13

This Hebrew article states that a ban on non-EU citizens visiting TRNC (Northern Cyprus) was supposed to take effect on October 3rd 2017, and is postponed by a few weeks. The article seems to me rather confused.

The article claims that the new policy is:

  • Any non-EU citizen entering TRNC risks an arrest and a 10 year ban from Cyprus.
  • Non-EU citizens may enter Cyprus only by the Repblic of Cyprus air and sea ports.
  • Anyone who would enter TRNC, by air or sea, and would cross to ROC, would get a black stamp on his passport, a 10 year ban and possibly a fine or prison punishment.
  • When the new rules take effect, Israeli citizens will not be able to cross to the Turkish side.
  • This is related to a decision from 7 months ago, regarding the use of hotels in TRNC which were taken from their Greek owners in 1974. There's a list of 100 such hotels.

Some of these claims seem to be nothing new (ROC requires that you enter by its ports only), some seem wrong (no crossing from ROC to TRNC).

Question - what new limitations, if any, are there for visiting TRNC?

Update

The Times of Israel reports on November 22nd 2017 that non-EU citizens (Israelis) were refused entry to ROC, on their way to TRNC:

A group of some 40 Israelis were expelled from Cyprus on Tuesday after they were stopped on their way to hotels in the northern section of the island, which has been occupied by Turkey since 1974.

...

The Cypriot embassy told Hadashot (formerly Channel 2) news, “Any tourist who arrives in Cyprus with the aim of vacationing in the territories occupied by Turkey is breaking Cypriot law and risks being returned to his country of departure.”

Here we're not talking about entering TRNC directly, but entering ROC with intention to enter TRNC by land, which seems to have been perfectly OK before.

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
9

It sounds like they're simply becoming more serious about it.

If, if a non-EU citizen enters the TRNC and crosses over to the ROC, then, if leaving the island through a ROC airport, usually the TRNC stamp will merely be crossed out and replaced with a retroactive ROC entry stamp.

However, formally a non-EU citizen entering the TRNC can be heavily penalised by ROC authorities, and like I said, it seems they're going to enforce it more consistently.

UPDATE: Called the police at Larnaca airport again, and this time I was told that if a non-EU/EFTA citizen intends to visit Northern Cyprus, they must show that the booked hotel isn't a formerly Greek Cypriot owned hotel that's being "exploited", or they will be refused entry. This may also be requested when re-entering the ROC from the TRNC if stopped for a spot check.

Improve this answer
4
  • 1
    You mean stricter enforcement against those who enter TRNC and then cross into ROC? Anything new about crossing from ROC into TRNC (to blacklisted hotels)?
    – ugoren
    Commented Oct 2, 2017 at 6:55
  • 2
    @ugoren Called border control at Larnaca airport, and they confirmed it's only about enforcement getting stricter. You can cross into TRNC by land as usual
    – Crazydre
    Commented Oct 2, 2017 at 7:14
  • 1
    The hotel black-list seems to be here
    – ugoren
    Commented Nov 23, 2017 at 9:06
  • 1
    @ugoren Yay, I'm not a criminal :D Stayed at Büyük Anadolu in Girne which isn't in the list. Still, ROC police was pissed at me when entering from the TRNC - now I know why.
    – Crazydre
    Commented Nov 23, 2017 at 9:24

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .