Cyprus issues last safe travel list

The Health Ministry issued its last safe travel list based on COVID-19 risk before scrapping its three-coloured system and the Flight Pass request on 18 April. All COVID restrictions are removed for vaccinated passengers who are no longer required to take any action before a flight to the island.

Good news for the unvaccinated travellers too; they are only required to carry a negative 24-hour rapid or 72-hour PCR test, regardless of their country of origin.

The last version of the safe travel list – in operation since 2020 — upgraded Jordan from red to the safest green category, but all EU states remain in the red.

There are seven countries in Cyprus’ safest category, as Jordan joins Colombia, Armenia, Qatar, Rwanda, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

New changes come into effect on Thursday, 7 April, until midnight on 17 April.

Passengers arriving after that time will only be requested to exhibit their vaccination documentation or a negative 24-hour rapid test or 72-hour PCR test.

Until next Monday, Cyprus use a threecoloured system (green, red, grey), with only unvaccinated passengers subjected to compulsory testing and restrictions according to their country of origin.

Unvaccinated travellers from countries slotted into the green category must take a PCR test within 72 hours or a rapid antigen test 24 hours before departure.

Red category passengers must abide by the same testing rules as green category countries but take a PCR test upon arrival at the airport. But, again, the passenger bears the cost.

Unvaccinated passengers, or those without a recovery certificate, over the age of six arriving from grey countries must carry a negative test, take a PCR upon arrival, and go into self-isolation for ten days or seven provided they test negative with a PCR test.

All arrivals are still required to complete the CyprusFlightPass within 48 hours before their flight and comply with random coronavirus tests at the airports.

Green

Third Countries: Armenia, Colombia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia

Red

European Union: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Estonia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Czech Republic, Finland

Small states: Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City, San Marino

Schengen members: Switzerland, Iceland,

Lichtenstein, Norway

Third countries: Egypt, Argentina, Australia, Georgia, United States of America, United Kingdom, Japan, Indonesia, Israel, Canada, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Kuwait, Belarus, Lebanon, Bahrain, New Zealand, South Korea, Oman, Ukraine, Uruguay, Peru, Russia, Serbia, Chile