Cyprus has moved quickly to seal a new bio-security gap along the 180-kilometre Green Line after veterinary labs in the island’s north confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) earlier this week. From the early hours of 31 December, mixed teams of Veterinary Services officers, police, National Guard soldiers and British-Bases personnel began round-the-clock spraying of every car, coach and articulated truck arriving from the Turkish-occupied areas.
The measure replaces a shift system that left night-time haulage peaks virtually uncovered and had already drawn criticism from livestock producers located near the cease-fire line. Freight trailers must now present proof of prior cleansing before entry, while passenger vehicles receive a virucidal under-carriage and wheel wash on the spot. Authorities have also tightened compliance checks on animal-product imports and stepped up farm inspections in buffer-zone communities such as Athienou and Denia.
If you’re planning a trip that involves crossing the Green Line—or simply need clarity on Cyprus’s evolving entry rules—VisaHQ can streamline the process by securing the correct travel documents, monitoring real-time border advisories and arranging courier submissions when additional permits are required. For the latest guidance and application support, visit https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/.
![Cyprus Orders 24-Hour Vehicle Disinfection at Green-Line Crossings After Foot-and-Mouth Alert]()
Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou said the goal is to prevent “an avoidable economic blow” to the €270-million Cypriot livestock sector. An uncontrolled FMD incursion would trigger EU-mandated culling and export bans, jeopardising dairy supply chains that feed the halloumi/hellim export boom. The Ministry is therefore working with UN peacekeepers (UNFICYP) to improve information flows about animal movements in the north and with the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) to secure a vaccine buffer should the virus jump the line.
For cross-border commuters and business travellers, the new regime means longer waits—especially for tour buses and trucks—during the busy New-Year peak. Customs brokers are advising clients to schedule north-south freight runs outside the 07:00-10:00 and 17:00-21:00 windows, and to build extra lead-time into just-in-time supply contracts. Companies that shuttle staff daily between Nicosia and Famagusta are exploring temporary remote-work options until the risk subsides.
While officials stress that FMD is an animal disease with no impact on human health, they warn that lapses in disinfection could carry a steep economic price. The 24-hour spraying order will therefore remain in force “until further notice”, with weekly reviews based on laboratory results and epidemiological modelling.
The measure replaces a shift system that left night-time haulage peaks virtually uncovered and had already drawn criticism from livestock producers located near the cease-fire line. Freight trailers must now present proof of prior cleansing before entry, while passenger vehicles receive a virucidal under-carriage and wheel wash on the spot. Authorities have also tightened compliance checks on animal-product imports and stepped up farm inspections in buffer-zone communities such as Athienou and Denia.
If you’re planning a trip that involves crossing the Green Line—or simply need clarity on Cyprus’s evolving entry rules—VisaHQ can streamline the process by securing the correct travel documents, monitoring real-time border advisories and arranging courier submissions when additional permits are required. For the latest guidance and application support, visit https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/.
Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou said the goal is to prevent “an avoidable economic blow” to the €270-million Cypriot livestock sector. An uncontrolled FMD incursion would trigger EU-mandated culling and export bans, jeopardising dairy supply chains that feed the halloumi/hellim export boom. The Ministry is therefore working with UN peacekeepers (UNFICYP) to improve information flows about animal movements in the north and with the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) to secure a vaccine buffer should the virus jump the line.
For cross-border commuters and business travellers, the new regime means longer waits—especially for tour buses and trucks—during the busy New-Year peak. Customs brokers are advising clients to schedule north-south freight runs outside the 07:00-10:00 and 17:00-21:00 windows, and to build extra lead-time into just-in-time supply contracts. Companies that shuttle staff daily between Nicosia and Famagusta are exploring temporary remote-work options until the risk subsides.
While officials stress that FMD is an animal disease with no impact on human health, they warn that lapses in disinfection could carry a steep economic price. The 24-hour spraying order will therefore remain in force “until further notice”, with weekly reviews based on laboratory results and epidemiological modelling.
