Cyprus updates risk-based travel list

The Health Ministry’s epidemiological surveillance unit has re-evaluated the coronavirus risk-based classification of countries after the Cabinet agreed on an action plan last month for the resumption of flights and the reopening of Cyprus airports.

The revised classification of countries comes into effect on March 25.

Green Category countries – Low risk countries at current stage     

Schengen member states:  1) Iceland
Third countries: 1) Australia, 2) New Zealand, 3) Singapore, 4) Saudi Arabia

Passengers coming from the Green Category countries are not required to hold a COVID-19 test certificate or self-isolate. Until March 31, all passengers from Green Category countries will undergo a PCR laboratory test upon their arrival in Cyprus, the cost of which will be covered by the Republic of Cyprus. As of April 1, this requirement will be lifted.

Orange Category countries - Countries with possibly low risk but greater uncertainty compared to the Green Category

EU Member States: 1) Portugal, 2) Ireland
Third Countries: 1) China (including Hong Kong and Macau), 2) South Korea, 3) Thailand

Passengers coming from Orange Category countries shall be required to undergo a PCR laboratory test within 72 hours prior to departure and to possess a certificate showing a negative PCR result.

Passengers from Orange Category countries, falling into the following categories, may undergo the molecular examination upon arrival in the Republic:
Cypriot citizens and family members (alien spouses, underage children and parents thereof), persons legally residing in the Republic, persons entitled to enter the Republic under the Vienna Convention, persons, irrespective of nationality, whose countries of residence (Orange category) do not provide a laboratory testing service, upon substantiation and following an announcement by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Cyprus.

The examination cost will be borne by passengers, who shall remain in self-isolation until the test result is issued.

Red Category countries – Increased risk countries compared to the Green and Orange Categories:

European Union Member States: 1) Austria, 2) Belgium, 3) Bulgaria, 4) France, 5) Croatia, 6) Luxemburg, 7) Romania, 8) Spain, 9) Italy, 10) Greece, 11) Malta, 12) Netherlands, 13) Hungary, 14) Poland, 15) Finland, 16) Slovakia, 17) Slovenia, 18) Czech Republic, 19) Estonia, 20) Latvia, 21) Lithuania, 22) Sweden, 23) Germany, 24) Denmark
Small states: 1) Andorra, 2) Monaco, 3) Vatican City, 4) San Marino
Schengen member states: 1) Switzerland, 2) Liechtenstein, 3) Norway

Passengers coming from Red Category countries shall be required to: a) undergo a PCR laboratory test within 72 hours prior to departure proving a negative PCR result and b) undergo a laboratory test upon their arrival in the Republic of Cyprus. The examination cost will be borne by themselves and persons should remain in self-isolation until the test result is issued.

The following categories of passengers may enter the Republic of Cyprus from Red Category countries, after having undergone, at their own expense, a laboratory test only upon their arrival in the Republic of Cyprus: Cypriot citizens and family members (alien spouses, underage children and parents thereof), persons legally residing in the Republic,
persons entitled to enter the Republic under the Vienna Convention.

In such case, they must remain in mandatory self-isolation for 72 hours upon arrival and after the end of the 72 hours they must undergo another PCR test, at their own expense. If the repeat test is negative, they can then terminate their isolation. The test result must be sent to the following email address:  monada@mphs.moh.gov.cy.

Grey Category countries (Special Permission):

Third countries: 1) United Kingdom, 2) Israel, 3) Russia, 4) United Arab Emirates, 5) Ukraine, 6) Jordan, 7) Lebanon, 8) Egypt, 9) Belarus, 10) Rwanda

For the Grey Category (Special Permission) countries, entry into the Republic of Cyprus is only allowed for the following categories of passengers: Cypriot citizens and family members (alien spouses, underage children and parents thereof), European citizens and citizens of European Economic Area countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Switzerland, persons legally residing in the Republic, persons entitled to enter the Republic under the Vienna Convention, and third country nationals who are allowed to enter the Republic of Cyprus following special permission from the Republic, as this is defined in the Quarantine Decree (N.9) of 2021.

It is noted that passengers coming from countries of this Category shall be required to undergo a laboratory test at a certified lab within 72 hours prior to departure and to possess a certificate showing a negative PCR result.

Passengers arriving in the Republic of Cyprus from the Grey Category countries (Special Permission) shall remain in mandatory self-isolation for a period of 14 days or alternatively, in mandatory self-isolation for a period of 10 days provided that they undergo another Covid-19 test (at their own expense) on the 10th day and the result comes back negative. The test result must be sent to the following email address: monada@mphs.moh.gov.cy.

In accordance with the Quarantine Decree (No. 9) issued on February 26, until March 31 arrivals from the United Kingdom shall undergo a laboratory test upon their arrival at Larnaca and Paphos Airports and shall be transported, at the state’s expense, to hotels of the Republic for a mandatory 7-day isolation. On the 7th day upon arrival they shall undergo another laboratory test (at the Republic’s expense) and in case of a negative result they shall remain in self-isolation for another 3 days (total days in mandatory isolation: 10 days).

All passengers, regardless of country category, must submit an application for the CyprusFlightPass within 24 hours prior to their departure flight. Moreover, in order to ensure public health and the monitoring of the epidemiological situation, a sample molecular laboratory testing of passengers on selected arriving flights will be carried out.