How to cross into northern Cyprus, step by step

Crossing into northern Cyprus is far simpler than it looks from outside. Crossing points have been open since 2003, and today you just show your passport. Here’s where the nine crossings are, what documents you need, what happens with a car and what you can bring back, drawing on the UN, the EU and gov.uk. What the north is and what changes there is in northern Cyprus. Before you go, also check Cyprus roaming, as your phone behaves differently in the north, and the Cyprus scams the authorities warn about. If you’re crossing in Nicosia, staying in the capital helps, as explained in Nicosia hotels.

The nine crossing points

The UN records that crossings between north and south have opened gradually since April 2003, the latest two, Deryneia and Lefka, on 12 November 2018. Three are in Nicosia, Ledra Street in the centre of the walled city, Ledra Palace by the walls to the west, and Agios Dometios to the west of the city. What awaits on the far side is in north Nicosia.

Two more lie inside the British base at Dhekelia, Pergamos and Strovilia, and the rest are spread around the island, Zodia west of Nicosia towards the Troodos and Morphou, Kato Pyrgos-Limnitis on the north-west coast, Deryneia near Paralimni and Lefka in the west. Only three are described in detail, the two pedestrian crossings in Nicosia and Agios Dometios for vehicles. For the others, ask before you set off.

What documents you need

You’ll show your passport. The Green Line Regulation requires at least an identity check on everyone crossing, and makes clear the line isn’t an external EU border. Gov.uk says you can use any crossing point to move between north and south, and reminds you that the Republic counts time spent in the north towards your 90-day visa-free total.

The Spanish foreign ministry says the crossings are usually open 24 hours, though that can change without notice. It also stresses that you shouldn’t cross the line anywhere else.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Nicosia for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

If you’re driving

This is the part that trips people up. Many southern hire cars carry no cover north of the line, gov.uk explains, the checkpoint won’t let you through without valid papers, and places such as Agios Dometios sell a policy on the spot. Check with your rental company first whether they allow it at all.

One more warning that matters. Gov.uk notes that some rental companies ask for your passport as a deposit, which is illegal. Never hand it over. For the other road rules, see driving in Cyprus.

What you can bring back

Heading south again, the Green Line Regulation, as amended in 2008, lets personal-luggage goods through tax-free up to 260 euros per person, provided they’re not for resale, with a maximum of one litre of alcoholic drinks and 40 cigarettes. Gov.uk adds that the Republic enforces the 40-cigarette limit, that goods can be confiscated at the checkpoint and that you could be fined. Goods from Pyla, the village inside the buffer zone, count the same way.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Nicosia on GetYourGuide.

My advice for a first crossing

For a first look, I’d cross on foot at Ledra Street, with no car or insurance to worry about. I’d take my passport, some euros in cash, and care with any card payments, and I’d head back south to sleep, for the reasons in hotels in northern Cyprus. Before you go, it’s worth understanding the strip you’ll be walking through, which I explain in the Green Line in Cyprus.

If you would rather go at your own pace, see the car hire deals in Nicosia: the earlier you book, the more cars are left to choose from.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Nicosia for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.