Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Tel Aviv
FAQ
1 Do I need a visa to enter Cyprus?

2 How much does a Cyprus visa cost?

3 Can a citizen of a third country (not Israeli) apply for a visa at the Embassy?

4 Is the Cyprus visa valid for entry to the Schengen zone?

5 What is the local currency in Cyprus?

6 Can foreign nationals take up employment in Cyprus and how?

7 Can I get a residence permit or a long-term visa for Cyprus at the Embassy?

8 Can foreign nationals get married in Cyprus? If yes, what is the relevant procedure?

9 Can foreign visitors to Cyprus cross the dividing line into the Turkish-occupied, northern part of the island?

10 Can I buy a property in the area under Turkish military occupation?

11 What do I need to know regarding bringing medicines to Cyprus?

12 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?

13 Can I come to the Embassy in order to sign documents in front of a consular officer or to sign statements of oath?

14 I wish to pursue higher education in Cyprus. What do I have to do?

15 What do I need to know regarding the possession of drugs in Cyprus?

16 Can I take my pet with me to Cyprus?




1 Do I need a visa to enter Cyprus?


Citizens of member states of the EU may travel to Cyprus with their valid identity card or passport. Citizens of third countries holding a work permit, or a temporary residence permit or a study permit issued by any EU member state or a valid activated multiple entry Schengen Visa (the visa is activated by entry to a Schengen area country prior to entry to Cyprus), may also travel to Cyprus with their passport and their valid residence card or Schengen visa. Furthermore, citizens of the following countries do not need a visa to travel to Cyprus: San Marino, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, the Vatican State, Venezuela, Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador, Switzerland, United States of America, Japan, Iceland, Israel, Canada, Costa Rica, Lichtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Brunei Darussalam, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, North Korea, Honduras, Uruguay, Singapore and Chile. In any other cases, an entry visa to Cyprus is required.

Detailed information on how to obtain a visa is available in the relevant section of this website under the title ‘General information for Israeli visitors to Cyprus’.

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2 How much does a Cyprus visa cost?


A single or a double-entry visa costs the equivalent of NIS 60 in cash (changeable to monthly euro rate). A multiple-entry visa costs the equivalent of NIS 180 in cash. This amount is not reimbursed if a Visa is rejected. Fees are payable in NIS. Please note that holders of Russian Federation passports are currently exempt from visa fees until further notice.

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3 Can a citizen of a third country (not Israeli) apply for a visa at the Embassy?


As a general rule, only applications from persons who reside legally in Israel are accepted.

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4 Is the Cyprus visa valid for entry to the Schengen zone?


No. Cyprus is not yet part of the Schengen zone therefore Cyprus visas are invariably national; they only entitle the holder to enter the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.

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5 What is the local currency in Cyprus?


On 1 January 2008 the euro became the official currency of Cyprus, replacing the Cyprus pound.

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6 Can foreign nationals take up employment in Cyprus and how?


Foreign nationals (from non-EU countries) may be employed in Cyprus provided they can first find a local employer who is willing to employ them. The employer is then obliged to collect all necessary documentation and submit the required applications to the various Government departments in order to have a work permit issued for the foreign national he/she wishes to employ. If the employer is successful, the foreign national will hold a work permit for the specific job and for a limited period of time (please note that work permits are not general and are not valid indefinitely). Recruitment is therefore made directly by the employers or through agents; you have to make your own direct contacts with interested employers, intermediaries or employers' organizations if you wish to take up employment in Cyprus. Citizens of third countries need a work permit to work in Cyprus. The process for the issue of such a permit is undertaken by the Cypriot employer before the arrival of the interested person in Cyprus. The recruitment of human resources is handled directly by the employers or intermediaries

Citizens of the EU may work in Cyprus without a particular work permit. However, for their registration to the Social Insurance they need to provide a registration certificate of European citizenship in order to obtain a post. For qualified professions regulated by the legislation (doctor, lawyer, engineer etc) it’s required to obtain a profession practicing permit, also required for Cypriot citizens, which can be issued by the relevant professional association.

For more information you may contact the Work Department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance (www.mlsi.gov.cy/dl), the Civil Registry and Migration Department of the Ministry of Interior (http://moi.gov.cy, migration@crmd.moi.gov.cy) and the Employers & Industrialists Federation (http://www.oeb-eif.org, info@oeb.org.cy). The Civil Registry and Migration Department Ministry of the Interior 1457 Lefkosia (Nicosia) Cyprus. Tel: +35722804502 – Fax: +35722804587 – Email: 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:+ 357-22669459 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 fax: +357-22375460 Email: cha@cyprushotelsassociation.org Cyprus Website: www.cyprushotelassociation.org

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7 Can I get a residence permit or a long-term visa for Cyprus at the Embassy?


Missions of the Republic of Cyprus abroad are only entitled to issue short-stay visas (for stay up to 90 days in any six month period). Anyone wishing to stay on the island longer, for any reason, should enter Cyprus as a tourist and apply to the Immigration Authorities in Cyprus for an extension of stay, explaining the reasons for this. Anyone overstaying his/her visa might have difficulties re-entering Cyprus in the future or obtaining a new visa. Please note that student visas are obtained through the Educational Institution where the student plans to study (for work permits please see relevant answer above).

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8 Can foreign nationals get married in Cyprus? If yes, what is the relevant procedure?


Foreign visitors may hold a civil wedding in Cyprus. Information related, including the legislation, costs, the process and data (telephone numbers, faxes and e-mail addresses of all the Cypriot municipalities that hold civil weddings), can be found on the webpage of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities (www.ucm.org.cy). Detailed information on how to obtain visa for marriage is available at the relevant section of this website under the title ‘General information for Israeli visitors to Cyprus’.

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9 Can foreign visitors to Cyprus cross the dividing line into the Turkish-occupied, northern part of the island?


Yes, they can, but they must be aware of the potential problems and risks when visiting the non-government controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus.

a) 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. Therefore, travelers 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.

b) 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.

c) 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. 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 civil law. 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.

d) 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. 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.

e) According to the Travel Agencies and Tourist Guides law, tour operators that bring tourists to Cyprus are obliged to have a licensed Cypriot travel agent as a representative. The travel agencies are obliged to submit to the Cyprus Tourism Organisation all promotional material or programs for planned excursions / sightseeing tours for approval and the organisation of such excursions / tours without the use of licensed tourist guides is not allowed.

Additional information is available in the section ‘Important notice’ under the title ‘General information for Israeli visitors to Cyprus’.

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10 Can I buy a property in the area under Turkish military occupation?


Foreign citizens are warned against the purchase of Greek Cypriot owned property, in the part of the Republic of Cyprus which has been under Turkish military occupation since 1974.
As a result of the Turkish invasion and subsequent occupation of 36.4% of the territory of Cyprus, 170,000 Greek Cypriots, who constituted 2/3 of the inhabitants of the occupied area, were forced to flee from their homes. According to the 1964 Land Registry Office Records, Greek Cypriots owned approximately 78% of the privately owned land in the territory now under Turkish occupation, while persons belonging to the Turkish Cypriot community owned approximately 21%.
The displaced persons are to this day prevented by the Turkish armed forces from returning to their homes and peacefully enjoying their properties. However, under Human Rights Conventions, as well as international and national law, they retain their title to their property.

Court Judgments
The European Court of Human Rights, in its Judgment of 18 December 1996, on the individual application of the Greek Cypriot displaced owner from Kyrenia, Mrs. Titina Loizidou, against Turkey, and in the Fourth Interstate Application of Cyprus against Turkey of 10 May 2001, upheld the rights of the refugees to their properties. In the Loizidou case, the Court ordered the Government of Turkey to compensate the applicant for the time period of deprivation of use of her property and to provide full access and allow peaceful enjoyment of her property in Kyrenia. The right of the displaced owners to their properties was reconfirmed in the most recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights (Dec. 2005) regarding the application of Myra Xenides- Arestis v. Turkey.
Greek Cypriot owners may also bring civil action against usurpers of their property before the competent civil Courts of the Republic of Cyprus. In its judgment of 15 November 2004 in the case of Meletios Apostolides v David and Linda Orams, the Nicosia District Court found the Defendants liable for trespass in the property of the Plaintiff, ordering them to demolish the villa and other buildings erected on the property, surrender vacant possession to the Plaintiff and pay damages. Even though the UK High Court of Justice decided against registration and enforcement in Britain of the Cyprus judgment in favour of Mr. Apostolides, the European Court of Justice ruled on April 28, 2009 that although Cyprus does not exercise effective control in the occupied part of Cyprus, cases decided in its courts are applicable through European Union law.
Under the laws of the Republic of Cyprus, the exploitation of property registered in the name of another, constitutes a criminal offence, for which a European arrest warrant, executable in any of the 25 EU countries, and an International arrest warrant could be issued.

The illegality of the secessionist entity
It is reminded that the regime in the occupied area is an illegal secessionist entity (United Nations Security Council Resolutions 541 (1983), 550 (1984) called upon all states to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus and not to recognize any state in Cyprus other than the Republic of Cyprus). As stated by the European Court of Human Rights in its examination of the Fourth Interstate Application of Cyprus v Turkey (10 May 2001), "§61. .. it is evident from international practice and the condemnatory tone of the resolutions adopted by the United Nations Security Council and the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers that the international community does not recognise the "TRNC" as a State under international law. The Court reiterates the conclusion reached in its Loizidou judgment (merits) that the Republic of Cyprus has remained the sole legitimate government of Cyprus…"
As such, the illegal secessionist entity in the occupied area of Cyprus does not have jurisdiction to perform valid transfers of property ownership.

Caution for foreign citizens
Thus, foreign citizens interested in purchasing property in the area under Turkish military occupation are strongly advised to thoroughly examine the legal ownership status of the property concerned, through the Lands and Surveys Department of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Cyprus, in order to ascertain, at first, that no violation of the property rights of the legal owners will be effected through the transaction, and, second, to safeguard that the purported seller is the true owner of the property and can transfer a valid title.
Foreign visitors are further advised that, material advertising property offered for sale in the areas which are not under the effective control of the Government, found in the possession of persons coming from the areas situated north of the buffer zone to the areas under the effective control of the Government, can and may be confiscated.
Given that more than 4/5 of the property in the areas situated in the north of the buffer zone belongs to forcibly displaced owners (the term ‘owners’ includes the Republic of Cyprus), one can reasonably reach the conclusion that this advertising material relates to illegal activities, even if at the time of its discovery there is no evidence linking the object of the advertisement to specific displaced owners.
The material in question could be used as evidence in a future case against usurpers of property in the areas situated north of the buffer zone. It is also considered material that could be used in the commission of crimes, such as under Article 281 of the Penal Code – use of land registered in the name of another without the consent of the registered owner - and Article 14 of the Law on the Registration of Estate Agents – whereby, no person can exercise the profession of a real estate agent or project himself as such, unless he is duly registered and in possession of an annual license issued by the Registration Council of Real Estate Agents.
On the basis of the above, such advertising material can be confiscated, since there is reasonable suspicion that it is at the core of the illegal sale of property in the areas situated to the north of the buffer zone. After its confiscation, the said material would be transmitted to the police for evaluation and appropriate use. It is imperative that complete testimonies be taken from the persons carrying this material, since they could be potential witnesses in judicial proceedings. If there is reasonable suspicion that the person in possession of the material is actively participating in circles promoting illegal property transactions or exploitation of hotels belonging to displaced owners, an arrest warrant will be issued against him.

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11 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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12 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. 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

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13 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 Passport and sign documents in front of a Consular officer/sign Affidavit. The Embassy charges €8.54 for each signature. Please contact the Embassy in advance to book an appointment.

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14 I wish to pursue higher 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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15 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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16 Can I take my pet with me to Cyprus?


Yes you can. The regulations that apply in case of a non-commercial transport of pet animals to Cyprus may be found on the webpage of the Veterinary Services (www.moa.gov.cy/vs) under the section “Non-commercial movements of pet animals”. The owner or the person responsible for a pet animal originating from a third country must communicate its arrival to the Veterinary Services (fax: +37522805176 or e-mail animal.health@vs.moa.gov.cy ), as well as all the necessary information about the date and time of arrival and the flight number or the ship's name. The information must be communicated at least 48 hours prior to the arrival.

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