Prospective British travellers – and other current Category B passport holders – upon calling government institutions in Cyprus have been met with conflicting information.
The two main points of contention appear to be whether children under the age of 12 require proof of a negative PCR test. The other main point is whether SMS proof of a negative test will be accepted.
In an attempt to clarify the situation, the Cyprus Mail has been in contact with health ministry spokesperson Margarita Kyriacou, among others.
She reconfirmed on Wednesday that the information provided to the Cyprus Mail on Tuesday is the most up to date and valid information.
As Kyriacou told the Cyprus Mail on Tuesday, people arriving from category B countries, including the UK, must:
– Present a negative, PCR coronavirus test not more than 72 hours old. The 72 hours count from the time the sample is taken. The test certificate must include the date the sample was taken, full name and confirm the negative result, and the type of the test (RT-PCR COVID-19). NHS test results are only accepted if the above-mentioned information is included.)
– Test results should include the necessary information and be presented to the authorities in printed form or electronically. Text messages (SMS) will ONLY be accepted if they include full name, date of the sample was taken, type of the test and confirmation of the negative result.
– Children up to 12, are not required to take the test.
– All passengers, regardless of the category of the country they are arriving from, are required to apply for CyprusFlightPass (https://cyprusflightpass.gov.cy/) within 24 hours of their departure. They must fill out the form online and present it before boarding the aircraft and upon their arrival in Cyprus.
– People arriving from category B countries do not have to self-isolate when they arrive in Cyprus but in the case they present coronavirus symptoms they are urged to seek medical advice.
Who can get tested upon their arrival in Cyprus:
– Cypriot citizens and their families
– Permanent residents
– People covered by the Vienna Convention
– People, regardless of nationality, whose country of residence is not in a position to offer Covid-19 testing (public or private sector) to those wishing to travel to Cyprus. They are eligible for tests in Cyprus only after the Cypriot health ministry issues an announcement.
On Tuesday, the ministry of transport also announced that a help desk to support the electronic platform “CyprusFlightPass” will be operational as of August 1.
The help desk will handle queries both by telephone at the number: +(357) 24841234 and in writing through the e-platform via the link: https://cyprusflightpass.gov.cy/en/contact-us
The hours of operation of the help desk will be:
Monday-Friday 08:00- 22:00 Cyprus time
Saturday-Sunday 10:00-18:00 Cyprus time
