New Country Categorization - Category 6 countries change

See in detail the revised list of countries for travel

cna td6041637cdbf49ea9723edb36a2f7226 country categorization

After decision of the Council of Ministers, dated 18 February 2021, regarding the Action Plan for the gradual resumption of flights and the reopening of airports, the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health re-evaluated the epidemiological picture of the various countries regarding the disease COVID-19.

Classification for the countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) including Switzerland in the Categories GreenOrange ή Red, relies on that of European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

Regarding third countries (United Kingdom, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Belarus, Qatar, Serbia, United States of America, Armenia, Georgia, Bahrain, 1/6) Kuwait and Canada as well as any additional countries included in updated list of the Recommendation of the European Council (EU) 2021/89, on the gradual abolition of temporary restrictions on unnecessary travel to the EU, these are assessed epidemiologically by the Ministry of Health and are classified in Green, Orange and Red.

The following categorization of countries, based on epidemiological risk assessment, is extremely dynamic and can be differentiated at any time, as the pandemic evolves and epidemiological data change. To this end, new data will be announced and the list of countries will be updated frequently.

Green Category Countries (Green) - Low risk countries at this stage

  • Member States of the European Union: Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic
  • Schengen Area Members: Liechtenstein, Norway
  • Third countries: Australia, Northern Macedonia, Jordan, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore

It is noted that for passengers coming from Green Class countries is not required to present a laboratory test certificate Covid-19, but neither is self-restraint.

Orange Category Countries (Orange) - Countries with potentially low risk but with more doubt compared to the Green Category

  • Member States of the European Union: Belgium, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Sweden, Finland
  • Small states: Vatican City
  • Third countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, China (including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan), Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Serbia

It is noted that all passengers coming from the countries of the Orange category, are required to have undergone laboratory testing PCR within 72 hours before their departure and have a certificate proving a negative test PCR for the virus.

It is clarified, at the same time, that the Cypriot citizens, their foreign spouses and their minor children, as well as the passengers legally residing in the Republic from countries of the Orange Category, provided that they meet one of the following conditions:  may carry out the molecular examination upon arrival in the Republic:

  1. They are passengers who have made at least 1η dose of vaccines acceptable to the Republic, or
  2. They are passengers from 16 to 18 years old who have made at least 1η dose of vaccines acceptable to the Republic, or
  3. They are minor passengers 12 to 15 years old, or
  4. They are passengers who for medical reasons can not be vaccinated, upon presentation of a relevant certificate from the Ministry of Health of the Republic.

It is noted that the cost of the examination is covered by them and in addition these individuals should stay inhouse arrest until the result is issued.

Red Countries Countries at increased risk compared to Green and Orange countries

  • Member States of the European Union: France, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Spain, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal
  • Small states: Andorra, Monaco, San Marino
  • Schengen Area Members: Switzerland, Iceland
  • Third countries: Azerbaijan, Egypt, Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Greece, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, United Kingdom, Japan, Israel, Kuwait, Belarus, Lebanon, Montenegro, Moldova, Brunei, Brunei, Brunei

It is noted that all passengers coming from the Red Category countries, required: a) to have undergone a laboratory test within 72 hours before departure and to have a certificate proving a negative test PCR for the virus and b) to carry out a laboratory test upon arrival in the Republic of Cyprus.

It is noted that the cost of the exams is covered by them and in addition these individuals should remain under house arrest until the result is issued.

It is also clarified that Cypriot citizens, their foreign spouses and their minor children, as well as passengers legally residing in the Republic from countries of the Red Category, provided that they meet one of the following conditions falling within the following categories may fulfill the molecular examination upon arrival in the Republic:

  1. They are passengers who have made at least 1η dose of vaccines acceptable to the Republic, or
  2. They are passengers from 16 to 18 years old who have made at least 1η dose of vaccines acceptable to the Republic, or
  3. They are minor passengers 12 to 15 years old, or
  4. They are passengers who for medical reasons can not be vaccinated, upon presentation of a relevant certificate from the Ministry of Health of the Republic.

In such a case, the individuals listed in points 1-4 above remain at mandatory self-restraint regime for 72 hours after their arrival and after 72 hours they are subjected to molecular examination again (PCR), at own expense. If the result of the re-examination is negative, they are released from self-restraint.

Gray Category Countries (Special License / SpecialPermission):

Countries not listed above in the Green, Orange and Red categories are considered to be in the Gray category (Special Permission). For Gray Category countries, entry into the Republic of Cyprus allowed only in the following categories of passengers:

  1. Cypriot citizens and their family members (their foreign spouses and their minor children),
  2. European citizens, citizens of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Switzerland,
  3. Legal persons residing in the Republic,
  4. Persons entitled to enter the Republic under the Vienna Convention, and
  5. Third-country nationals, who are entitled to enter the Republic of Cyprus, after a special permit from the Republic of Cyprus as determined by the Deinfection Program COVID-19) Decree (No. 9) of 2021, as in each case this is modified.

It is noted that passengers coming from countries in this Category must have undergone a laboratory test by a recognized laboratory, with the sampling having taken place during the last 72 hours before their trip to the Republic of Cyprus and have a certificate proving a negative PCR for COVID-19.

It is also clarified that Cypriot citizens, their foreign spouses and their minor children, as well as passengers legally residing in the Republic from countries of the Red Category, provided that they meet one of the following conditions falling within the following categories may fulfill the molecular examination upon arrival in the Republic:

  1. They are passengers who have made at least 1η dose of vaccines acceptable to the Republic, or
  2. They are passengers from 16 to 18 years old who have made at least 1η dose of vaccines acceptable to the Republic, or
  3. They are minor passengers 12 to 15 years old, or
  4. They are passengers who for medical reasons can not be vaccinated, upon presentation of a relevant certificate from the Ministry of Health of the Republic.

Passengers arriving in the Republic of Cyprus from Gray Category (Special Permission) remain in the status compulsory self-restraint or compulsory isolation (quarantine) of fourteen (14) days or alternatively in Compulsory self-restraint or compulsory isolation (quarantine) regime of seven (7) days provided that re-molecular test for the disease COVID-19 (at own expense) on 7η day and have a negative laboratory result.

It is noted that the above categorization of countries will be effective from 12 August 2021.

Conditions for vaccinated passengers:

The Ministry of Health clarifies the following valid from 10 May for vaccinated passengers arriving in the Republic of Cyprus through the entrance gates:

Faces regardless of nationalityWhich hold a valid vaccination certificate for his illness COVID-19 and arrive in Cyprus from abroad, regardless of the country of departure, will excluded, for entry purposes, the obligation to perform laboratory tests, and of the obligation for self-restraint / quarantine, provided that the following conditions are met:

1) They own valid vaccination certificate from the following countries:

(i) the Member States of the European Union (including Cyprus);

(ii) the countries of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway);

(iii) Switzerland,

(iv) Israel,

(v) the United Kingdom,

(vi) Russia,

(vii) the United Arab Emirates,

(viii) Saudi Arabia,

(ix) Ukraine,

(x) Jordan,

(xi) Lebanon,

(xii) Egypt,

(xiii) Belarus,

(xiv) Serbia,

(xv) Qatar,

(xvi) Bahrain,

(xvii) the United States of America,

(xviii) Armenia,

(xix) Georgia,

(xx) Canada,

(xxi) Kuwait and

(xxii) China

2) Have been vaccinated with either one of the approved vaccines of the European Medicines Agency (Pfizer/BionTechAstraZenecaModernJanssen), or with Sputnik V vaccine, or with the vaccine Synopharm (BBIBPCovid-19) or with A nephew andhave completed the vaccination regimen. It is noted that in the case of two-dose vaccines the person should have been vaccinated with both doses, while in the case of the Janssen vaccine (single-dose vaccine) 14 days should have elapsed between the dose of the vaccine and the date of travel. More information is available at the link https://cyprusflightpass.gov.cy/en/vaccinated-passengers.

It is emphasized that all passengers, regardless of country categoryincluding persons holding a valid vaccination certificate must submit application at Cyprus Flight Pass within 48 hours before departure of their flight. In addition, for the purposes of ensuring Public Health and surveillance of the epidemiological picture, the Ministry of Health may carry out sampling laboratory molecular testing. COVID-19 to passengers (including persons holding a vaccination certificate) of selected flights.