Updated: May 2025
It’s usually easy to visit Northern Cyprus, including getting a 30 day visitor visa upon arrival and organise a flight. North Cyprus has an open-door policy to visitors from almost all the countries of the world, in keeping with the wonderfully welcoming personality of the Turkish Cypriot culture and the international atmosphere of the TRNC.
IMPORTANT POINTS TO NOTE
- We are NOT a visa department and cannot take general queries by live chat or phone about North Cyprus visitor visas.
- For those who are planning to purchase a property from NCI and have visa or residency queries, please visit our RESIDENCY VISA ARTICLE HERE
- Visitor and Residency visas do NOT allow you to work in North Cyprus.
- North Cyprus visa and residency regulations may change in the future and this section is intended as general advice only – NCI cannot take responsibility for any future changes to the legislation which may not appear in this section.
You can contact your nearest visa department via this link: North Cyprus Embassies List
NORTH CYPRUS VISA INFORMATION FOR UK RESIDENTS
We at NCI get a lot of visa enquiries. Here is the situation for British passport holders, whether resident in the UK or not.
- British passport holders do not at present need an advance visa for either Turkiye, North Cyprus (TRNC) or South Cyprus (which is in Europe). You will usually receive an instant 30-day visitor/tourist visa either at Ercan Airport OR the border if you arrive via Larnaca in south Cyprus.
- If you are coming via Turkiye, there is now no need for British visitors to apply for an advance e-visa for Turkiye. Other nationalities should check online.
- If you are resident in the UK but have any other passport other than British and are not sure if you need a visa, you can inquire at the visa office of the TRNC trade and tourism office 29, Bedford Square, London WC1B 3EG, by calling +44 from outside UK – then (0)207-631-1920.
NORTH CYPRUS VISA INFORMATION FOR NON-BRITISH PASSPORT HOLDERS
- All citizens of the EU, and other countries including Australia, Canada, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland and USA do not require an advance visa to visit North Cyprus.
- If you are not resident in the UK and do not have a British passport and do not have a passport listed above , you should contact your nearer TRNC Office or Turkish Embassy via this link http://mfa.gov.ct.tr/consular-info/missions-abroad/.
- You can also contact a good local travel agency or the airline you are planning to travel to Turkey with (airlines to south Cyprus will not help you).
Citizens from these countries can arrive at the border of North Cyprus, either from Ercan Airport via Turkey, Kyrenia (Girne) port by ship again via Turkey, or at the border with the South of Cyprus by car and gain an automatic 30-day visitor visa for a holiday or property viewing visit.
* Citizens of Armenia, Syria and Nigeria do need an advance visa and should consult either the TRNC Representative or the Turkish Embassy prior to departure. Those from India and Pakistan may also need visas.
This flexible approach to entry visas makes it possible for citizens of many non-Schengen countries to both visit and buy property in North Cyprus, even if they are not able to easily visit the Republic of (South) Cyprus.
If you are travelling for a visit, holiday or property viewing trip to North Cyprus you will need to arrive either via Turkiye (to Ercan Airport in North Cyprus) or via South Cyprus (via Larnaca Airport in the Republic of Cyprus, crossing the border easily to the TRNC). So here are some useful FAQs about visas for accessing North Cyprus via the neighbouring countries as well as about residency of Northern Cyprus.
Do I pay for a North Cyprus Visa?
No, North Cyprus 30 day tourist/visitor visas are completely free of charge.
Will I get my passport stamped in North Cyprus?
Generally, the immigration officials of Northern Cyprus do not stamp your passport as this may possibly interfere in the future with you receiving a visa for the south of Cyprus from the Cyprus Embassy in your country of origin.
However, at Ercan Airport in North Cyprus, the immigration officer will often stamp passports unless you actively ask for the white paper visa instead. You would be advised to ask for the white paper insert rather than having your passport stamped if you are intending to travel regularly to the south (Republic) of Cyprus.
Can the nationals of all countries enter North Cyprus via the Republic of Cyprus and Larnaca Airport?
Citizens of Europe as well as most former Commonwealth countries (except South Africa) and the USA can easily enter the Republic of Cyprus, which is part of the European Union, without an advance visa.
Visitors can land at Larnaca Airport which has a huge range of international and low-cost flights from the UK, Europe, the Middle East and many other destinations. In addition, travellers with an existing Schengen Visa for South Cyprus can land at Larnaca International Airport and then cross the border very easily to North Cyprus where they will obtain their automatic 30-day visa.
However, if your passport is NOT one of those mentioned, or you do not have a Schengen Visa, you must either apply for an advance Schengen visa at the Republic of Cyprus Embassy in your country of origin OR enter via North Cyprus via Turkiye.
It is generally much easier to obtain an advance visa for Turkiye than for the European south of Cyprus if your passport is non-Schengen and if you fall into this category, you may prefer to arrive via Turkiye by either ship or by air to Ercan Airport.
It is for this reason that many nationalities prefer to both take their holidays and buy property in the North rather than South Cyprus. Please note it is the Turkish Embassies and the TRNC Trade and Tourism Offices which deal with visa issues for North Cyprus and not the Cyprus Embassies.
Does a 30-day visitor North Cyprus Visa enable me to work in the TRNC?
You will need a work visa to work in the North of Cyprus. The right to work in North Cyprus is not automatically given to visitors. This applies even to European Citizens, as North Cyprus does not come under the European Union rules at present.
Neither the 30-day automatic visitor visa or a residency visa (or property ownership) entitle you to work or earn money in Northern Cyprus; however, it is possible to obtain a work visa. If you are planning to get a job or set up a business in North Cyprus, you need a TRNC work visa and we suggest that you consult one of our NCI recommended lawyers, or another lawyer of your choice, for details of how to go about this.
I wish to buy a villa or apartment and relocate to North Cyprus – is it easy to apply for residency?
Yes – please see our article on the North Cyprus Residency visa HERE
There are nationals from all over the world living in multi-cultural TRNC and it is extremely easy to apply for Residency once you have a contract of sale or title deed in North Cyprus. If you are buying a home in the TRNC, just speak to your North Cyprus lawyer during the property purchase process about submitting your application for Residency.
Please note, once you have a contract of sale to purchase a property you can extend your 30 day arrival visa to a 90 day visa easily once you have arrived. If you can show proof of ownership at the border, you may also automatically get a 90 day visa, but it may be best not to carry this on your person.
However, if you wish to spend many periods longer than 90 days, you can apply for residency of the TRNC.
The ease of application for residency is another reason why many international visitors choose the north part of Cyprus for their second home, or for relocation. If you wish to relocate to North Cyprus do call our NCI advisors on +44 207 112 8086 or +90 548 861 0600 for information on our relocation and property finding services.
North Cyprus Visa Note —
Visa rules change at short notice. We are estate agents, not travel agents or consulate. If you are coming to North Cyprus specifically to BUY PROPERTY and wish visa advice, please email us – help@northcyprusinternational.com – with your visa enquiry along with the type of property you are seeking and proposed date of visit.
IF YOU NEED NORTH CYPRUS VISA INFORMATION – PLEASE INSTEAD CONTACT
- Your local TRAVEL AGENT in your country of origin
- Your local NORTH CYPRUS Trade and Tourism Office in your country of origin (click HERE for the list – please note, they are not in every country).
- Your local TURKISH EMBASSY in your country of origin (click HERE for a list of Embassies)
North Cyprus Embassies List
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_of_Turkey Turkish Embassies
