BRS pleased with government U-turn on ‘Notam’

NON-RESIDENT expat property owners or tenants currently in the UK are no longer required to show “original” title deeds or rental agreements to travel to the TRNC.

The requirement, which had caused consternation among expats stranded in the UK due to Covid-19 restrictions, was this week scrapped.

The U-turn was revealed in a new “Notam” — a notice to airlines — that was issued by the Public Works and Transport Ministry’s Civil Aviation Department on Wednesday, March 31, and is valid until 11.59pm on April 30.

The new Notam states that passengers travelling from certain countries, including the UK, can travel with a negative PCR test from the last three days and spend “14 days in

isolation/quarantine within the scope of the battle against Covid-19 and to protect public health”.

PCR test results and quarantine fees will not be required for children in the 0-5 years age group.

Speaking to Cyprus Today, British Residents Society (BRS) chairman Peter Wilkins said he was pleased with the change.

“We welcome this move by the authorities,” he said.

“We met with government officials [last month] and explained the difficulties the previous rules had caused to nonresidents, who had to provide original title deeds or original rental agreements.

“We received more than 40 complaints from people wanting to come back to North Cyprus, but who did not have their original documentation with them abroad. This has really alleviated a major inconvenience.”

Mr Wilkins said he and BRS officials also discussed with government officials allowing certain categories of people, such as those with medical conditions and people aged 75 and over, to be allowed to undergo home quarantine instead of at a centre.

Meanwhile Tourism and Environment Minister Fikri Ataoğlu announced this week that the tourism season is to “open” on April 12 on a “closed circuit” basis.

Making a statement this week, Mr Ataoğlu said that the tourism sector has been at an impasse since March 2020, adding that he was working for a “gradual reopening” of tourism “in a controlled manner” in accordance with the Communicable Diseases High Committee.

Mr Ataoğlu said the new system will be applied to charter and scheduled flights for “tourism-based activities”.

There will be a “double negative PCR test result” requirement and hotel reservations can only be made via travel agents.

Tourists will not be permitted to leave the place they are staying and will be fitted with an electronic tag system by mobile phone operator KKTCell.

The electronic wristband will inform the authorities if the person goes outside the facility there are staying at.

Meanwhile, South Cyprus has said that they have opened up to Israeli tourists as of April 1.