying for a visa
Find out how to apply for a visa through the Cyprus High Commission.
Travel within Cyprus
You can use any crossing point to move between the north and south of the island. The crossing point at Ledra Palace and Ledra/Lokmaci Street can only be used by pedestrians.
See a list of the crossing points from the Cyprus Ministry of Finance.
Entry into the Republic of Cyprus through the north of Cyprus
If you enter the Republic of Cyprus through the north (such as through Ercan Airport), authorities will consider you to have entered illegally. You could be:
- fined for illegal entry
- refused entry to or exit from the Republic of Cyprus
- prevented from crossing back into the north of Cyprus
Vaccination requirements (other than COVID-19)
At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the vaccinations and certificates you need in TravelHealthPro’s Cyprus guide.
Customs rules
There are strict rules about goods that can be brought into and taken out of Cyprus. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
Taking food and drink into the EU
You cannot take meat, milk or products containing them into EU countries. There are some exceptions for medical reasons, for example certain amounts of powdered infant milk, infant food or pet food. Check European Commission guidance on taking food and drink into the EU.
Customs rules within Cyprus
There are controls on quantities and types of goods that can be bought in the north of Cyprus and taken to the south of the island, including from the bicommunal village of Pyla in the buffer zone. Goods can be confiscated at the checkpoint and you could be fined. The Republic of Cyprus enforces a 40-cigarette per person limit on crossing the Green Line from the north of Cyprus.