Cyprus visa requirements for Ethiopian citizens

Authorisation system

Cypriot national visa (not Schengen) for those who need one

Cyprus is not part of the Schengen area. Days spent in Cyprus do not count towards the Schengen 90-day limit or vice versa, and the Entry/Exit System (EES) does not apply: passports are still stamped on entry and exit, and it is worth checking that they have been. Travellers who need a visa can enter without the Cypriot one if they hold a valid double or multiple-entry category C Schengen visa, or a D visa or residence permit from an EU State (other than Ireland) or a Schengen State, for stays of up to 90 days in 180. That equivalence does not apply to citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan, who always need the national visa. EU citizens enter with their national ID card.

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Fee

€90

This is the fee for the Cypriot short-stay visa (category C), the same as the Schengen visa: 90 euros, 45 for ages 6 to 12 and nothing for children under 6. Nationals of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine pay 35 euros. It is not refunded if the visa is refused. Travellers entering on a valid Schengen visa pay nothing more.

Processing time

Applications are lodged no earlier than six months before the trip and no later than 15 calendar days before it. The consulate decides within 15 days at most, extendable to 45 if the file needs further scrutiny. Refusals are notified in writing with the reasons and can be appealed to the Administrative Court of Cyprus within 75 days.

Required documents

• Passport issued within the previous ten years, valid for at least three months after the planned departure from Cyprus and with at least one blank page for stamps (two if applying for a visa). EU citizens enter with their national ID card.
• Return or onward ticket and proof of sufficient funds for the stay; at the border officers decide case by case, based on the purpose and length of the trip and a hotel booking or an invitation from a resident.
• If a visa is needed: signed application form, photo, hotel and flight reservation, bank statements or letter of invitation, proof of employment or studies, and travel medical insurance with minimum cover of 30,000 euros, valid in Cyprus for the whole stay. Documents not in English or Greek must be translated.
• Under-18s applying for a visa: written consent from both parents or whoever has custody.

Transit rules

The Republic of Cyprus only recognises its airports at Larnaca and Paphos and its ports as legal points of entry. Entering through Ercan airport or a northern port counts as illegal entry: it can lead to a fine, refusal of entry or exit through the south, or being unable to cross back. The Green Line separating the north is not an EU external border and is crossed with a passport or ID card at the official crossing points (Ledra Street and Ledra Palace are pedestrian only). Days spent in the north count towards the 90-day stay. Cars need separate insurance for each side.