New measures at the Airports come into force from tomorrow, January 4. In particular, those who will arrive in Cyprus before 23.00 on the night of the 4th, do not need to present a PCR test.
Those who will arrive from 23.00 onwards and are 12 years old or older, are required to have a PCR laboratory test 48 hours before departure.
For whom it applies and what happens to the cost
The decision applies to all passengers regardless of historical vaccination history.
• It is understood that the above requirement should also apply to those passengers who travel on January 4 or later and have completed a Cyprus Flight Card (CyprusFlightPass) within 48 hours before January 4.
• It is reminded that upon arrival all passengers, regardless of historical vaccination, undergo a PCR laboratory test and the cost is borne by the passenger.
• In addition to those who have been shown to receive a booster dose of the vaccine, other passengers should be screened for rapid antigen detection for the disease. COVID-19 with the completion of 72 hours from their arrival.
The above applies to passengers from all countries listed below:
• Member States of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Estonia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Hungary, Hungary, Poland , Slovenia, Sweden, Czech Republic, Finland.
Small States: Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City, San Marino.
• Members of the Schengen Area: Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway.
Third Countries: Australia, Egypt, Argentina, Armenia, Georgia, United States of America, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Japan, Indonesia, Jordan, Israel, Canada, Qatar, China, including Kangon Kuwait, Belarus, Lebanon, Bahrain, New Zealand, South Korea, Oman, Ukraine, Uruguay, Peru, Rwanda, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Chile.
Gray Category Countries (Special Permission):
Countries not listed above are considered to be in the Gray Category (Special Permission).
For Gray Category countries, entry into the Republic of Cyprus is allowed only to the following categories of passengers:
(i) Cypriot citizens and members of their families (their foreign spouses and their minor children),
(ii) European citizens, citizens of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Switzerland;
(iii) legally resident in the Republic,
(iv) persons entitled to enter the Republic in accordance with the Vienna Convention;
(v) third-country nationals entitled to enter the Republic, provided that they have an authorization for a special permit to enter the Republic, which is granted at the request of the Commission, appointed by the Decision of the Council of Ministers, dated 17 June 2020;
It is understood that all passengers (aged 12 and over) traveling from gray countries, regardless of historical vaccination, from 4 January at 23:00 are required to have a PCR laboratory test 48 hours before departure and at arrival (the cost is borne by the passenger).
In addition, passengers arriving in the Republic of Cyprus from Gray Category (Special Permission) remain in a regime of compulsory self-restraint or quarantine for fourteen (14) days or alternatively in a regime of compulsory self-restraint or mandatory (7) days if they are re-tested for the disease COVID-19 (at own expense) on the 7th day and have a negative laboratory result.
Taking into account the data obtained regarding the new variant of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 that was originally located in Botswana and signaled an alarm due to the large number of mutations it carries and for the preservation of public health, from November 26, 2021 , the Ministry of Health informs that:
i) In addition to the measures already in force and unaffected by them, all persons entering the Republic of Cyprus, by air, regardless of their country of departure and whether or not they hold an acceptable certificate of complete vaccination or an acceptable certificate of recovery from COVID-19 or negative laboratory test on their departure, from 06 December 2021, (00:01 am) to 10 January 2022, (23:59 pm) will undergo PCR diagnostic test for the disease COVID-19 upon arrival at the airports of the Republic of Cyprus. The cost of PCR diagnostics for the disease COVID-19, will be paid by the passenger.
ii) It is prohibited the arrival and / or entry into the Republic of any person who during the last 14 days before his arrival in the Republic either resided or passed through the territory of the countries:
• South Africa,
• Namibia,
• Lesotho,
• Kingdom of Eswatini,
• Zimbabwe,
• Mozambique,
• Malawi
• Botswana
For more information on people excluded from the ban and the procedure to follow please visit the link: https://www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus/uploads/26112021_apagorefsieisodouneametallaxi_EL.pdf
It is emphasized that all passengers, regardless of the category of countries, including those holding a valid vaccination certificate must submit an application to CyprusFlightPass within 48 hours before the 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.