According to the foreign ministry of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, EU citizens are able to enter Northern Cyprus using their identity cards. However at the bottom it says that to enter Northern Cyprus foreigners are required to possess a valid passport. Am I as an EU citizen able to enter Northern Cyprus with only an id card? If I am, is the procedure different compared to if I have a passport?
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1I am fairly certain that the passport requirement expressed at the bottom is just an example of imprecision, but I do not know whether the procedure is different, so I will leave it to someone else to post a proper answer.– phoogOct 1, 2019 at 15:15
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2 Answers
Nationals of any country (as revealed to me by the police at Ercan Airport - the MFA website is completely incorrect in other words), can use ID cards (if written in the Latin alphabet) for short-term visits. For citizens of Turkey, EU states, Australia and USA, passports/IDs must be valid for 2 months on entry, for other foreigners 6 months.
So yes, you're all good. If flying, you can transit Turkey without clearing the border, but many ground handling staff don't understand this, so if flying, make sure to email the handling company at the departure airport to clear it up in advance.
You will not face any problems entering the ROC if having flown into the TRNC - as an EU citizen the ROC authorities cannot touch you.
answered Oct 1, 2019 at 21:47
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@phoog Yes, as they don't have national IDs. Beats me whether they'll accept the Norwegian ones once they're launched (the Balkan states and Moldova, in contrast, already do by definition, and so should)– CrazydreOct 2, 2019 at 10:48
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"as an EU citizen the ROC authorities cannot touch you." Why not? I'm pretty sure if an EU citizen entered the UK without clearing immigration formalities in the prescribed manner he could expect a rather unpleasant processing experience, whether or not he was eventually allowed to stay. Now it might be that ROC has decided not to make a fuss. But that's different from suggesting ones holiday will be completely trouble free as a matter of law.– CalchasOct 29, 2019 at 0:04
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@Calchas ROC law doesn't specify any penalty for EU/EFTA citizens entering the island without undergoing ROC control. As for the UK, it doesn't record non-air entries for EU/EFTA citizens at all, so how is anyone to know for sure the person entered unchecked (which usually happens either way if arriving from within the CTA, mind you)?– CrazydreOct 31, 2019 at 2:06
VISA Regulations - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
For the citizens of the European Union:
- A valid EU passport or national identity card is required
Yes, the or makes this clear enough.
The usage later of A valid passport is just inprecisly written.
Beware that the Republic of Cyprus requires you to enter the island at a proper port of entry:
Presently, it is possible for foreign tourists who visit the government-controlled area of the Republic of Cyprus, to cross to the occupied areas through the 7 crossing points, at their own risk as the area is not under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus. List of ownership status of hotels and other accommodation facilities in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, it can be found here.
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Travelers entering the Republic of Cyprus via the illegal / closed airports and ports (i.e. all the airports and ports in the occupied areas), are in breach of the international law of the Republic of Cyprus. Therefore, you are urged to travel via the recognized ports of entry, so as to avoid any possible problems (provided that a visa has been granted to you). The legal ports of entry into the Republic of Cyprus are the airports of Larnaca and Paphos and the ports of Larnaca, Limassol, Latsi and Paphos, which are situated in the area under the effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. Any entry into the territory of the Republic of Cyprus via any other port or airport in the area of Cyprus in which the Government of the Republic does not exercise effective control (Turkish occupied area) is illegal”.
Since Cyprus is a member of the European Union, entry with a national identity card for EU citizens is not a problem.
Crossing Points – «Green Line» Regulations
Further reading:
answered Oct 1, 2019 at 15:43
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1EU/EFTA citizens cannot and will not be penalised for entering the island via the TRNC. I've flown into Ercan several times, rented a car, based myself in the TRNC, but driven to the ROC for day trips.– CrazydreOct 1, 2019 at 21:45
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1@Crazydre When travelling in areas of conflict, one should be aware of local sensitivities. A source of the claim that EU/EFTA citizens cannot and will not be penalised would be appropriate. Oct 1, 2019 at 23:50
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1@Crazydre The whole of the island is part of the EU. However, in the northern part of the island, in the areas in which the Government of the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control, EU legislation is suspended in line with Protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty 2003 (OJ L 236 – 23.9.2003) ; 8. ‘border crossing point’ means any crossing-point authorised by the competent authorities for the crossing of external borders; Since the green line is an external border of the EU and for the ROC no authorized crossing point are define for that line... Oct 2, 2019 at 11:10
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1@Crazydre then you knew when writing your first comment that it was illegal, as all crossing at unauthorized crosspoint are. One would have to find the ROC law definition what the punishment can be. That the police don't always inforce it does not change the fact that it is illegal. Oct 2, 2019 at 12:32
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1Both Germany and the United Kingdom warn their citizens. UK text: British and other foreign nationals who have entered Cyprus through the north (such as via Ercan airport) are considered by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus to have entered Cyprus through an illegal port of entry. The Government of the Republic of Cyprus may fine you for illegal entry if you cross into the south, or refuse you entry into or exit from the Republic. Link to German text: auswaertiges-amt.de/de/aussenpolitik/laender/zypern-node/… Oct 2, 2019 at 18:44