Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Beijing


FAQ


1. What do I need to do in order to be allowed to work in Cyprus?
2. What do I need to know regarding bringing medicines to Cyprus?
3. I am a Cypriot citizen who wants to move/get married/work/study in one of the countries of accreditation of your Embassy. Can the Embassy of Cyprus in Beijing translate my documents in the respective languages of these countries?
4. I am a foreign citizen who wants to move/get married/work/study in Cyprus. What is the procedure for the notarisation of my documents?
5. I am a Cypriot citizen who wants to move/get married/work/study in one of the countries of accreditation of your Embassy. What is the procedure for the notarisation of my documents?
6. Can I come to the Embassy in order to sign documents in front of a consular officer or to sign statements of oath?
7. I wish to pursue higher/tertiary education in Cyprus. What do I have to do?
8. I am a Cypriot national and I wish to apply for a visa to come to one of the countries of accrediation of your Embassy. What do I have to do?
9. I am a Cypriot national and I want to visit Hong Kong. After that, I plan to travel to mainland China. What do I have to do?
10. I am a Cypriot national and I want to get married in China. What do I have to do?
11. I am a Cypriot national, married to a Chinese national. I want to adopt my Chinese spouse’s child from a previous marriage. What do I do?
12. What do I need to know regarding the possession of drugs in Cyprus?
13. Can foreign nationals visit the northern part of the island, which has been under Turkish military occupation since 1974?
14. I am Cypriot national who will visit mainland China. After that, I plan to visit Hong Kong and then come back into mainland China. What type of Chinese visa do I need to have?


1. What do I need to do in order to be allowed to work in Cyprus?
If you are not a holder of a Cypriot passport, you will need a work permit in order to work in Cyprus. The present policy regarding foreign nationals who wish to take up employment in Cyprus is that an employment permit is granted only on a temporary basis and for a specified position provided that no suitably qualified Cypriot citizens are available. Please note that this action must take place while foreign nationals are outside Cyprus (except in cases of EU nationals). Foreign national seeking employment in Cyprus must secure through personal efforts a local employer who should submit an application to the Migration Officer, Ministry of the Interior, Lefkosia (Nicosia) (see address below), which is the competent authority for the issue of such permits. The Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance acts as an advisor to the Migration Officer as regards the situation in the labour market and the compliance by the above-mentioned employer of the criteria governing the employment of aliens. Manpower recruitment is made directly by the employers or through intermediaries; therefore you have to make your own direct contacts with interested employers, intermediaries or employers' organisations. For more information you may wish to contact: The Civil Registry and Migration Department Ministry of the Interior 1457 Lefkosia (Nicosia) Cyprus- Tel: +357 22804502 - Fax +357 22804587- E-mail: migration@crmd.moi.gov.cy . Here are the addresses of the main employers’ organisations, which you may wish to contact: Cyprus Employers & Industrialists Federation (OEB) Central Office Address: 30, Grivas Dhigenis Avenue, P. O. Box 21657, 1511 Nicosia, Cyprus - Telephone: +357 - 22 66 51 02 Fax: + 357 - 22 66 94 59 E-mail:  info@oeb.org.cy  Website: http://www.oeb-eif.org / Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry 38, Grivas Dhigenis Ave. & 3, Deligiorgis Str., P.O.Box 21455 1509 Nicosia, Cyprus- Email: chamber@ccci.org.cy - Tel: +357 22889800 - Fax: +357 22669048 - Website: www.ccci.org.cy / Cyprus Hotel Keepers Association 12, A. Araouzos Street, Hesperides Building P.O.Box 24772 1303 NICOSIA - CYPRUS Tel: +357-22452820 Telefax: +357-22375460 E-mail: cha@cyprushotelassociation.org Cyprus - Website: www.cyprushotelassociation.org .

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2. What do I need to know regarding bringing medicines to Cyprus?
If you need to bring your medicines with you when travelling to Cyprus (especially when you are receiving therapy for conditions that need continuous treatment such as high blood pressure or arthritis) there will be no problem as long as the quantity you carry is reasonable (sufficient for your stay in Cyprus). Should you require additional medication, please note that foreign prescriptions are not valid in Cyprus, therefore you should visit a local physician and obtain one from here. Most hotels may direct you to an appropriate physician if the situation arises. It is advisable to carry a brief report on your condition and treatment from your own physician if you anticipate problems. This will enable the local physician you may visit understand your medical history and provide the appropriate treatment. In case you need to carry narcotics (i.e. morphine) or psychotropics (i.e. diazepam) please note that Cyprus is a signatory of the Schengen Agreement. If you are coming from a country that is also a signatory, please note that you are required to bring a declaration from your country that authorizes you to carry such medicines. Failure to produce such an authorization may lead to the confiscation of your medicines by Customs. You may obtain such an authorization from the local authorities in your country. The maximum validity of this authorization is 30 days. If you are coming from a country that is not a Schengen Agreement signatory, you should request that the competent authority of your country send us a letter describing the nature of your treatment, your medication/s, the dose, the quantity required and the name of your physician. The Pharmaceutical Services will, then, send to the competent authority of your country an authorization for the importation of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances for personal use that should be forwarded to you. You should carry this to Cyprus and produce it when you are requested to do so by the local authorities. It is advisable to carry these actions out well in advance (at least 1 month) of your trip to Cyprus in order to allow for the usual due processes to take place in a timely manner. Should you have any further queries (i.e. availability of medicines), you may contact the Pharmaceutical Services at the following address: Pharmaceutical Services Ministry of Health 1475 Nicosia , Cyprus - TEL:+ 357 22 407107 - FAX: +357 22 407149 - E-mail:phscentral@phs.moh.gov.cy Website: http://www.moh.gov.cy/moh/phs/phs.nsf/dmlindex_en/dmlindex_en .

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3. I am a Cypriot citizen who wants to move/get married/work/study in one of the countries of accreditation of your Embassy. Can the Embassy of Cyprus in Beijing translate my documents in the respective languages of these countries?
No. The Embassy does not provide official translations. If you want to translate documents issued in Cyprus in one of the languages of the countries of our accreditation, you must contact the Press and Information Office (PIO) of the Republic of Cyprus, the governmental office that can provide certified translations of documents. The contact details of the PIO are: Press and Information Office (PIO) Apellis St., 1456 Lefkosia (Nicosia), Cyprus - Tel: +357 22801117- Fax: +357 22666123 - Ε-mail: communications@pio.moi.gov.cy - Website: www.moi.gov.cy/pio / Certified Translations Tel. No.: +357- 22801130, 132, 133, 134 .

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4. I am a foreign citizen who wants to move/get married/work/study in Cyprus. What is the procedure for the notarisation of my documents?
For a document issued in a third country to be accepted by the Authorities of Cyprus, it needs to be duly notarised. This means that the document must either bear the “Apostile” stamp =, if it originates from countries party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, or else be notarized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country of issuance (of the document) and the competent Diplomatic Mission of the Republic of Cyprus in the aforementioned country. For more information on the so-called Apostille Convention, you can visit the website of the Convention (http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=text.display&tid=37). Herebelow, you will find information regarding the legalisation procedure for documents issued by the nine countries of our Embassy’s accrediation: Documents issued by China: The document needs to be firstly translated and notarised by the local notary public office. Then, the document must be presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China for notarisation. Finally, it needs to acquire the notarisation of the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Beijing. Please note that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China undertakes to bring all documents to the Embassy for notarisation (i.e. when the applicant submits his/her documents to the MFA, the Ministry will first notarise the documents and then bring them to the Embassy directly -by their own courier- for the notarisation. When the procedure is completed, the applicant can retrieve his/her documents from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The Embassy notarises every signature/seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for €1.71 each. For documents issued by Hong Kong and Macao: The Apostille Convention applies to the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao, as a result of extensions made by the United Kingdom and Portugal, respectively. When Hong Kong and Macao were restored to the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997 and 20 December 1999, respectively, China declared that the Convention will continue to apply for Hong Kong and Macao. For documents issued by Japan and South Korea: The Apostille Convention applies to both Japan and South Korea. For documents issued by Pakistan: Pakistan has not signed the Apostille Convention. Therefore, documents issued by Pakistani authorities must be firstly translated and notarised by local notary public, then by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakitan and then by the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Cyprus in Pakistan (Islamabad or Karachi). Please contact the Honorary Consulate Generals of the Republic of Cyprus for more information (you can find their contact details under the rubric "Visas" of this website). For documents issued by Mongolia, Laos, Cambodia, North Korea: These countries are not part of the Apostille Convention. Therefore, documents issued from these two countries must be firstly translated and notarised by local notary public, then by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the respective country and then by the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Beijing. If you are a citizen of the abovementioned countries and you want to submit documents to our Embassy for notarisation (after you have completed the notarisation by notary public and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country), please note that you can send the documents by post to our Embassy. Please note however that you will need to bear not only the cost for the notarisation, but also any postal charges that may arise for the return of the documents to you. The Embassy notarises every signature/seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for €1.71 each.

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5. I am a Cypriot citizen who wants to move/get married/work/study in one of the countries of accreditation of your Embassy. What is the procedure for the notarisation of my documents?
China: Your documents must first be officially translated by the Press and Information Office, then notarised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus. Lastly, you must take your documents to the Chinese Embassy in Nicosia for notarization. Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, South Korea: The Republic of Cyprus has acceded to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of legalization for Foreign Public Documents. Since these four areas and countries are also part of the Convention, this means that public documents issued by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus need to bear the Apostille seal in order to be accepted by these regions/countries. Please forward any written requests for an “Apostille” seal directly to the Ministry of Justice and Public Order of the Republic of Cyprus, which is the compenent authority of Cyprus to issue apostilles. The following must be submitted to the Ministry of Justice and Public Order when you apply for an Apostille: - The original document to be certified. A true copy of the document is also accepted only if it has been notarized by the Municipality of the Republic of Cyprus where it was originally issued. - A € 3.42 fee. - A self-addressed pre-paid certified return envelope. The address where the above should be sent is: Ministry of Justice and Public Order Attention: Maria Iasonos (Apostille Seal) 1461 Nicosia, CYPRUS . For further clarification, visit the website of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order (www.mjpo.gov.cy/) or contact Ms. Maria Iasonos (Tel. No.: +357-22 805 964- email: miasonos@mjpo.gov.cy - Fax No.: +357-22518356. Mongolia: Your documents must first be officially translated by the Press and Information Office of Cyprus, then notarised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus. Then, you must take your documents for legalisation at the Mongolian Honorary Consulate in Cyprus for further legalisation. You can find the contact details of the Honorary Consul of Mongolia on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus (www.mfa.gov.cy). Pakistan, Laos, Cambodia, North Korea: Your documents must first be officially translated by the Press and Information Office of Cyprus, then notarised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus. Since these four countries do not have neither an Embassy nor a Consulate in Cyprus, you will need to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country you are interested in, in order to find out where is the nearest Embassy or Consulate of that country that can notarise your documents. You can also ask the help of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus.

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6. Can I come to the Embassy in order to sign documents in front of a consular officer or to sign statements of oath?
Yes. You can come to the Embassy with your ID and Passport and sign documents in front of a Consular officer/sign statements of oath. The Embassy charges €1,71 for each signature (two stamps are needed for a statement of oath, i.e. €3.42). Please contact the Embassy in advance to book an appointment.

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7. I wish to pursue higher/tertiary education in Cyprus. What do I have to do?
For information regarding studying in Cyprus, you must contact the following department: Department of Tertiary and Higher Education Ministry of Education and Culture Address: Kimonos and Thoukydidou Corner 1434 Nicosia - E-mail: daae@moec.gov.cy , Tel.: + 357- 22- 800616, + 357 - 22- 800617, Fax: + 357 -22- 427560, Website: www.highereducation.ac.cy/en/ .

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8. I am a Cypriot national and I wish to apply for a visa to come to one of the countries of accrediation of your Embassy. What do I have to do?
The Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Beijing is not responsible for issuing visas to Cypriot nationals who want to visit China or any other country of our accreditation. On the contrary, we are responsible for issuing visas to foreign nationals who want to visit Cyprus. If you are a Cypriot national and want to find out how to get a visa for China or any other country of our accreditation, you must contact the Embassy or Consulate of the respective country in Cyprus. For a list of all diplomatic missions of foreign countries in Cyprus, please check the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus (go to "Links"). In general, Cypriots need a visa to travel to China*, Pakistan, Mongolia, Laos, Cambodia and North Korea. Cypriots do not need a visa to travel to Japan, South Korea or Hong Kong/Macao (for a short period of stay not exceeding 90 days). In any case, you are strongly advised to visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for up-to- date information on the countries for which a visa is required for Cypriot nationals. It is also adviseable to contact our Embassy in case of doubt. [* Cypriot nationals with diplomatic or service passports do not need a visa to travel to China, as per the Agreement on Mutual Exemption of visas between the Government of the Republic of Cyprus and the Government of the People’s Republic of China, signed in Nicosia, on 24 July 1990].

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9. I am a Cypriot national and I want to visit Hong Kong. After that, I plan to travel to mainland China. What do I have to do?
You do not need a visa to travel to Hong Kong (for a short stay up to 90 days), however you do need a visa to travel to mainland China. In this case, please note that you have to apply for a Chinese visa BEFORE you travel to Hong Kong (it is not possible to apply for a Chinese visa while in Hong Kong).

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10. I am a Cypriot national and I want to get married in China. What do I have to do?
The Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Beijing is not competent to provide information on Chinese procedures. Therefore, you must contact the Chinese local authorities of the place where you want to get married in order to be told what documents to present and what procedure applies. Please note that you must contact the Chinese local authorities BEFORE you leave Cyprus, as you will be asked to provide certain documents which will need to be prepared in Cyprus.

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11. I am a Cypriot national, married to a Chinese national. I want to adopt my Chinese spouse’s child from a previous marriage. What do I do?
The Embassy is not competent to provide information on Chinese procedures. Please contact the Chinese local authorities for more information. If you do not know which authority to contact, you can ask the Chinese Embassy in Nicosia (see "Links").

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12. What do I need to know regarding the possession of drugs in Cyprus?
Possession of any kind of Drugs is considered a serious offence and severe punishment is imposed for even small quantities of drugs for personal use. This includes, not only heroin or other «hard drugs», but also marijuana, hashish, synthetic drugs (i.e. ecstasy) and other similar drugs as well. Should you have any further queries, you may contact the Cyprus Police: Tel: 1498 (within Cyprus) and +357 22 808267 (for people outside Cyprus) - Fax.: +357 22 311423 - E-mail: policepress@cytanet.com.cy- Website: www.police.gov.cy/ .

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13. Can foreign nationals visit the northern part of the island, which has been under Turkish military occupation since 1974?
Yes, they can. But everybody must be aware of the potential problems and risks when visiting the non-government controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus. So, please have the following in mind: On the outset, it should be noted that the Government of the Republic of Cyprus does not impose any restrictions on the freedom of movement of persons or goods, which have entered the territory of the Republic through legal points of entry situated in the Government controlled areas of the Republic. Entry into the territory of the Republic of Cyprus through any illegal point of entry situated in the occupied non-government controlled areas is illegal and subject to the relevant laws of the Republic. Therefore, travellers arriving in the Republic of Cyprus may enter the Republic only through the legal ports of entry: Larnaka and Pafos International Airports, or the ports of Larnaka, Lemesos (Limassol), Latsi and Pafos. In addition, it should be noted that the majority of the hotels operating in the occupied part of Cyprus belong to Greek Cypriot displaced persons or have been illegally built on properties belonging to displaced Greek Cypriots, in violation of the latter’s property rights and without their consent. It should be reminded that the legitimate Greek Cypriot owners of the said properties were forced to flee from their homes in the wake of the Turkish invasion of 1974 and the military occupation of 36.4% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus and they have been prevented since then to return hereto. Under Cyprus law, Greek Cypriot property owners may bring legal actions before the competent Courts of the Republic against trespassers to their properties in the Turkish occupied area, claiming damages and other legal remedies available to them under cvil law. Moreover, under Cyprus’ Criminal Code Cap. 154, any person who, with intent to defraud, deals in immovable property belonging to another is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for up to seven years. Under the said law, a person is deemed to be dealing in immovable property, among others, when he/she accepts the immovable property which is the subject of dealing. In this respect and bearing particularly in mind that the right to peaceful enjoyment of one’s property is an inalienable individual human right protected under the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus and the European Convention on Human rights, Greek Cypriot property owners are entitled to legal protection against any form of unlawful interference with such rights. Persons responsible for such interference run a serious risk of facing legal proceedings, either in the form of civil action or criminal prosecution, with many consequences. We extent a strong warning message to foreign citizens who wish to travel to the occupied part of Cyprus that staying in Greek Cypriot owned hotels or in hotels which have been built on Greek Cypriot property without the consent of the owners, is illegal and contributes and/or assists in the illegal exploitation/usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties contrary to domestic and international law. At the same time, overnight stay in the occupied areas is also strongly discouraged for reasons of compatibility of the establishments in the occupied area with the hygienic, security and other standards. The Republic of Cyprus cannot guarantee the standards or safety of the establishments in the occupied part of Cyprus. Any claims for compensation based on established European consumer protection acts can be denied by the occupation regime as Turkey’s subordinate local administration in the occupied area of the Republic is deprived of any legal status. Furthermore the laws of the Republic of Cyprus and the Acquis Communautaire (i.e. EU laws and regulations) cannot be enforced, as this is a non-government controlled area. The Government of the Republic of Cyprus cannot guarantee or ensure the safety of visitors in the occupied areas and the authorities of the Republic will be unable to offer any help in case of accident, injury, theft, illness etc. and thus foreign nationals may find themselves isolated in the case of need. As Turkey's subordinate local administration in the occupied areas does not enjoy any international recognition and hence is deprived of any legal status, it is not feasible to obtain recognized evidence to support any claim.

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14. I am Cypriot national who will visit mainland China. After that, I plan to visit Hong Kong and then come back into mainland China. What type of Chinese visa do I need to have?
You need a DOUBLE OR MULTIPLE entry visa (the first entry is when you enter mainland China from abroad and the second entry is when you come back to China from Hong Kong).Please make sure that you have this type of visa before you embark on your trip to China.

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