Prerequisites for entering Cyprus change as COVID-19 pandemic goes on

Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) said on Wednesday that Cyprus has revised the requirements for entering the country as the COVID-19 pandemic goes on.

According to the MAE, Romania remains a category C country, along with Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Portugal, Serbia and Sweden.

Also, from August 4, the special permit required for access to Cyprus can be obtained through the www.cyprusflightpass.gov.cy portal. Documents certifying the need to travel will be submitted with the application for a special permit.

MAE said Cyprus opened on August 1 a call centre to provide assistance in using the CyprusFlightPass platform. Information can be obtained both by phone, by calling 00357 24841234 (Monday to Friday 08:00hrs - 22:00hrs, Saturday and Sunday between 10:00hrs-18:00hrs), and online, by visiting the https://cyprusflightpass.gov.cy/el/contact-us platform.

In accordance with the measures adopted by Cyprus, access to the country is allowed only to certain categories of citizens coming from countries included in category C, as follows:

* Cypriot citizens and foreign nationals legally residing in Cyprus may enter on condition that they produce proof of residence, flight pass obtained on the www.cyprusflightpass.gov.cy portals 24 hours before travel and a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test. The test can be performed either in Romania, by an authorised laboratory, or at the airport, upon arrival.

* other categories of persons (holders of diplomatic passports on a mission, business people or scientists who have to travel for professional reasons, athletes who have contracts with clubs in Cyprus, specialists on employment contracts, humanitarian cases, etc.) can enter only on the condition that they obtain a special permit issued by the Cypriot Ministry of the Interior. In addition to the special permit, the travel authorisation obtained by applying on the www.cyprusflightpass.gov.cy portal 24 hours before travel and a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR molecular test must be produced upon entering Cyprus. For those on special permits, the test can be performed only in Romania 72 hours prior to entering Cyprus and attested by a certificate written in English.

MAE also said all persons arriving in Cyprus from countries included in category C must isolate themselves for a period of 14 days. Failure to comply with this rule carries a fine of 300 euros.

Romanian citizens can request consular assistance by calling the Romanian Embassy in Nicosia: 00357 22495333, 00357 22517333, with the calls being rerouted to the Contact and Support Centre of Romanian Citizens Abroad (CCSCRS) and taken over by a call centre 24/7. Romanian nationals facing a difficult, special situation of an emergency nature can also call the emergency line of the embassy: 00357 97812277.

MAE recommends visiting the web pages: https://www.mae.ro/node/51906, http://nicosia.mae.ro, http://www.mae.ro/, https: //www.pio. gov.cy/coronavirus/en/press/22072020_2.pdf https://www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus/en/press/31072020_19.pdf, https://www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus/en /press/31072020_18.pdf.