19/09/2025
By Helen Daniilidou
Key facts
Cyprus operates outside the EU Entry/Exit System (EES). Border officers at Larnaca and Paphos airports stamp passports by hand and take no fingerprints or facial scans. The EES has run in 29 European countries since 12 October 2025 and at every one of their border points since 10 April 2026. Cyprus is an EU member outside the Schengen area, so the system stops at its border. UK visitors get 90 days in Cyprus, counted separately from their 90 days in the Schengen area.
Does the EES apply to Cyprus?
The EES does not apply to Cyprus. The system covers the 29 countries of the Schengen area, and Cyprus is an EU member state outside Schengen. Ireland is in the same position.
The UK government’s travel advice for Cyprus, updated in August 2026, says Cyprus is not affected by the EES and travellers do not register on arrival. The Cypriot government confirmed the position in February 2026.
The rule is the same at every entry point of the Republic of Cyprus: Larnaca airport, Paphos airport and the seaports, including Limassol.
What happens at passport control in Larnaca and Paphos?
A border officer checks the passport and stamps it by hand, on arrival and on departure. Larnaca and Paphos airports have no EES kiosks, and officers take no fingerprints or facial images.
A UK passport needs three things for entry to Cyprus:
- An issue date less than 10 years before the day of arrival.
- An expiry date at least 3 months after the day of departure.
- At least one blank page for the stamps.
Check for the stamp before leaving the desk. The stamps are the record of your 90 days. If one is missing, show your boarding pass and ask the officer to add the date and place of entry or exit.
The stamp matters because of how Cyprus counts time, which works differently from the rest of the EU.
What is the EES?
The Entry/Exit System is the EU’s digital border register for non-EU nationals on short stays. It replaces the passport stamp with an electronic record of each entry and exit, linked to the traveller’s fingerprints and facial image.
The system started on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational at every external Schengen border point since 10 April 2026. The European Commission reported more than 145 million entries and exits registered by July 2026.
A first registration takes place at the border, at a kiosk or with an officer. It stays valid for three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.
Which countries use the EES?
Twenty-nine countries use the EES: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Cyprus and Ireland are the two EU member states outside the system. Both stamp passports by hand.
Do you go through the EES when flying from Cyprus to Greece?
A UK passport holder flying from Larnaca or Paphos to Athens goes through the EES on arrival in Greece. A flight from Cyprus to any Schengen country crosses an external Schengen border, so the EES check takes place at the destination airport.
The same applies in reverse. Leaving Greece for Cyprus, the EES records the exit in Greece, and Cyprus stamps the passport on arrival.
The two systems also keep two separate day counts.
How long can UK visitors stay in Cyprus?
UK passport holders can stay in Cyprus for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Cyprus counts those days on its own, separately from the Schengen area.
Days spent in Spain, Greece or any other Schengen country leave the Cyprus allowance untouched. Days spent in Cyprus leave the Schengen allowance untouched. A UK owner of a Cyprus home can spend 90 days in Cyprus and 90 days in the Schengen area inside the same 180 days.
| Cyprus | Schengen area | |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-free stay for UK nationals | 90 days in any 180 | 90 days in any 180 |
| How the days are recorded | Passport stamps | EES digital record |
| Biometrics at the border | None | Fingerprints and facial image |
| Days in the other zone | Counted separately | Counted separately |
Staying past 90 days in Cyprus leads to questioning on exit and a place on the stop list for up to 5 years. Owners who want longer stays need a residence permit. Our guides to Cyprus residency for UK nationals and Cyprus permanent residency set out the routes.
Does time in the north of Cyprus count?
Time spent in the north of Cyprus counts towards the 90-day limit. Visitors can cross between north and south at the official crossing points.
The point of first arrival on the island matters. The Republic of Cyprus treats arrival through the north, for example at Ercan airport, as illegal entry. The consequences include a fine and refusal of entry or exit.
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Will Cyprus join the EES?
Cyprus starts using the EES when it joins the Schengen area, and accession has no date yet. The European Commission adopted a positive report on Cyprus’s technical readiness for Schengen on 15 July 2026. Accession now needs a unanimous decision of the Council of the EU. As of October 2026 the Council has set no date for that decision.
Three things change when Cyprus joins:
- EES registration replaces the passport stamp at Larnaca and Paphos.
- Days in Cyprus count towards the single Schengen limit of 90 days in any 180.
- Flights between Cyprus and other Schengen countries run without passport control.
The third point is the gain for frequent travellers. The second is the cost for UK owners who split their year between Cyprus and another European country.
Do you need an ETIAS to visit Cyprus?
Cyprus needs no ETIAS today, because the system has not started. ETIAS is the EU’s online travel authorisation for visa-free visitors, and it is separate from the EES.
Cyprus is one of the 30 countries that will require ETIAS once it launches, even from outside Schengen. The European Commission set the fee at €20 in July 2025, with travellers under 18 and over 70 exempt. An authorisation lasts three years or until the passport expires.
The EU has confirmed no start date and has said it will announce one several months ahead. Any website charging for an ETIAS today is selling something that does not exist yet.
What does this mean for UK nationals who live in Cyprus?
UK nationals who hold Cyprus residency enter and leave Cyprus on their residency document, outside the 90-day count. They should carry the Republic of Cyprus residency document on every trip.
The position changes on a trip to a Schengen country. Residence permits issued by Cyprus fall outside the EES exemption, so a UK resident of Cyprus is registered in the EES in Greece, France or Spain like any other UK visitor. The Schengen limit of 90 days in any 180 applies to them there.
Applicants still waiting for a decision should read Can you travel while your Cyprus residency is pending? before booking flights. Owners planning for the long term can also read our guide to inheritance tax in Cyprus for UK nationals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cyprus in the EES?
Cyprus is outside the EES. The system covers the 29 countries of the Schengen area, and Cyprus is an EU member outside Schengen. Travellers arriving in Cyprus do not register fingerprints or a facial image.
Is there EES at Larnaca airport?
Larnaca airport has no EES checks. Border officers inspect each passport and stamp it by hand on arrival and departure. A passenger flying from Larnaca to a Schengen country goes through the EES at the destination airport.
Is there EES at Paphos airport?
Paphos airport has no EES checks. The procedure matches Larnaca: a manual passport check and an ink stamp on entry and exit.
Does Cyprus still stamp UK passports?
Cyprus stamps UK passports on entry and on exit. The stamps record the 90 days a UK visitor can spend in Cyprus in any 180-day period. A UK passport needs at least one blank page for them.
Do days in Cyprus count towards the Schengen 90 days?
Days in Cyprus are counted separately from the Schengen 90 days. A UK national can spend 90 days in Cyprus and 90 days in the Schengen area inside the same 180-day period. The two counts merge when Cyprus joins Schengen.
Is Cyprus in the Schengen area?
Cyprus is an EU member state outside the Schengen area. The European Commission gave a positive assessment of its technical readiness on 15 July 2026. Accession needs a unanimous Council decision, and no date has been set as of October 2026.
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This article gives general information as of October 2026. Border and visa rules change, so check the UK government’s travel advice for Cyprus before you travel.
