A Look at the Difficulties of Traveling to Northern Cyprus

If you are trying to go to the island of Cyprus for a vacation or to live you should know that in essence the island is divided into two countries with two separate governments. It is divided into the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, or TRNC. If you hear someone simply say 'Cyprus' then they are referring to the Republic of Cyprus. It has a Greek Cypriot government and takes up the southern two-thirds of the island. And the TRNC takes up the northern part and has a Turkish Cypriot government.

The Republic of Cyprus is part of the European Union but the TRNC is not part of the European Union. The capital of Cyprus, Nicosia, is the last divided city in Europe.

If you are wondering if you need a visa to go to Northern Cyprus the answer is - not likely. In fact, citizens of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and Singapore are able to enter Northern Cyprus with a valid passport. And they are allowed to stay for up to 90 days without needing a visa.

However, if you are going to Northern Cyprus you should be warned of not getting that stamp in your passport. If you have a Northern Cyprus stamp in your passport then you will be refused entry to the Republic of Cyprus. And you may even be refused entry to Greece as well. You should ask the customs officials to stamp a separate piece of paper with the northern Cyprus stamp, rather than your passport. Do not be afraid to make this request as it is a commonly accepted procedure.

If you decide that you want to stay in northern Cyprus for a period greater than 90 days then you must obtain a temporary residence permit. They are issued at your local police station in northern Cyprus. Temporary residence permits are valid for a period of year and can be obtained by completing an application form and supplying four passport photographs. You will also need have a medical exam to prove that you are free of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Permits are typically renewed automatically on an annual basis. You are able to apply for permanent residence after five years of residence in the TRNC.

When coming to northern Cyprus note that all flights include a stop in Turkey. Regardless of what you might see advertised there are no direct flights into the TRNC due to the IATA boycott of the airport.