Hello all,
I am a Canadian passport holder. I tried to find the info re: travelling from Turkey to N. Cyprus, crossing the border and exiting via the South but I can't find any definitive answer. It seems like people have variations of this but not exactly the same. Anyone in the know, please help!
Official text published by the Embassy of Cyprus in Washington DC (http://www.cyprusembassy.net/home/index.php?module=page&cid=168):
Travelers arriving in the Republic of Cyprus may enter the Republic only through the legal ports of entry: Larnaka and Pafos International Airports, or the ports of Larnaka, Lemesos (Limassol), and Pafos.
All airports in the part of the Republic illegally occupied by the Turkish invasion forces, have been declared by the Government of Cyprus as prohibited ports of entry and exit, and no visitor should enter or leave the Republic through these ports.
As a result of the Turkish invasion and military occupation of the northern part of Cyprus, the port of Ammochostos and the Keryneia harbor are closed to shipping and navigation, and have been declared by the Government of Cyprus as prohibited ports of entry and exit, and no visitor is allowed to enter or leave the Republic through these ports.
Visitors arriving in Cyprus by air, may enter the Republic only through the International Airports of Larnaka and Pafos.
Version published by the US Department of State (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1098.html#entry_requirements):
Since 1974, the Republic of Cyprus has designated Larnaca and Paphos international airports, and the seaports of Limassol, Larnaca, and Paphos, as the only legal points of entry into and exit from Cyprus; these ports are all in the government-controlled southern part of the island. Entry or exit via any other air or seaport is considered an illegal act by the Republic of Cyprus. Formerly, visitors choosing to arrive at non-designated airports and seaports in the area administered by Turkish Cypriots were not allowed to cross the U.N.-patrolled buffer zone to the government-controlled area in the south. Since 2004, when the Republic of Cyprus implemented new EU-related crossing regulations, U.S. citizens (and citizens of other non-EU countries not requiring visas) have been able to cross regardless of their port of entry into Cyprus.
All that doesn't give an answer to your question:
Is it possible to leave Cyprus at LCA airport without entry stamp in your passport?
If you enter the Island via Ercan, you will get no entry stamp of the Republic of Cyprus, but of the Turkish Cypriot Republic, a political entity which is not recognized as a State by the international community. (If you want to go to Greece with the same passport, you should ask to get this "illegal" stamp on a separate paper anyway.) As the Green line is not considered as a border, but only as a line of demarkation, you will get no entry stamp there for sure.
That means:
All people who can enter Cyprus with an identity card (EU and Swiss citizens) have no problems. All those who need an entry stamp in their passport, can usually cross the Green line as many times as they want and leave Cyprus from Ercan or Kyrenia, but NOT from LCA, PFO or Limassol harbour.
You will find many posts in travel forums where people tell you that the officials at LCA airport didn't check their passport carefully and that they had therefore no problem with a Turkey - Cyprus - Greek journey.
I wouldn't get this risk and just book a Ercan - IST - Malta flight (Atlasjet/Airmalta) for some 170 EUR (twice the LCA - MLA fare, I know!).
Or contact an Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus.
Thank you for your response. This is a bit disheartening, as I have already booked the Larnarca - Malta airfare. I kept digging after posting and came to approximately the same conclusions. I was hoping that things had progressed a bit further more recently. It looks like I may have to skip Northern Cyprus all together :(. This means I have to find a way from Istanbul to S. Cyprus, indirect through Athens?
What are the common penalties for attempting to enter 'illegally' and exit at Larnarca? I know deportation or arrest is the worst, but extremely uncommon. Wondering if anyone knows of some more common scenarios?
Edited by: msmith19
Edited by: msmith19
meckerdv has given an excellent summary of entering in the N. and exiting via the S. As he said, this is not a problem for EU citizens, but is potentially a huge problem for everyone else.
That being said, I have known of a few separate instances where people who aren't EU passport holders entered via Ercan or Kyrenia and left via Larnaca airport by feigning total ignorance and being extremely sympathetic and apologetic, or never even being looked at twice. This doesn't mean that you'll necessarily be allowed to leave via the S. and that might very well depend on how nice of a morning your customs official has had.
You technically are right that the worst case scenario is arrest, but I'd say the odds of that are slim to non-existent. The next logical legal recourse would be deportation, which is why I suspect that on occasions, some are allowed on their initial flight, (That and Cypress, both N.+S., like their tourist $$$$)
If all this sounds a little nerve racking than the alternate itinerary meckerdv provided you with is a good option and not much extra in the big scheme of things for a little peace of mind. If you do decided to risk it make sure your that when you enter at Ercan you get your entry stamp on a separate piece of paper which you can request when you arrive. The customs official will probably even ask where you'd like the stamp.
Crossing from the N. to S. is very easy and straightforward via the Ledra St. crossing in Nicosia, and
I've found using a small amount of Turkish or Greek when speaking with officials goes a very long way
If you do end up attempting to exit via the S. please report back here and let us know how it goes. It could provide valuable first hand info for the next person like you who comes along.
And last but not least, enjoy your trip.
Thank you very much. I have contacted the Cyprus Tourism office to see what they say. I am still on the fence, but I may risk it. I will definitely report back.
CTO will tell you the govt policy (so not much use, and you may have also given them your name). My advice is to confidently cross inNicosia/Lefkosia at a busy time (ie lunchtime) and leave when you fly out. I cant see them detaining you when the Island already has a problem with managing immigration.
Be aware that the Greek Cypriot mindset is extremely set regarding Turkish Cyprus (and nationalism) - I am not criticising, it just is.
Could you please clarify what you mean by confidently cross at Nicosia and leave when I fly out? Sorry, I am confused by that advice.
Confidently - to appear like a regular crosser rather than nervously creeping up and handing your passport over in a timid manner.
They are on the lookout for two key groups at the moment
A Canadian who has inadvertenbtly bought flight tickets to Malta and passes through at a busy time (00s at busy times on Ledra Street ) may not even get his/her passport looked at.
Again flyign out, if you have merely passed through they will be keen to just get rid of yo....
thats my advice, you asked for it. Good luck. "In the know"s impossible as it will depend on the over-paid, lazy immigration officer at the crossing"
"A Canadian who has inadvertenbtly bought flight tickets to Malta and passes through at a busy time (00s at busy times on Ledra Street ) may not even get his/her passport looked at."
Ledra street will never be a problem (unless you tell them that you are carrying a bomb or that you will never go back to North Cyprus), only the passport control at LCA airport.