Entry into the country
Q1: How will travelers be
able to enter the country?
a. Source
countries are divided into two categories (A and B) based on internationally
available epidemiological data. As of 20th
June, persons flying from Category A
countries face no restrictions when traveling to Cyprus; people traveling from
Category B countries are required to have a PCR test done at the source
country, 72 hours prior to travel. The PCR test certificate will be requested
prior to aircraft boarding, and should also be displayed at border control at
the destination.
b. For travelers
from Category B, whose country is unable to make PCR testing widely available
to the public, compulsory testing will be required upon arrival at Cyprus
airports. The cost of testing is borne by the traveler, and the expected cost
is estimated at 50 Euros per person (this may eventually drop further as
technology advances are made and international availability of testing kits
increases). Test results will be available up to 24 hours later, so in the
meantime travelers will be asked to self-isolate at their booked accommodation.
c. Travel from
countries which are not featured in the above two categories, is allowed only
in exceptional circumstances and after receiving prior approval by the Cyprus
authorities. This will also be the case for transit travel via these countries.
Q2: What other documentation
is necessary?
a. A ‘Cyprus
Flight Pass’ will be made available on the website www.cyprusflightpass.gov.cy,
which can be accessed and filled in electronically. For traveler facilitation,
copies will also be made available at airport check-in counters. A filled-in
copy of the flight pass will be requested prior to boarding, and at border
control at the destination.
b. The flight
pass will include the following points: a) a questionnaire requesting
information on a person’s travels in the 14 days prior to visiting Cyprus b)
confirmation that a person has not traveled to/from or lived in a country other
than those included in Category A and B, in the 14 days prior to travel c) confirmation
that a person has not shown any symptoms related to COVID-19 in the 72 hours
prior to travel d) confirmation that a person has not knowingly been in touch
with COVID-19 patients in the 14 days prior to travel e) disclaimer that travel
is taking place at a person’s own responsibility, and that the Republic of
Cyprus or businesses operating within it, cannot be held liable for infection
at any point during the travel process f) disclaimer that upon return to their
country of origin, a person will notify the Health Authorities of Cyprus,
should they display COVID-19 symptoms in the 14 days after leaving the island.
Q3: What criteria is taken
into consideration before categorizing countries?
a. Cyprus has
decided to follow a categorization system in order to ensure equal treatment of
countries with similar epidemiological results. The system is transparent,
avoids discrimination, is dynamic, and evaluated daily so that countries can be
added and removed based on the latest data available. The team which evaluates
country data on a weekly basis, is comprised of scientists, epidemiologists,
statisticians and public health professionals.
b. Examples of
data points which are considered for each country (the list is not exhaustive)
are: effective reproduction number ‘R(t)<1’ of the virus; daily cases per
100’000 population; weekly deaths per 100’000 population; weekly number of
performed tests per 100’000 population; prevalence of the virus within the
community; risk assessment of each country based on data from WHO and ECDC. No
one statistic can define the categorization of each country; instead,
categorization depends on the summary of all data points considered.
Transport protocols
Q4: What protocols can be
expected on airplanes?
a. Prior to boarding,
travelers will need to show their valid PCR test certificate (if applicable)
and ‘Cyprus Flight Pass’
b. Travelers’
temperature may possibly be taken prior to boarding
c. Wearing of
masks may be made compulsory during the flight
Q5: What other protocols can
be expected in Cyprus airports/port terminals?
a. Entrance or
passage will only be allowed to travelers and staff
b. Travelers will
have their temperature taken at border control
c. A physical
‘COVID-19 Information Desk’ will be made available for travelers requesting
information upon arrival
Destination protocols
Q6: Are there any general
protocols that will apply to the whole destination?
a. Enhanced
health, safety and hygiene protocols have been devised for all hospitality
establishments, and extensive training of staff will take place prior to the
destination opening for visitors.
b. Physical
distancing measures will be followed in all parts of the destination, so that
people who do not belong to the same travel group maintain a reasonable
distance from each other (2 sq. meters outdoors, and 3 sq. meters indoors).
c. Where physical
distancing is not possible, wearing of a face mask will be compulsory for both
staff and visitors (airplanes, airports, ports, taxis, buses, diving/safari
jeeps, lifts).
d. Frequent
aeriation will be taking place in all indoor areas, so that air conditioning
can be enhanced with regular input of fresh air.
e. Antibacterial
gel will be made available in all establishments, at entrances, reception
areas, lounges, public toilets, lifts etc.
Q7: Buses/rental
vehicles/taxis/diving and safari jeeps
a. Frequent
aeriation and disinfection of buses
b. Disinfection
of rental vehicles after their return (including keys)
c. Disinfection
of all touch points after every route, for taxis and diving/safari jeeps (door
handles, seats etc.)
Q8: Archaeological sites,
museums, theme parks, mini cruises, diving sites, water sports
a. Disinfection
of all touch points after every use (artefacts, touch screens, rides, door
handles, seats, diving equipment, water sports equipment etc.)
Q9: Swimming pools, beaches and water parks
a. Disinfection
of sun beds, umbrellas and personal safe boxes after every use
b. Distance of 4m
between umbrellas and 2m between sunbeds of persons not belonging to the same
group
c. Physical
distancing will not apply to life guards who are called into urgent life-saving
action
Q10: Accommodation
establishments
a. Use of masks
and carrying out of appropriate hand hygiene, for all housekeeping and service
staff
b. Dispersion of
guests at ‘group check-in’
c. Rooms will not
be allocated to new arrivals, unless enough time has passed for appropriate
cleaning, disinfection and aeriation
d. Disinfection
of room keys/cards after every departure
e. Where food or
drink is displayed on self-service stations, appropriate sneeze guards or face
masks are availed, and hand disinfection stations are installed; alternatively,
items could be served directly by the staff
Q11: Restaurants, bars,
cafes, pubs and night clubs
a. Use of masks
and carrying out of appropriate hand hygiene, for all back-of-house and
front-of-house staff; masks will not be compulsory for service staff operating
outdoor daytime restaurants, due to the intense heat
b. Service times
will be extended, and advance booking enabled, to facilitate social distancing
c. The maximum
party size is set at 10 persons
d. The minimum
distance between persons not belonging to the same party, is 2 square meters
outdoors, and 3 square meters indoors
e. Menus will be
disinfected after every use, unless they are disposable; alternatively they
will be displayed at various communal points of the establishment, or made
available digitally
f. Guests will be
encouraged to pay by card and not by cash
g. Disinfection
of all touch points will be carried out after each use e.g. chairs, tables,
salt/pepper mills, sauce bottles, electronic payment machines etc.
h. Use of table
linen and towels will be discouraged, and should be replaced by disposables
i. An information
sheet will be made available at the entrance, displaying the maximum number of
guests allowed in place at any given time
Testing at the destination
Q12: Is random testing going
to be done at the destination level?
a. Some travelers
will, on a random basis, be asked to undergo a COVID-19 test upon arrival,
irrespective of where they flew from. The cost will be borne by the Cyprus
government.
Q13: How will we deal with
travelers who test positive during their stay in Cyprus, and what is our
capacity to do so? What happens to their close contacts i.e. their co-travelers
or family members? Who will cover the cost of hospitalization and treatment?
a. The Cyprus
government is committed to taking care of all travelers who test positive
during their stay, as well as their families and close contacts. The government
will
cover the cost of
lodging, food, drink, and medication, in all cases mentioned above; the
traveler will only need to bear the cost of their airport transfer and
repatriation flight, in collaboration with their agent and/or airline.
b. A COVID-19
hospital with 100 beds will be made available exclusively for travelers who
test positive, and these can be increased at very short notice if required. If
travelers show critical symptoms, an additional 112 intensive care units are
available for their treatment, with 200 respirators on hand at any time for
their perusal.
c. 500 rooms in
dedicated quarantine-hotels will be made available for close contacts of
persons who test positive, and again these can be increased at very short
notice if required. This will not only ensure that they are properly taken care
of, but it will also provide peace of mind to other travelers, that their
accommodation establishment is free of COVID-19. Should therefore an
accommodation establishment be found to host a person who has tested positive,
it will not be ordered into a 14-day quarantine; instead, the rooms used by the
person who tested positive and close contacts, will undergo a deep clean and
disinfection, before being utilized again.
Further information
Q14: How can travelers be
kept up-to-date with the latest developments, and informed about protocols
implemented at the destination?
a. A dedicated
email address has been set up by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism for this
purpose at [email protected].
b. All relevant
information will also be made available on the websites www.visitcyprus.com and
www.cyprusflightpass.gov.cy.
c. Moreover, a
dedicated team of destination experts will reply to traveler queries on
Facebook Messenger (main page www.facebook.com/VisitCyprus.cy). Additional
pages are available in the following countries: UK, DE, RU, SWE, FR, AT, GR,
IT, UKR, NED, POL, BEL, ES, CH, ISR.