The health ministry on Tuesday clarified that authorities will only accept coronavirus test certificates from passengers arriving from the UK if they include the date taken and what method was used.
People arriving with the wrong test will have to pay €60 for a test at the airport in addition to a €300 fine or be sent back, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
Though the government has repeatedly said it is keen for tourism to resume, ministers have stressed regulations will be properly enforced and those caught trying to cheat the system will be strictly dealt with.
The official government announcement the UK would be moved to category B on August 1 means British tourists can visit the island provided they present a negative coronavirus test certificate not older than 72 hours. That move prompted numerous questions including whether an NHS certificate would be accepted.
It is understood that the NHS does not provide testing for the purposes of international travel but since getting tested privately is expensive and results may not be issued in the required time frame many people have questioned whether the NHS tests can be used for travel to Cyprus.
One traveller from Newcastle who is due to get married in Cyprus on August 4, said what was to be a unique experience for him, his partner and their two children has developed into “a horrible situation,” since only a few days before travelling to the island they were still unsure what to do.
They have been planning the wedding for months, he said, and he was looking forward to getting married in Cyprus. Their flight is on Saturday, the first day British tourists are allowed to come back to the island.
He told the Cyprus Mail there was conflicting information on whether the NHS test certificate was accepted by Cypriot authorities citing posts on social media saying they were told by the team of the CyprusFlightPass, the portal through which passengers to Cyprus need to obtain a travel pass, that NHS certificates were accepted as proof of coronavirus testing whereas he was told by them they were not. The reasons for this, is because the NHS certificate does not include the date of sampling and the method used.
People have complained it is quite difficult to get a test from a private lab in the UK due to restricted timeslots, the low number of available labs and time restrictions, especially if their initial tests were inconclusive, whereas getting one from NHS was very easy.
Cyprus’ health ministry on Tuesday clarified that the test certificates 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). Following inquiries from many British people, the Cypriot health ministry said NHS test results are accepted “only if the above-mentioned information is included.”
Another traveller due to fly to Cyprus from the UK also on August 1 said she was unable to apply for a Cyprus Flight Pass as the website still stated the UK was a category C country, despite the fact she had correctly entered her travel date.
According to deputy minister for tourism Savvas Perdios the platform will be updated shortly but in any case the online form can only be filled in 24 hours in advance of flying. The latest time to fill it in is three hours before the flight.
Requirements for a coronavirus test for British tourists is the main reason not many of them are expected this year, but the government is not willing to make any concessions.
Referring to the ultimatum by British travel agents earlier this month that they would not be putting Cyprus in their summer packages due to the coronavirus test requirement, Perdios, said on Tuesday during a visit to Oroklini that his ministry would not be making any moves to ease this requirement.
“The government has been clear that no nationality will be able to take the test in Cyprus unless it is proven that this possibility does not exist abroad (in their country),” he said.
He added that according to the information his ministry has received from Britain it may be a little difficult to secure this certificate but it is just as difficult and perhaps more so for people in other countries. “Our policy remains as is,” he said.
Authorities said Britain might be moved in a few weeks into category A if the country’s epidemiological outlook continues to improve. Passengers from category A countries are not required to present a coronavirus test certificate.
In the meantime, the transport ministry announced a call centre would be up and running from August 1 to answer questions of people wishing to visit Cyprus about the CyprusFlightPass platform.
People can call +(357) 24841234 or send their inquiries through https://cyprusflightpass.gov.cy/el/contact-us .
The call centre hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 10pm Cyprus time and between 10am and 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
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.
