Greece and five other EU countries were upgraded to the green category for entry to Cyprus as part of the changes in the latest national country assessment for travel, the health ministry said on Monday.
With the changes to come into effect on July 1, the health ministry said previously orange Croatia, Estonia, France, Greece, Lithuania, Luxemburg and Slovenia will be moved to the green category, as well as Switzerland and Liechtenstein from the red.
Meanwhile, Andorra, Spain, Holland, Serbia and Canada were upgraded to the orange from the red category.
Visitors from the green category countries do not require to present a negative coronavirus test nor to self-isolate to visit Cyprus.
In contrast, passengers from orange category countries must take a PCR test within 72 hours prior to their departure with a negative result.
Cypriot citizens, their spouses and children, people residing permanently in the Republic and people allowed to enter the country based on the Vienna Convention, and people in countries where PCR tests are not provided, may get tested upon arrival at Larnaca and Paphos airports. They need to self-isolate until the PCR results are ready. The test cost is covered by passengers.
Passengers from red category countries are required to undergo a PCR test within 72 hours prior to departure and undergo another PCR test upon arrival in Cyprus. They must remain in self isolation until the result is issued. The cost of the test is covered by the passengers.
Cypriot citizens, their spouses and children, people residing permanently in the Republic, and people allowed to enter the country based on the Vienna Convention may get tested upon arrival at Larnaca and Paphos airports. These people need to self isolate for 72 hours and then take a second PCR test.
If their test result is negative they must send the results to monada@mphs.moh.gov.cy to be discharged from self-isolation.
Passengers from grey category countries (that are not in red, orange or green) must get special permission to arrive in Cyprus.
The ministry reiterated that all passengers need to file an application to CyprusFlightPass before their flight to Cyprus. The document could be used as a substitute to the national SafePass allowing tourists to visit indoor crowded venues such as shopping malls, restaurants and cafés among others.
Meanwhile, persons regardless of nationality holding a valid vaccination certificate concerning the acceptable vaccines will be exempt from presenting a negative PCR test or self-isolation.
The acceptable vaccines include Pfizer / BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Janssen, Sputnik V and Sinopharm.
In the case of two-dose vaccines the person should have been vaccinated with both doses, while in the case of the Janssen vaccine (single-dose vaccine) 14 days should have elapsed between the vaccine dose and the travel date. More information is available at https://cyprusflightpass.gov.cy/en/vaccinated-passengers .
