Following a decision of the Cyprus Council of Ministers, the United Kingdom, Russia and Greece were added to the Red List. This means that citizens of these countries can enter Cyprus with a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival, and a further negative PCR test upon arrival. This is the first time since early March 2020 that Russian travellers are allowed entry into Cyprus.
Nicosia, Cyprus: 5 April 2021
The changes on arrivals to Cyprus are important for incoming tourism in Cyprus. As we have written in Cyprus at the Crossroads:
“The Cyprus economy remains dominated by tourism. In 2019, tourist arrivals amounted to 3.98 mln and tourism revenue accounted for approximately 20% of GDP. In 2020, following the fear unleashed by the Pandemic as well as the lockdown measures, arrivals fell to just 16% of 2019 arrivals, or 0.63 mln. In 2021, we expect 40% of 2019 arrivals, or 1.59 mln arrivals in the best case scenario”.
The current categorisation of countries based on the epidemiological risk assessment is the following:
Green Countries: no COVID test certificate needed
Australia
New Zealand
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Korea
Thailand
Orange Countries: negative PCR certificate within 72 hours of arrival
China (including Hong Kong and Macau)
Denmark
Iceland
Israel
Portugal
Red Countries: negative PCR test prior to departure and second test upon arrival
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Bahrain
Belarus
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Jordan
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America
Vatican City
Passengers coming from Red Category countries shall be required to:
1. Provide a negative PCR test issued within 72 hours of arrival in Cyprus, and
2. Undergo a PCR laboratory test upon their arrival in the Republic of Cyprus.
For more information on the requirements when entering Cyprus, please follow this link.
Navigator Consulting provides Investment Advisory, Strategic Management and support for companies in Cyprus, Greece and internationally.
For further information, please contact:
Philip Ammerman
Managing Director
Sources:
Ministry of Health. 5 April 2021
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