Cyprus tourist visa (short-stay Category C)

Nationals of countries on the EU visa list need a visa to visit the Republic of Cyprus. Citizens of EU countries, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway can enter with a national identity card that carries a photograph, and holders of United Nations laissez-passer and travel documents issued to stateless persons and recognised refugees are exempt from the passport rule.

Under Decision 565/2014/EU, a valid double- or multiple-entry Schengen visa, a Bulgarian, Croatian or Romanian national visa, or a residence permit issued by one of these states or a Schengen state replaces the Cyprus visa for stays of up to 90 days in 180 days. Citizens of Türkiye and Azerbaijan cannot use this rule and must apply for a Cyprus visa, unless they are family members of an EU citizen under Directive 2004/38/EC.

Your passport must have been issued within the last ten years, stay valid for at least three months after you leave Cyprus and have a blank visa page; holders of travel documents need six months of validity. You submit one completed and signed application form with a recent photograph, travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000 for the whole stay, a full bank statement showing your address and enough money for the trip, a travel itinerary and a confirmed accommodation booking or proof that you own property in the Republic.

Proof of your situation at home is also required: an original employer letter with your start date and last payslip, a letter from your accountant, solicitor or bank if self-employed, a school or university letter for students, or pension or benefit papers. If you will stay with a friend or relative, the host in Cyprus completes an Assumption of Responsibility form, has it certified by a Certifying Officer and attaches a copy of their Cypriot ID, passport or residence permit. Documents must be in English, Greek or Turkish; others need an official translation.

Since 11 June 2024 the visa fee is the equivalent of EUR 90 for single, double and multiple-entry visas, collected in the local currency at the rate the mission applies; the High Commission in London, for example, charges it in pounds sterling. Where a visa centre receives the application, its service charge is added and is due whatever the outcome. Spouses and children under 18 of EU citizens receive the visa free of charge on proof of the relationship.

Apply at least 15 days before the trip and not earlier than six months before it. The normal processing time is 15 days, which can be extended to 45 days when the consulate needs a closer examination or more documents. Family members of EU or EEA citizens covered by the free movement directive may qualify for a free and faster procedure.

Applications go to the Cyprus embassy, high commission or consulate responsible for your place of residence, many of which work with an external visa centre that collects files and biometrics while the consulate decides. In the United Kingdom, for example, VFS Global receives the files and the Consulate General in London processes all of them, and applicants must hold a valid UK residence permit.

The Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nicosia is in charge of consular and entry matters and can be asked which mission handles applications for your country of residence. A consulate may call you for an interview or ask for more documents at any stage.

Cyprus consulates issue visas only for travel through the official entry and exit points: Larnaca and Paphos international airports and the ports of Larnaca, Limassol, Latsi and Paphos. They also require that the stay does not include accommodation in properties that the Cypriot authorities regard as illegally occupied in the area not under the effective control of the Government. If the travel plan is found to include such accommodation, the application is refused or an issued visa is annulled, and an administrative measure may follow.

The Republic refuses admission to holders of passports issued by the authorities in the north of the island, which it does not recognise. There is no legal right to a visa, and a visa does not guarantee entry, because the conditions are checked again at the border; consular handling fees are charged whatever the outcome.