Driving can be quite an emotive subject here in North Cyprus, as it seems that driving standards have not improved in tandem with the upgrade of the road system, and have indeed got worse now that people can afford to purchase faster and more modern cars. However, for now we will just give you a heads up on the general driving situation.
When travelling to North Cyprus the majority of nationalities only need be concerned with having a current passport that has at least 6 months validity remaining. Citizens of all EU countries together with Australia, Canada, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland do not require a visa prior to travelling. Other nationalities should check with their local embassy office, or indeed visit the offices of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) if they happen to have a representative in your native country.
IN NORTH CYPRUS
Several nations’ embassies, high commissions or foreign missions are located in North Cyprus and they can help with varying issues such as passport renewals, birth certificates, legal advice and much more. Local Turkish Cypriots wishing to travel to the countries which are represented on the island are required to visit the relevant nation’s offices to obtain visas for their journey.
North Cyprus benefits from a modern and well-equipped police force that carries out various tasks apart from just crime fighting. The police force has traffic, immigration, drug and fraud divisions for example, and visitors to North Cyprus will be pleased to know that they are very quick to deal with any crime committed against tourists – although rest assured, such crimes are very infrequent.
Since 2003, the north and south of Cyprus have been accessible to each other via several checkpoints along the Green Line, all of which were opened as part of efforts aimed at reuniting the two Cypriot communities.
Today Europeans and Cypriots are able to use several border crossings in Cyprus, whether it’s to shop, trade or work. Currently there are 9 checkpoints open to pedestrians and/or traffic and below we will detail these for you. It’s worth noting that another checkpoint in Yeşilirmak on the far north-western tip of Cyprus could be set to open shortly and we will keep you up to date on that!
