The Transport Ministry said on Monday that the completion of the Travel Card (CyprusFlightPass) is mandatory for all passengers intending to travel to Cyprus and those who fail to present it will have two options: pay a €300 out-of-court fine or return to the country of their departure.
“In accordance with Regulation 2.3 of the Infectious Diseases (Determination of Measures to Prevent the Spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus) Decree (No.31) of 2020 (R.A.A. 281/2020), all passengers travelling to the Republic and fall under the provisions of Regulations 2.7 to 2.14 (i.e. passengers travelling to the Republic of Cyprus from Country Categories A, B and C), as well as under the Infectious Diseases Decree (No. 30), are obliged to complete the Travel Card (CyprusTravelPass), according to the procedures provided for on the website cyprusflightpass.gov.cy
“By extension, the electronic filling in of the Travel Card (CyprusFlightPass) 24 hours before the commencement of the trip to the Republic of Cyprus, is made compulsory for all passengers travelling from each Country Category, both for the purposes of boarding the aircraft and entering the Cyprus Republic,” the Ministry said in an announcement.
In accordance with the procedures provided for on the website www.cyprusflightpass.gov.cy in order to obtain the CyprusFlightPass a passenger must:
- Create an account
- Enter his/her personal details
- Add the flight details
- Make solemn declarations
More specifically, a passenger is required as part of his/her application for the CyprusFlightPass to submit the following information:
- Flight details
- Purpose of travel
- Personal details and contact details
- Place of Residence in Cyprus
- Contact details in case of emergency
Apart from the information as above, the Ministry said that the passenger must also make a solemn declaration by which to state conscientiously that all the facts and all the information provided are true, otherwise he/she will be deemed liable under penalty of perjury as per the laws of the Republic of Cyprus.
It was also pointed out that all fields of the electronic application should be completed accurately “because their processing is undertaken for reasons of public interest and the protection of public health from Covid-19.”
The Ministry also noted that despite the fact that all passengers are obliged to fill in all their details online through the platform https://cyprusflightpass.gov.cy/, “some people complete the forms in handwriting while others do not complete them at all. In addition, certain airline companies wrongly allow passengers who have not completed their details electronically on the above platform to board the aircraft.
“It should be pointed out that one may fill in the form by handwriting only in the case of there being a technical problem or maintenance of the electronic platform officially announced on the platform.
“It is clarified that all passengers, regardless of the country of departure, including passengers who will undergo laboratory testing for COVID-19 in the Republic of Cyprus, are obliged to fill out all the information, details and statements required electronically and to hold a Travel Card (CyprusFlightPass) before boarding the aircraft and at their arrival in the Republic of Cyprus.
“In accordance with article 5(2) of the Out-of-Court Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Law of 2020 (35(I)/2020), policemen and authorised officers have the power to impose an automatic fine of €300 on whoever violates the Infectious Diseases Law, Cap. 260 and the Regulations and Decrees issued by virtue of it.
“By extension and for the purpose of compliance with the aforementioned legislation, all passengers arriving in the Republic of Cyprus on the early morning flights of 13th July 2020 and thereafter, without possessing the Entry Card (CyprusFlightPass) from the aforementioned website, even if they have completed by handwriting the relevant forms, will be offered two choices: Either to enter the Republic and pay the out-of-court fine of €300, or, to return to the country of their departure.
“Moreover,” the Ministry went on, “passengers arriving in Cyprus from Category A countries without having in their possession the CyprusFlightPass will be treated as passengers from Category B countries and in addition to the payment of the 300 euro out-of-court fine they shall be obliged to undergo a laboratory test for the COVID-19 at the corresponding airport of the Republic, meeting also the expense of 60 euros for the laboratory test.”
PASSENGER UNDER INVESTIGATION
The Ministry also mentioned a recent incident where a passenger entered the Cyprus Republic on a flight from a Category A country, whilst his initial country of departure was a Category C country, without having in his possession the electronic CyprusFlightPass.
“When asked at the airport of the Republic to fill in the form in handwriting, so that the Medical Services would have his details, he wrote down the wrong information in respect of his flight details. Following instructions by the Minister of Transport in consultation with the Minister of Health, the said passenger has been reported by the Civil Aviation Department to the Chief of Police for further examination of the case, in order to ascertain whether he has committed any criminal offences.
“It must be noted that when the passenger presented symptoms and underwent privately a laboratory test for COVID-19 that came out positive, he informed the Medical Services that his initial country of departure was a Category C country,” the announcement concluded.
