VISAS OF NORTH CYPRUS
Entry to and departure from North Cyprus is done through designated ports and border crossings with a valid passport or a travel document.
Residence Permits and Visas Regulation for NORTH CYPRUS which entered into force on 23 October 2019 pursuant to the Article 20 and Chapter 105 of the Immigration and Aliens Law regulates the entry, stay and departure of foreigners.
GENERAL INFORMATION
For the citizens of the Republic of Turkey traveling to TRNC:
- A valid passport or identity card is required.
For the citizens of the European Union:
- A valid EU passport or national identity card is required
For the third country nationals:
- A valid passport is required.
Visa regulations apply to crossings from South Cyprus.
NOTE: The nationals of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of Armenia are under obligation to apply in person to a TRNC Representative Office abroad to obtain a visa prior to traveling.
Regarding the visa applications:
It is recommended to make visa applications at least one month in advance of the intended travel date if possible. Visas for education purposes vary for each country but it may take 2-3 months or longer to process a visa application. It is recommended to have a passport valid for at least 6 months on the date of visa application.
Foreigners are required to have the following in their possessions at the port of entry to the TRNC:
- A valid passport
- £85 (Sterling Pounds) or equivalent per day the visitor intends to stay
- Round trip ticket
- Proof of confirmed hotel reservation
- For visiting family, a letter of invitation which provides name, address, phone number and other contact information in full
- If traveling for higher education, an official acceptance letter from the university
- If traveling on a business trip, an official letter of invitation from a company in the TRNC
NOTE: TRNC Immigration Police Officer at the ports of entry is authorized to issue a maximum of 90 days to enter and stay if the responses to his/her questions are satisfactory. The visitors who intend to stay longer than the permitted period should apply before the visa expiry date to the Immigration Department of the Police Headquarters for an extension. Visitors who stay longer than the expiry date without an extension of stay will be given a notice of “visa penalty” fine at the port of departure. The fine will be paid by the visitor at the re-entry to the TRNC.
It is within the discretion of the Council of Ministers to decide which third country nationals are required to obtain a visa before arriving to North Cyprus. In this context, citizens of the Republic of Armenia, the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Arab Republic of Syria are required to obtain a visa from North Cyprus. Representative Offices abroad by declaring the purpose of their visit to the North Cyprus.
Other third country nationals may be granted a visa up to 90 days (depending on the purpose of visit) at the designated ports and border crossings, if they can prove that they will leave the country within the specified period and they fulfil other conditions stipulated in this Regulation.
The length of stay granted at the designated ports and border crossings of North Cyprus cannot exceed 90 days within a period of 180 days.
No visa is required from those who have legal residence status in the country or have a residence permit exemption pursuant to Article 12. It is within the discretion of the Immigration Officer at the designated ports and border crossings to grant permission to enter the country. He is entitled to ask for supporting information and documents regarding the request to enter the country. Comprehensive controls can be carried out by the responsible unit.
FOREIGNERS WHO WILL ENTER NORTH CYPRUS BY PRESENTING THEIR PASSPORTS NEED TO CHECK THE EXPIRY DATE OF THEIR PASSPORTS
The Regulation on Residence Permits and Visas, which entered into force on 23 October 2019, stipulates that the citizens of the countries that have a representative office in North Cyprus and the citizens of the EU countries must have a passport valid for at least 2 months and the citizens of other countries must have a passport valid for at least 6 months to be able to apply for a visa upon the arrival to the country.
VISA TYPES GRANTED BY NORTH CYPRUS
TOURIST VISA
Those who come to the country for a touristic visits and will stay at a hotel or other accommodation facility and those who have rented a dwelling for this purpose and declare this, can be issued a visa for a maximum of 30 days. If they can submit documents showing that a prior payment has been made for accommodation, a visa up to 90 days may be granted.
A visa up to 60 days can be granted to those who arrives in the country for the purpose of family/relative visit and stay in a relative's house.
A visa up to 90 days may be issued to those who come for official visits, business meetings, conferences, seminars, meetings, festivals, fairs, exhibitions, sporting events, cultural and artistic events, health tourism and similar purposes.
INTERNSHIP, COURSE, EXCHANGE PROGRAM, IN-SERVICE TRAINING VISA
Foreigners who wish to enter the country for internships, courses, student exchange programs and in-service trainings can be issued a visa for up to 90 days provided that they can submit the relevant documents.
WORK PERMIT VISA
It is granted for a period of 30 days to foreigners who have come to the country with a preliminary permit in accordance with the Law on Work Permits of Foreigners. The citizens of the countries who does not have an embassy, consulate or another representative office in North Cyprus are required to have a passport valid for at least 2 years to be able to apply for a visa.
BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT VISA
Foreigners who come to the country for the purpose of starting a business can be issued a visa for a period of 30 days provided that they have the fund to start a business.
RESIDENCE PERMIT VISA
The following types of visas may be issued to foreigners who will enter the country in order to apply for one of the residence permit types.
- Visa for Family Residence Permit: Foreigners who will apply for a family residence permit can be given a visa for this purpose up to 90 days upon their arrival.
- Visa Due to Ownership of Immovable Property: A visa can be issued up to 90 days for those who have a title deed document indicating that they own immovable property.
- Visa for Student Residence Permit Application: Foreigners who come to the country to obtain a student residence permit may be granted a 60-day visa upon submission of a student registration or pre-registration certificate.
- Visa for Judicial and Administrative purposes: Those who come to the country upon the request or decisions of judicial or administrative authorities may be granted a valid visa for the term of their duty.
- Visa for Scientific Research: Those who come to the country for scientific research purposes may be granted a valid visa for the duration of the research.
- Visa for Graduates from Universities in the Country: Students who have studied and graduated from any of the two-year higher education programs or have studied at least 3 years in any of the four-year higher education programs in the TRNC can be granted a visa valid for thirty days.
VISA TYPES AND TERMS TABLE
TOURIST VISIT: 30 DAYS (UP TO 90 DAYS IF A PAID HOTEL RESERVATION IS PROVIDED)
FAMILY / RELATIVE VISIT: MAXIMUM 60 DAYS
OFFICIAL VISIT, BUSINESS MEETING, CONFERENCE, SEMINAR, MEETING, FESTIVAL, FAIR, EXHIBITION, SPORTS EVENT, CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC EVENT,
HEALTH TOURISM: UP TO 90 DAYS
INTERNSHIP, COURSE, EXCHANGE PROGRAM, IN-SERVICE TRAINING: UP TO 90 DAYSWORK PERMIT VISA:30 DAYS
BUSINESS PERMISSION VISA: 30 DAYS
RESIDENCE PERMIT VISA: UP TO 90 DAYS
RESIDENCE PERMITS OF NORTH CYPRUS
Residence Permits and Visas Regulation which entered into force on 23 October 2019 pursuant to the Article 20 and Chapter 105 of the Immigration and Aliens Law regulates the entry, stay and departure of foreigners. Entry and departure from the TRNC is possible through designated ports and border crossings with a valid passport or travel document.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Foreigners who want to stay in the TRNC for more than 90 days or longer than the period
granted by the visa are required to obtain a residence permit if they are not otherwise legally permitted to stay in the country.
Work permits and business establishment permits issued in accordance with the Law on Work Permit for Foreigners and permanent residence permits granted in accordance with Permanent Residence Permit Law are considered, for the purpose of this regulation, as residence permit, and a separate residence permit is not required.
A residence permit is granted to the foreigners who want to stay in the TRNC for longer than 90 days given that they apply and meet the requirements for the relevant residence permit.
FOREIGNERS EXEMPT FROM RESIDENCE PERMIT
- Foreigners who are married to a TRNC citizen;
- Foreigners who are stateless;
- Foreigners who are under 18 years old and live with their parent or guardian;
- Foreigners older than 18 years old who live with their parent or guardian who are either citizens or have legal permission to stay in the country or who is mentally or at least 50% physically handicapped;
- Foreigners exempt from residence permit as per the agreements signed by the TRNC;
- Foreigners who have a blue identity card and permanent residence permit in accordance with the Permanent Residence Permit Law;
- Foreigners who have a work permit or permit to establish a business in accordance with the Law on Work Permits of Foreigners, as long as these permits are valid, Diplomats and consulate officers in the TRNC, and the foreigners with a diplomatic passport and their families whose information has been conveyed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- Foreigners working in the offices of international organizations in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus whose status has been determined by agreements;
- Foreigners who have been temporarily assigned to a foreign mission in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus whose exemption has been conveyed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- Personnel who are assigned to work in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in accordance with international treaties, their spouses and children;
- Military personnel other than those serving in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and carrying out their compulsory military service and their spouses, children and parents;
- Detainees and convicts, as long as their status continues.
FOREIGNERS GRANTED EXEMPTION FROM RESIDENCE PERMIT MUST HAVE AN EXEMPTION CERTIFICATE.
- Foreigners who will remain, or will be, exempt from the Residence Permit in accordance with the Regulation on Residence Permits and Visas, which came into force on 23 October 2019 pursuant to the regulation made under Chapter 105 and Article 20 of the Immigration and Aliens Law, are required to obtain an exemption certificate.
- Foreigners married to a citizen of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the persons who the Director of the Immigration Department can determine to be stateless will be exempt from a residence permit. They must apply to the Department within forty days once the period they are legally permitted to stay in the country expires and obtain an exemption certificate to be exempt from residence permit.
- Foreigners granted exemption from residence permit are required to obtain a residence permit exemption certificate within one year from the date of the publication of the Residence Permit and Visa Regulation in the official newspaper. Those who have not received an exemption certificate within this period will be considered as having stayed in the country without permission from the competent authorities and will be fined in accordance with the Law.
FOREIGNERS WHO ARE OLDER THAN SIXTY YEARS AND HAVE NO LEGAL PERMISSION TO STAY IN TRNC MUST GET A RESIDENCE PERMIT.
Foreigners who have reached the age of sixty before the residence permits and visas regulation has entered into force and who have been living in the TRNC without a legal permission may remain to stay in the country if they obtain a residence permit within one year.
FOREIGNERS WHO DID NOT GET A RESIDENCE PERMIT IN THE PAST DESPITE HAVING MET THE CRITERIA REQUIRED
Foreigners who are legally residing in the TRNC but did not get a residence permit in the past despite having met the criteria required and their spouses and children; foreigners whose mother or father is a TRNC citizen or whose spouse or children have a student permit will be entitled for residence permit if they apply within one year from the date of entry into force of the Residence and Visa Regulation and can prove that in the past they met the criteria required.
RESIDENCE PERMIT APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications for a residence permit will be submitted to the Immigration Authority of the District Police Directorate responsible for the area where he/she resides within thirty days after the commencement of the period granted with the visa given while entering to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Applications for renewal of a residence permit shall be made no earlier than sixty days and not later than twenty days before the expiry of the current residence permit. The applications are first evaluated by the Immigration Authority of the District Police
Directorate and then submitted to the Immigration Department within ten days, with a reasoned opinion whether it is appropriate to grant a residence permit or not. After the application is received by the Department, the applicant submits a clean medical report to the Department and if no further examination is required, a residence permit is issued at that time. If the clean medical report is not delivered to the Department by the applicant within thirty days starting from the date of application, a short message is sent to the applicant stating that his application has been rejected and that he/she has to leave the country within five days. Those persons who do not leave the country within five days will be considered as having stayed in the country without permission from the competent authorities and will be fined in accordance with the Law. The information and documents required for each type of residence permit are determined by the Department and published on the official website https://icisleri.gov.ct.tr/. In cases where possible, applications will be made through the official website of the Department.
SHORT-TERM RESIDENCE PERMIT
A short-term residence permit is issued, each time, for a period of maximum one year. The duration of the short-term residence permit is decided based on the person’s request, reason and other issues related to a residence permit. The foreigners who are eligible to apply for a short-term residence permit:
- The foreigners who came to the TRNC for scientific research or archaeological excavation;
- The foreigners who own immovable property in the TRNC;
- The foreigners who came to the TRNC for vocational training or an internship;
- The foreigners who came to the TRNC in accordance with international agreements or student exchange programs;
- The foreigners who will be granted residence permit in accordance with a request or decision of the judicial and administrative authorities;
- The foreigners who came to TRNC for the treatment of a medical condition that does not pose a threat to public health;
- The foreigners who complete their higher education in a two-year program or studied and graduated at least in three years from a higher education program that lasts four years or longer can be issued a one-time residence permit for maximum 6 months if they apply within 60 days of their graduation;
- The yacht owners or leaseholders, who arrive within the context of yacht tourism, as well as the crew and the passengers can be issued short-term residence permit up to 6 months within a 12 month period provided that they submit the relevant documents regarding the duration of their stay in the TRNC harbour where their yacht is anchored;
- The foreigners who arrive for shooting a movie/documentary can be issued short-term residence permit each time they apply for a period of maximum one year if the visa that they were granted in the first place proved to be not sufficient for the shooting to be completed;
- Short-term residence permit according to income: Short-term residence permit can be issued to the foreigners whose monthly income is equal to the total of 5 minimum wage or has the annual equivalent of that amount in a bank account. For short-term residence permit application requirements check: RESIDENCE PERMITS and
VISA REGULATION Article.15
DURATION OF THE RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR FOREIGNERS WHO POSSESS IMMOVABLE PROPERTY IN NORTH CYPRUS
Foreigners who possess immovable property in the TRNC may be granted 1-year renewable residence permit for the first 3 years and thereafter two years renewable permit provided that they have obtained the title deeds registered to their names.
CRITERIA FOR RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR FOREIGNERS WHO POSSESS IMMOVABLE PROPERTY IN NORTH CYPRUS
He/she must possess a house suitable for residence that is currently being used for this purpose. If the title deed of a dwelling is divided into more than one share and one of the shareholders has been issued a short-term residence permit in accordance with this paragraph, no short-term residence permit shall be granted to another shareholder for the same dwelling.
In the event that the immovable property has been purchased through concluding a contract, it is required that the payment for at least one-third of the sale price has been made and the applicant must have applied for permission from the Council of Ministers to acquire the immovable property.
If the immovable property has a title deed registered to the name of the applicant, the applicant is required to have an income equal to at least three monthly minimum wages; if the instalments are still being paid for the immovable property that has been acquired through a contract, the applicant must have an income equal to at least three monthly minimum wages in addition to the monthly instalment amount stated in the contract.
FAMILY RESIDENCE PERMIT
The person who is ready to cover the financial expenses of a foreigner who wish to come to Cyprus for the purpose of family unity and whose name is registered in his/her application for a residence permit are considered as his/her sponsor. The persons who could be considered as a sponsor are: TRNC citizens, residency permit holders, business permit holders, student residence permit holders and the foreigners who have been legally working in the TRNC at least for a year.
PEOPLE WHO CAN RECEIVE FAMILY RESIDENCE PERMIT
- The sponsor’s foreigner spouse who is not a TRNC citizen;
- His/her or spouse’s handicapped foreign children who is over eighteen;
- The sponsor’s or his/her spouse’s parents, if the sponsor and his/her spouse is working and have children under twelve;
- Student resident permit holders’ parents and spouses;
- The children of foreigners residing in the TRNC who are not a student, not working, single and under twenty-three;
- The parents of the sponsor who is a TRNC citizen;
- For family residence permit application requirements check: RESIDENCE PERMITS and VISA REGULATION Article.17
STUDENT RESIDENCE PERMIT
Foreigners who are attending to an associate degree, undergraduate degree, graduate degree or a postgraduate degree in a higher education institution in TRNC are obliged to hold a student residence permit,
To apply for a student residence permit, the steps of the application (program) on the web page, which is specially designed for this purpose, should be followed.
The link for the online application for the student residence permit: (https://icisleri.gov.ct.tr/)
RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR FOREIGNER STUDENTS WHO ARE OVER EIGHTEEN AND STILL STUDYING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
If a foreigner is over eighteen but still studying in a secondary school and can prove this, he/she can be issued a student residence permit upon applying to the Immigration Department without any further requirement. Foreigners who are over eighteen but still studying in secondary schools must apply with a valid passport, valid student certificate and a fee receipt from the Office of Tax and Revenue.
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