Cyprus Border Crossings
When you holiday in Northern Cyprus you may like to pop into southern Cyprus for a day trip to have a look around or maybe you would just like to visit the other half of Nicosia, and, since the Republic of Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, this has become far easier to do.
What is the process at the North Cyprus Border Crossing?
For your border crossing all you will need is your passport, plus a visa if you require one for south Cyprus (Brits do not). Present this to the Turkish Cypriot passport control on your way out of Northern Cyprus and they will give you a white slip to fill in – this is simply your name, passport number and nationality. On the other side of the border the Greek Cypriot authorities will check your passport and allow you to enter.
You are allowed to pass between north and south Cyprus as many times as you like; after all, many of the locals do it on a daily basis. The border crossings are open 24 hours a day, but please remember that you cannot take a Northern Cyprus hire car across the border. You should also be aware that you cannot take goods worth more than CYP50 either way.
Where are the North Cyprus Border Crossings located?
There are five border crossings in Northern Cyprus to choose from, though the most popular one is located in the city of Nicosia at Metehan, called Agios Dometios by the Greek Cypriots.
In the west of the city you will find the Ledra Palace border crossing which can only be used by pedestrians and cyclists.
Outside of Nicosia and to the west, is the Güzelyurt border crossing. Vehicles are permitted to cross here, although not of course if it is a Northern Cyprus hire car! If you do cross here, be aware that this area is known by many different names so may be confusing when you re-enter! You may hear it referred to as Astromeritis, Morpho, Morfu, Omorfo or Zohdia!
The final two North Cyprus border crossings are within the British Eastern Sovereign Base Area, which the British call the Black Knight Crossing (aka Akyar, Azios Nikolaos and Strovilia) and the Pergamos Crossing (aka Beyarmudu and Dhekelia).