Cyprus

Cyprus is a member of the Schengen Agreement but has not yet fully implemented it. For EU and EFTA Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland citizens, an officially approved ID card or a passport is sufficient for entry. In no case will they need a visa for a stay of any length. Others will generally need a passport for entry.

Travel to/from any other country Schengen or not from/to Cyprus will as of now result in the normal immigration checks, but travelling to/from another EU country you will not have to pass customs.

Inquire at your travel agent, call the local consulate or embassy of Cyprus.

The visa list is already consistent with those of the Schengen countries fully implementing the agreement.

Only the nationals of the following non-EU/EFTA countries do not need a visa for entry into the Schengen Area: Albania*, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina*, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Macedonia*, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro*, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Serbia*/**, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan*** Republic of China, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela, additionally persons holding British National Overseas, Hong Kong SAR or Macau SAR passports.

These non-EU/EFTA visa-free visitors may not stay more than 90 days in a 180 day period in the Schengen Area as a whole and, in general, may not work during their stay although some Schengen countries do allow certain nationalities to work - see below. The counter begins once you enter any country in the Schengen Area and is not reset by leaving a specific Schengen country for another Schengen country, or vice-versa. However, New Zealand citizens may be able to stay for more than 90 days if they only visit particular Schengen countries - see (http://www.safetravel.gov...) for the New Zealand Government's explanation.

If you are a non-EU/EFTA national even if you are visa-exempt, unless you are Andorran, Monégasque or San Marinese, make sure that your passport is stamped both when you enter and leave the Schengen Area. Without an entry stamp, you may be treated as an overstayer when you try to leave the Schengen Area; without an exit stamp, you may be denied entry the next time you seek to enter the Schengen Area as you may be deemed to have overstayed on your previous visit. If you cannot obtain a passport stamp, make sure that you retain documents such as boarding passes, transport tickets and ATM slips which may help to convince border inspection staff that you have stayed in the Schengen Area legally.

Note that

while British subjects with the right of abode in the United Kingdom and British Overseas Territories citizens connected to Gibraltar are considered "United Kingdom nationals for European Union purposes" and therefore eligible for unlimited access to the Schengen Area,

British Overseas Territories citizens without the right of abode in the United Kingdom and British subjects without the right of abode in the United Kingdom as well as British Overseas citizens and British protected persons in general do require visas.

However, all British Overseas Territories citizens except those solely connected to the Cyprus Sovereign Base Areas are eligible for British citizenship and thereafter unlimited access to the Schengen Area.

Further note that

* nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia need a biometric passport to enjoy visa-free travel,

** Serbian nationals with passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate residents of Kosovo with Serbian passports do need a visa and

*** Taiwan nationals need their ID number to be stipulated in their passport to enjoy visa-free travel.

Travelling To And From The North

Prior to Cyprus's accession to European Union, evidence of entry to Northern Cyprus resulted in denial of entry to the Greek part of Cyprus at the very least. After the accession, and according to EU legislation that considers Cyprus to have been admitted in full, an entry to the Turkish part is formally an entry to whole Cyprus and must therefore not result in any disadvantage to travellers from the EU. Travellers from non-EU member states as, for instance, Turkish citizens must enter the island via one of the legal entry points i.e. entry points in the Southern part of the island in order to visit the Southern part.

The Cyprus embassy in Washington on the phone June 2006 when asked if the border is open to U.S. citizens, didn't give a 'No', but said that they recommend entering from the "legal" points in the Greek side.

Different entities and web pages claim different things. But there are recent 2006 examples of people entering Northen Cyprus from Turkey, crossing the border without any problems, although it was noticed when leaving Cyprus.

The main crossings between the south and north are:

Astromerits/Zodhia by car only

Agios Dometios/Kermia/Metehan

Ledra Palace by foot only - the oldest crossing, just outside the walls of old Nicosia to the west of the city

Pergamos/Beyarmudu

Strovilia near Agios Nikolaos - located at the eastern part of the island

Ledras Str. - the new crossing opened in 2008. Located at the old "dead-end" of the most popular street of Nicosia.

By ship

Occasional ferries connect Cyprus to Greece. Services to Israel and Egypt have been terminated for the time being; however, there are 2 and 3 day cruises running in the summer months from about April to October and they take passengers one way between Israel and Cyprus. These mini cruises also run to Syria, Lebanon, Rhodes, the Greek Islands, The Black Sea and The Adriatic.The ferry service from Greece runs from Piraeus, Rhodes and Ayios Nikolaos in Crete to Limassol. See the itinerary here: You may also catch a freighter from Italy, Portugal, Southampton and various other European ports. See Grimaldi Freighter Cruises providing you with the opportunity to bring a vehicle to Cyprus throughout the year.

There is a regular ferry service from Turkey, connecting Taşucu to Girne north of Nicosia .