Is it safe to travel to Cyprus? Latest tourist advice around Israel-Lebanon conflict

Holiday resorts such as Vathia Gonia beach in Ayia Napa, Cyprus are a popular destination for British tourists (Photo: f8grapher/Getty)

Noel Josephides, chairman of travel agency Sunvil which specialises in holidays to Greece and Cyprus, told i: “There is no problem in travelling to Cyprus.

“The island has always had this problem over many years because of the British sovereign bases.

“We had the same scare story during the first Gulf War in 1991.

“Cyprus is in no way involved. It is a long way from the fighting.”

Cyprus has never been directly involved in conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

However, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned in June that it would retaliate if Cyprus allowed its airports and bases to be used by Israel to attack Lebanon.

He said: “It means that the Cypriot government has become part of the war and the resistance will treat it as part of the war.”

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides responded saying: “Cyprus is not involved, in any way, in the military conflicts.”

What do you need to travel to Cyprus?

There are no special requirements for Britons entering Cyprus. It is an EU member, and so it is similar to entering any EU nation.

Those travelling to Cyprus with a British passport must have:

a date of issue less than 10 years before the date you arrive

an expiry date at least three months after the day you plan to leave

at least one blank page for stamping

Visa requirements

You can travel to Cyprus without a visa for up to 90 days whether you travel:

as a tourist

to visit family or friends

to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events

for short-term studies or training

At Cyprus border control, you may also need to:

show a return or onward ticket

prove that you have enough money for your stay

Cyprus is not part of the Schengen area, so visits there do not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit in the Schengen area and visits to other EU or Schengen countries do not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit in Cyprus.

Cyprus lies in the eastern Mediterranean and is a strategic point for the UK military (Photo: PeterHermesFurian/Getty)Why are Brits in Lebanon being evacuated to Cyprus?

Cyprus is an independent republic and EU member state but was formerly part of the British Empire and then a Crown colony until 1960.

As part of the treaty for independence, two sovereign base areas at Akrotiri and Dhekelia were identified as places which would remain part of British sovereign territory and therefore under British jurisdiction.

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The bases, which cover 98 square miles, enable the UK to maintain a permanent military presence at a strategic point in the eastern Mediterranean.

Cyprus is about 164 miles from Lebanon and only a 25-minute flight away.

In August, Cyprus’s president said the nation stood ready to trigger an evacuation plan from Lebanon.

He told Bloomberg some countries had already moved diplomatic staff to Cyprus, and cited the country’s previous experience in taking in people fleeing the Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006.

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Publish date : 2024-09-25 06:00:00

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