Sri Lanka has announced an extension of its visa-free entry initiative for visitors from 7 countries until April 30, 2024. Citizens of India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand were first approved for visa-free entry by the Cabinet of Ministers in October 2023. The program was initially due to last until March 31. However,
Visa Requirements for Cyprus Citizens
Visa requirements for citizens of the Republic of Cyprus are administrative entry restrictions placed on Cypriot nationals by the authorities of other countries and territories around the globe.
The Henley Passport Index currently ranks the Cypriot passport 13th among the passports of the world in terms of travel freedom. Citizens of Cyprus are granted visa exemption or access with a visa on arrival to around 125 countries worldwide.
Cyprus is a member of the European Union and a pending member of the Schengen Area for passport-free travel. Accordingly, Cypriots are granted freedom of movement to all EU member states and the 4 non-EU countries in the Schengen Area if they present a valid national ID card at a border checkpoint.
To enter other countries that grant visa-free access to Cyprus, it is usually necessary to present a valid Cypriot passport to immigration authorities on arrival. The duration of visa-exempt stay permitted in these destinations varies from 15 days up to 1 year and is most often granted for purposes of tourism, business, or transit.
To travel to roughly 40 countries for short-term stays, travelers from Cyprus are able to obtain an eVisa or online visa waiver through a simple Electronic Travel Visa Authorization program. These expedited application protocols remove the need to wait in long immigration queues to apply for a visa on arrival or visit an embassy or consulate in person to collect a paper document.
To visit these same countries for long-term stays, it is necessary to apply for a visa for citizens of Cyprus from an embassy. Additionally, a consular visa for Cypriot passport holders is required to visit up to 80 destinations worldwide, no matter the duration of stay or the motive of the trip.
Find further information about these different entry types for Cypriots below.