Visas
A visa is an entry permit for a short (up το 90 days) or a long stay (up to one year), issued to foreign nationals who wish to enter the territory of the Republic of Cyprus. Cyprus visas have national application, which means that they entitle the holder to enter only the territory of the Republic.
Foreign nationals who intend to travel to Cyprus are advised to consult the relevant information from the list of topics below in order to ascertain whether or not they require a visa, and if so, where and how to apply for it, at the nearest Cyprus Mission (or the Visa Centre to which the Mission may direct them to), allowing ample time before travel for the visa application to be submitted, duly processed and, if approved, issued.
Please note that some Honorary Consuls and Consulates of Cyprus abroad are also entitled to receive applications and issue visas. As a general rule, it is always advisable to contact the Mission where the applicant would like to submit his/her application in advance to receive applicable information and details.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Airport Transit Visa (Category A) [ATV] | An Airport Transit Visa (ATV) entitles foreign nationals who are required to possess such a visa to pass through the international transit area of Cypriot airports without actually entering the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, during a stop-over or transfer between two stages of an international flight. The ATV is an exception to the general right to transit without a visa through Cyprus. |
| Short-stay Visa (Category C) | This visa entitles foreign nationals to enter the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, for reasons other than immigration, for a max period of 90 days within 6 months. |
| Multiple entry Visa (Category C) | Multiple entry Visas (up to 5 years) are granted to third country nationals who provide proof of frequent visits to Cyprus and other EU countries. Similarly to the Short stay Visa, the duration of stay should not exceed the three months in any half year, starting from the date of first entry. |
| Visa issued at the border (Category C) | Short-stay and ATVs can be exceptionally granted (only in emergency cases and following the approval of the Director of the Civil Registry and Migration Department) upon arrival at the legal ports of entry in the Republic. |
| Visa Extension (Category C) | Holders of Category C visa may apply at the local Alien and Immigration Unit for an extension of their visa for a period up to 90 days from the date of entry, within 6 months. In case the granted visa bears the indication “Final”, the prior approval of the Schengen and Consular Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is compulsory. |
| Long-Stay Visa (Category D) | This visa entitles the foreign nationals to stay in the Republic of Cyprus for a period up to one year |
The following categories of persons, as well as holders of passports of the countries listed separately below, are NOT required to hold a visa to enter the Republic of Cyprus,:
- Holders of diplomatic passports of Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia Herzegovina, Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Qatar.
- Holders of diplomatic and service passports of Armenia, China, Costa Rica, Georgia, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Moldova, Russian Federation, Serbia, Seychelles and Ukraine.
- Holders of diplomatic, service, and special passports of Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Syria and of the United Arab Emirates.
- Holders of diplomatic, official and service passports of Colombia, Cuba, India, Mexico, Panama, Marshal Islands, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Peru, United Arab Emirates, Tonga, Palau, St. Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Vanuatu, Samoa and of Trinidad and Tobago.
- Holders of diplomatic or official passports of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
- Holders of biometric passports of Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and of Moldova.
- All flight crew members who are holding Flight crew Member’s License or a Crew Member Certificate issued under the Chicago Convention.
- The flight crew and attendants on emergency or rescue flights and other assistants in the event of disaster or accident.
- The civilian crew of ships.
- Holders of United Nations laissez-passer.
- Holders of Council of Europe laissez-passer.
- Holders of valid double or multiple entry Schengen visa or Bulgarian, Croatian and Romanian national visa, as well as residence permits issued by Schengen Member States or by Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, are not required to hold a short-stay visa to enter the Republic of Cyprus for a time period that does not exceed 90 days in any 180 day period. This provision doesn’t apply to Citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan who have to follow the regular visa issuance procedure. [The Republic of Cyprus has adopted the provisions of Decision No. 565/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 introducing a simplified regime for the control of persons at the external borders based on the unilateral recognition by Cyprus as well as by Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania of certain documents as equivalent to their national visas for transit through or intended stays on their territories not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period].
- Holders of travel documents issued to recognised refugees under the Convention relating to the Status Refugees of 28 July 1951, do not require a visa to enter Cyprus, if their travel documents are issued by a member-state of Schengen or by a state listed in Annex II to the Council Regulation 539/2001 as per its amendments.
- Holders of travel documents issued to stateless persons under the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons of 28 September 1954, do not require a visa if the documents are issued by a member state of Schengen and the holders of these documents are residing in this Member State.
- All persons who are in possession of work permit or entry permit issued by the Civil Registry and Migration Department.
- All persons who possess a permanent or a temporary residence permit issued by the Civil Registry and Migration Department.
- Citizens of all EU Member States, as well as of Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, as per the list below (they may also enter Cyprus with their Identity Card, provided it bears the holder’s photo).
List of countries whose nationals do NOT require a visa for a stay up to 90 days, provided they are bona fide visitors:
- ALBANIA*
- ANDORA
- ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
- ARGENTINA
- AUSTRALIA
- AUSTRIA
- BAHAMAS
- BARBADOS
- BELGIUM
- BERMUDA
- BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA*
- BRAZIL
- BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
- BULGARIA
- CANADA
- CHILE
- COLOMBIA
- COSTA RICA
- CROATIA
- CZECH REPUBLIC
- DENMARK
- DOMINICA
- ESTONIA
- FINLAND
- FRANCE
- GEORGIA*
- GERMANY
- GREECE
- GRENADA
- GUATEMALA
- HOLY SEE
- HUNGARY
- ICELAND
- IRELAND
- ISRAEL
- ITALY
- JAPAN
- KIRIBATI
- LATVIA
- LIECHTENSTEIN
- LITHUANIA
- LUXEMBOURG
- MALAYSIA
- MALTA
- MARSHALL ISLANDS
- MAURITIUS
- MEXICO
- MICRONESIA
- MOLDOVA*
- MONACO
- MONTENEGRO*
- NETHERLANDS
- NEW ZEALAND
- NICARAGUA
- NORWAY
- HONDURAS
- PALAU
- PANAMA
- PARAGUAY
- PERU
- POLAND
- PORTUGAL
- REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA*
- ROMANIA
- SAMOA
- SAINT LUCIA
- SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
- SAIN VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
- SALVADOR
- SAN MARINO
- SERBIA*
- SEYCHELLES
- SINGAPORE
- SLOVAKIA
- SLOVENIA
- SOUTH KOREA
- SPAIN
- SWEDEN
- SWITZERLAND
- TIMORE-LESTE
- TONGA
- TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
- UKRAINE *
- UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
- UNITED KINGDOM
- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
- URUGUAY
- VENEZUELA
*Only for holders of biometric passports
- Special Administrative Regions of the People’s Republic of China:
HONG KONG S.A.R.
MACAO S.A.R - British citizens who are not nationals of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the purposes of European Union law:
British nationals (Overseas)
British overseas territories citizens (BOTC)
British overseas citizens (BOC)
British protected
persons (BPP)
British subjects (BS)’. - Entities and territorial authorities not recognised as States by at least one member state of the EU:
TAIWAN
*All references to this term are made without prejudice to the declared position of the Republic of Cyprus on status and are in line with UN Security Council resolution 1244/1999 and the 2010 International Court of Justice Opinion on the Kosovo unilateral declaration of independence.
Holders of passport of the following countries are required to hold a visa to enter the Republic of Cyprus:
- AFGHANISTAN
- ALBANIA*
- ALGERIA
- ANGOLA
- ARMENIA
- AZERBAIJAN
- BAHRAIN
- BANGLADESH
- BELARUS
- BELIZE
- BENIN
- BHUTAN
- BOLIVIA
- BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA*
- BOTSWANA
- BURKINA FASO
- BURMA/MYANMAR
- BURUNDI
- CAMBODIA
- CAMEROON
- CAPE VERDE
- CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
- CHAD
- CHINA
- COMOROS
- CONGO
- COTE D’ IVOIRE
- CUBA
- DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
- DJIBOUTI
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
- ECUADOR
- EGYPT
- EQUATORIAL GUINEA
- ERITREA
- ETHIOPIA
- FIJI
- GABON
- GAMBIA
- GEORGIA
- GHANA
- GUINEA
- GUINEA-BISSAU
- GUYANA
- HAITI
- INDIA
- INDONESIA
- IRAN
- IRAQ
- JAMAICA
- JORDAN
- KAZAKHSTAN
- KENYA
- KUWAIT
- KYRGYZSTAN
- LAOS
- LEBANON
- LESOTHO
- LIBERIA
- LIBYA
- MADAGASCAR
- MALAWI
- MALDIVES
- MALI
- MAURITANIA
- MOLDOVA*
- MONGOLIA
- MOROCCO
- MONTENEGRO*
- MOZAMBIQUE
- NAMIBIA
- NAURU
- NEPAL
- NIGER
- NIGERIA
- NORTH KOREA
- NORTHERN MARIANAS (ISLANDS)
- NORTH MACEDONIA
- OMAN
- PAKISTAN
- PALAISTINIAN NATIONAL AUTHORITY
- PAPUANEW GUINEA
- PHILIPPINES
- QATAR
- RUSSIA
- RWANDA
- SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
- SAUDI ARABIA
- SENEGAL
- SERBIA*
- SIERRA LEONE
- SOLOMON ISLANDS
- SOMALIA
- SOUTH AFRICA
- SOUTH SUDAN
- SRI LANKA
- SUDAN
- SURINAME
- SWIZILAND
- SYRIA
- TAJIKISTAN
- TANZANIA
- THAILAND
- TOGO
- TUNISIA
- TURKEY
- TURKMENISTAN
- UGANDA
- UKRAINE*
- UZBEKISTAN
- VANUATU
- VIETNAM
- YEMEN
- ZAMBIA
- ZIMBABWE
*Applies only for holders of non-biometric passports. Holders of biometric passports do not require a visa.
Nationals of the countries listed below are required to be in possession of an airport transit visa when passing through the international transit area of airports situated on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus:
- AFGHANISTAN
- BANGLADESH
- DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
- ERITHREA
- ETHIOPIA
- GHANA
- IRAN
- IRAQ
- NIGERIA
- PAKISTAN
- SOMALIA
- SRI LANKA
- TURKEY
Note: Flight crew members who are nationals of a Contracting Party to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation are exempted from the requirement to hold an airport transit visa.
Overview
The Visa Information System (VIS) is a system for the exchange of visa data between Schengen states. The implementation of the VIS is a key element of the common visa policy, of the Schengen states. Essentially, the VIS is a central database with fingerprints and facial images (biometrics) of persons applying for a short-stay visa within the Schengen Area. The VIS facilitates the exchange of data between Schengen States on visa applications in order to ease procedures, prevent “visa shopping” and assist in the fight against fraud.
Cyprus is not yet a full member of the Schengen area and at this stage does not issue Schengen visas. However, the national VIS of Cyprus is being used only for the management of visa applications submitted to the Embassies and Consulates of the Republic and exceptionally at the points of entry. Competent Authority for VIS is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The national VIS is not connected to the central VIS database and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and does not have the possibility to exchange information with the respective Authorities of other Member States.
The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures, to facilitate checks at external borders and to enhance security.
Find more information below:
Rights of Individuals
In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) any person has the right to be informed about his/her data in the VIS and may request access to his/her data and that inaccurate data about him/her be corrected, and that unlawfully recorded data be deleted.
Standard Forms/Model Letters for data subjects’ requests for exercising rights:
REQUEST FOR ERASURE OF PERSONAL DATA ACCORDING TO ART. 17 GDPR
On 28/05/2019, in accordance with the Accession Treaty of 2003, the Cyprus Republic submitted a Declaration of Readiness for a Schengen Evaluation.
After the European Commission’s Schengen Evaluation that started in November 2019 and the following relevant recommendations, in direct compliance with the Schengen acquis and Article 16 of the Visa Code, as of 01/12/2022 visa fees will be increased as follows;
| Types of Visa | Fee (euro) |
| Airport Transit Visa (category A) | 90 |
| Short-stay Visa (1-90 days) (Category C) | 90 |
| Children between 6-12 years | 45 |
| Children under 6 years | 0 |
| Visa issued at the border (Category C) | 90 |
| Nationals of: Albania⃰, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina*, Georgia⃰, Moldova*, Montenegro*, North Macedonia⃰, Serbia⃰, Ukraine⃰ | 35 |
| Cape Verde nationals | 67,50 |
| Cape Verde – Children between 6-12 years | 33,75 |
⃰ Visa fee applicable only for holders of non biometric passports
Biometric passport holders do not need a visa
Application process and requirements
- Consular officers at the Diplomatic Mission (or Consulate) of the Republic of Cyprus where the visa application form is lodged, assess the applicant’s purpose of travel and willingness to return to his/her home country.
- Visa applicants should submit their visa application and supporting documents to the accredited, competent or most easily accessible Diplomatic Mission (or Consulate) of the Republic of Cyprus in their country of habitual residence (or elsewhere), or in the country that they intend to use as transit during their journey to Cyprus.
- Passports must be valid for at least 3 months from the intended date of departure from Cyprus.
- Valid proof of residence (visa/permanent residence card/passport) must be submitted.
- Each applicant must duly complete and sign the visa application form. With his/her signature the applicant certifies that he/she is aware of the legal consequences of providing false or incomplete information in visa proceedings.
- A passport–size photograph must be affixed on the visa application form.
- The visa fee (consult relevant table) is non-refundable and should be paid upon submission of the application.
- Invitation letter from the host-company/ firm/ associate in the Republic of Cyprus. Assumption of responsibility to host form is always required. The form must be completed by the host and certified by a notary public.
- Flight pre-bookings (round-trip) and hotel reservation or proof of other accommodation. The applicant is advised not to purchase his/her travel.
- Travel Μedical Ιnsurance for the period of stay in Cyprus, with minimum coverage of 30,000 Euro per person. In addition, the insurance must:
– Cover all expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment.
– Cover the period of stay in Cyprus in its entirety.
Important information
The possession of a valid visa does not grant the holder an unreserved right of entry to the Republic of Cyprus. The applicant may as well be required to present certain evidence upon arrival.
Submitting the aforementioned documents does not guarantee automatic issuance of the visa. The Diplomatic Mission (or Consulate) of the Republic of Cyprus, where the visa application is lodged, reserves the right to request additional documents. These may include the following:
- Bank guarantee, valid for ten years, (for more detailed information click here to visit the relevant section of the Migration and Civil Registry Department) issued in the name of the Director of Civil Registry and Migration Department. The original of the Bank Guarantee has to be submitted to the aforesaid Department, while a copy of it, sealed by the Civil Registry and Migration Department, should be included in the visa application supporting documents.
- Proof of the applicant’s employment, i.e. most recent income tax return, certificate of employment (including the employer’s full name, complete address and telephone number with area code details) regarding the applicant’s position or professional designation, income, duration of the working relationship; letter of approved leave of absence signed by the employer or proof of registration and commercial activity of the applicant’s company (for self-employed applicants) in the country of residence, e.g. income tax returns, bank certificates, documents of the company accounts or other.
- Proof of sufficient financial means both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to the applicant’s country of citizenship or habitual residence, or for the transit to a third country for which he/she possesses a valid visa or residence permit.(3-month bank account statement, saving books).
- Applications concerning minors must be submitted together with a letter signed by both parents or legal guardians, authorizing the minor to apply for a visa to enter the Republic of Cyprus. Proof of the relationship between the minor and the authorizing person(s) is also required (documents accepted: copy of ID or passport of each parent, accompanied by a copy of minor’s birth certificate stating the parents’ names; death certificate, where applicable, and, in the case of sole custody, a copy of a judicial document attesting that).
- Proof of personal status: extract from family record or family book, previous passports or the passport statement from the Immigration Office.
Special cases
In the absence of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the applicant’s country of citizenship and/or of habitual residence, or in the absence of a Cyprus Diplomatic Mission in the applicant’s country of citizenship and/or of habitual residence, the latter can submit the Visa Application, to the most accessible Diplomatic Mission or Consulate of the Republic of Cyprus. In such cases visa applications can be submitted via post of DHL provided that the relevant details have been agreed a priori with the Cyprus Diplomatic Mission.