Cyprus entry requirements for British passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Passport validity (FCDO rule): Issued less than 10 years before the date you arrive, and expiry date at least 3 months after the day you leave
Visa (FCDO): You can visit Cyprus without a visa for up to 90 days (for the reasons listed in the FCDO text). Official visa text
Official source: GOV.UK – Cyprus travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 14 August 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Whether you need a visa and how long your British passport must be valid to enter Cyprus, as published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), quoted word for word, with a checker for your dates.
Other passports: Canadian passport · Australian passport · Italian citizens: documenti per italiani
Do I need a visa for Cyprus with a British passport?
In short: You can visit Cyprus without a visa for up to 90 days (for the reasons listed in the FCDO text).
Our one-line summary of the first FCDO sentence below, which matches a wording we recognise. It applies to British citizen passport holders; read the full official text, which may add conditions.
You can travel without a visa to Cyprus for up to 90 days. This applies if you travel:
- as a tourist
- to visit family or friends
- to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events
- for short-term studies or training
At Cyprus border control, you may also need to:
- show a return or onward ticket
- prove that you have enough money for your stay
The requirements for working in Cyprus are different.
Cyprus is not part of the Schengen area, so:
- visits to Cyprus do not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit in the Schengen area
- visits to other EU or Schengen countries do not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit in Cyprus
- Cyprus is not affected by the new Entry/Exit System (EES) that will be introduced in Schengen countries from 12 October 2025. You will not need to register for EES when entering Cyprus. Read more information on the EU Entry/Exit System and to understand which countries are in the Schengen area.
Make sure you get your passport stamped on entry and exit.
If your passport is missing a stamp, show evidence of when and where you entered or left Cyprus (for example, boarding passes or tickets) and ask the border guards to add the date and location in your passport.
Read about passport stamping if you live in Cyprus.
More from the FCDO visa section (extensions, border checks and other cases)
Staying longer than 90 days in a 180-day period
To stay longer, check with the Cyprus High Commission.
Do not overstay your permitted time. You could be:
- questioned by immigration at the airport on exit
- put on a ‘stop list’ and refused entry for up to 5 years
Entry requirements for the north of Cyprus
The Republic of Cyprus authorities will count time in the north of Cyprus towards the 90-day visa-free total. You can use any crossing point to move between the north and south of the island.
See a list of the crossing points from the Cyprus Ministry of Finance.
Only pedestrians can use the crossing points at Ledra Palace and Ledra and Lokmaci Street.
If you enter the Republic of Cyprus through the north (such as through Ercan Airport), authorities will consider you to have entered illegally. You could be:
- fined for illegal entry
- refused entry to or exit from the Republic of Cyprus
- prevented from crossing back into the north of Cyprus
For more information about the north of Cyprus, see Regional risks.
UK residents of Cyprus or other EU countries
Residents should carry residency documents issued by the Republic of Cyprus when entering and exiting Cyprus.
If you have a Withdrawal Agreement residency document for another country, your passport might still be stamped if you are a visitor to Cyprus.
Official source: GOV.UK – Cyprus travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO), section “Visa requirements” · page last updated 14 August 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Passport validity: official text “Passport validity requirements”
To enter Cyprus, your passport must have:
- a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it may have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago
- an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (the expiry date does not need to be within 10 years of the date of issue)
- at least one blank page for stamping
Official source: GOV.UK – Cyprus travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 14 August 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Check your passport for Cyprus
Schengen rules count your whole trip in the Schengen area: if you visit several Schengen countries, enter the day you first enter the area and the day you leave the last Schengen country.
The check runs in your browser: your dates are not sent anywhere. It applies the FCDO sentence literally (for example “6 months” is counted as the same day of the month 6 months later).
For British passport holders only. These are the rules published by the UK government (FCDO) for British citizens. If you hold another passport, check your own government's advice. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice.
Blank pages: the official text says “…at least one blank page…”. The checker does not count pages.
Recent FCDO updates to the entry requirements
- 10 December 2025: “Addition of information about flooding in Cyprus and new information about dual nationals returning to the UK ('Warnings and insurance' and ‘Entry requirements’ pages).”
- 6 February 2024: “Updated information to airport arrival guidance and political demonstration risks ('Entry requirements' and 'Safety and security' pages).”
- 18 October 2023: “New information for passengers flying out of Larnaca and Paphos airports ('Entry requirements' page).”
- 19 May 2023: “Updated information on COVID-19 requirements (‘Coronavirus’, ‘Safety and security’ and ‘Entry requirements’ pages).”
- 14 June 2022: “Updated information on COVID-19 requirements in the north of Cyprus from 13 June ('Entry requirements' and 'Coronavirus' pages)”
Read the full FCDO travel advice for Cyprus (safety, visas, health) before you travel.
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Same FCDO rule (3 months after departure + 10-year issue rule)
Passport validity rules for all destinations · Liquids rules by airport · EES and ETIAS status