The week-long COSPAR 2025 Global Space Symposium concluded on 6 November with a free ‘Space Science Street Festival’ in downtown Nicosia, capping an event that attracted 1,200 researchers, agency officials and aerospace executives from 40 countries. The symposium—Cyprus’ largest ever scientific gathering—ran from 3-7 November at the State Gallery and the University of Cyprus, positioning the island as a credible host for high-tech conferences.
International arrivals peaked on 2 November, when charter coaches shuttled delegates from Larnaca airport to hotels in the capital. Organisers worked with the Civil Aviation Authority to secure expanded landing slots for chartered Gulfstream and Embraer corporate jets bringing industry CEOs from the United States and Israel.
![COSPAR 2025 Space Symposium wraps up with public festival in Nicosia]()
For mobility professionals, the key lesson is logistical: Nicosia lacks its own commercial airport, so large events rely on 45-minute transfers from Larnaca. Dedicated HOV lanes along the A1 motorway kept journey times under an hour, but transport planners warn that future mega-events will require permanent infrastructure upgrades.
The street festival itself drew thousands of schoolchildren and residents to Plateia Dimarchias, where Hungarian astronaut Gyula Cserenyi and COSPAR president Pascale Ehrenfreund hosted live Q&A sessions. The Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation (CSEO) confirmed that it is negotiating with two European satellite firms to open liaison offices in Nicosia—moves that would bring expatriate engineering talent to the island under the fast-track ‘Category G’ work-permit regime.
With Cyprus actively courting aerospace and research organisations, relocation managers should monitor incentives such as the 50 % income-tax exemption for high-earners and the digital-nomad visa, both of which were extended to 2027 in the latest budget.
International arrivals peaked on 2 November, when charter coaches shuttled delegates from Larnaca airport to hotels in the capital. Organisers worked with the Civil Aviation Authority to secure expanded landing slots for chartered Gulfstream and Embraer corporate jets bringing industry CEOs from the United States and Israel.
For mobility professionals, the key lesson is logistical: Nicosia lacks its own commercial airport, so large events rely on 45-minute transfers from Larnaca. Dedicated HOV lanes along the A1 motorway kept journey times under an hour, but transport planners warn that future mega-events will require permanent infrastructure upgrades.
The street festival itself drew thousands of schoolchildren and residents to Plateia Dimarchias, where Hungarian astronaut Gyula Cserenyi and COSPAR president Pascale Ehrenfreund hosted live Q&A sessions. The Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation (CSEO) confirmed that it is negotiating with two European satellite firms to open liaison offices in Nicosia—moves that would bring expatriate engineering talent to the island under the fast-track ‘Category G’ work-permit regime.
With Cyprus actively courting aerospace and research organisations, relocation managers should monitor incentives such as the 50 % income-tax exemption for high-earners and the digital-nomad visa, both of which were extended to 2027 in the latest budget.
