reets

My son is moving to Southern Cyprus next year and I live in Turkey near Antalya. There is so much uncertainty about travelling in this area does anyone really know if there are real problems. I would be planning on flying into Northern Cyprus from Turkey visiting my son in Southern Cyprus and doing the return journey. Apart from flight availability are there any official restrictions on doing this, My son would be planning on doing the reverse maybe via the ferry from Northern Cyprus to Alanya in Turkey I know he would need a visa to enter Turkey. We are all British passport holders and our journeys would be taking place early in 2010. Please if there is anyone out there with accurate information or recent experience please can you give me details thanks

P_M

Good question. I am posting just to bookmark, I would like to know the answer to this question. I visited Southern Cyprus 9 years ago and it wasn't possible then, but I think things have changed in recent years.

nl_aslan

Hi from Northern Cyprus,
Provided you have an EU passport you will have no restrictions travelling between the North and the South of Cyprus. Travelling between Turkey and Northern Cyprus is no problem either, you will be given a tourist visa upon arrival in Northern Cyprus, usually valid for 90 days, free of charge. Taking the ferry to or from N.Cyprus is not that cheap (flying from Turkey not that much more expensive) and can be a tough journey, having done the journey myself, I much prefer to fly (despite my preference for 'slow' travel)

Gorkum

@reets
Crossing the border between North and South is no problem at all nowadays. You had to have a E.U. pass. You get a visa from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for free on a small paper. It is valid for 90 days. No stamp in your passports unless you specialy asked for. Just for fun I collected already 16 stamps with different numbers from the T.R.N.C./K.K.T.C There are a lot of more or less cheap flights between Antalya and Lefkosa (Ercan). I prefer Pegasus Airlines.

There are ferry boats too but you had to drive over 200 kms from were you live http://ferries-turkey.com/cyprus/cyprus-en.html

Buster

Hi - what about for non-EU passport holders? My husband and I have US passports and are attending a wedding in Larnaca in June 2010. We'd like to spend the week before the wedding in Istanbul, but we're finding it difficult to travel from IST to Larnaca. Ideally, we'd fly from IST to northern Cyprus, and then cross the border to go to Larnaca, but it doesn't seem like that is consistently possible.

Can anyone comment or make any other recommendations?

Thanks.

reets

I would like to say that I have successfully travelled from Northern Cyprus into Southern Cyprus since my above request for information. The first time I had no problems the second time there was a problem. I was going to Cyprus to visit my son for Christmas I am a pensioner so cannot afford to fly to the UK then back to Cyprus. I flew from Antalya to Ercan, in Antalya i purchased 200 cigarettes when I crossed at the Ledra Palace crossing they were confiscated by the Greek Customs. I was told they could fine me for smuggling and they were very rude to me. They told me I was entering Cyprus illegally and I should enter via Larnaca or Pathos further to this I read on another website that if you have an Ercan stamp in your passport you will be refused entry to Greece and all airports in Southern Cyprus, as I have a stamp in my passport from Ercan Im not willing to test the last sentence I wonder if there is anyone out there who knows if this is true. Logically if this is true then I wont be travelling to Greece or Southern Cyprus in the near future! Just to be clear I am a British Citizen and spend time in Turkey but to visit my son I am told by the Greek authorities that I have to go back to the UK and then fly to Southern Cyprus provided I dont have an Ercan visa stamp in my passport. Why cant these problem be sorted out so innocent tourists and visitors dont suffer. Needless to say I didnt spend much money in Southern Cyprus after being treated so badly. To other visitors crossing the border dont take any duty free purchased in Turkey as it will be taken from you.

reets

Just another point I had no problem at the Turkish checkpoints they were polite and friendly!

Odin

<<Why cant these problem be sorted out so innocent tourists and visitors dont suffer. Needless to say I didnt spend much money in Southern Cyprus after being treated so badly>>

What about the suffering of innocent residents of Cyprus displaced in 1974, those who lost their lives, homes and land? Yes let's hope the problems can be sorted so innocent British expats who have since occupied the island North and South are not inconvenienced.

Heimdall

Reets makes several comments in the above post about "Greece", "Greek customs", and "Greek authorities". To be clear, the Republic of Cyprus is a sovereign country and not part of Greece.

tenaya

Although not germane to the post I'd just like to say I loved North Cyprus and am looking forward to a return visit.