Cyprus Confirms It Will Stay Outside EU’s New Biometric Entry/Exit System
UK Suspends Imports of Cypriot Animal Products After Foot-and-Mouth Outbreak
Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Visa Team Up to Unveil New Tourist-Spending Data
Latest News
Green Monday Public Holiday Shuts Cypriot Consulates Worldwide—Plan Visa Submissions Accordingly
Cypriot embassies and consulates, including the High Commission in London, will be closed on 23 February for the Green Monday holiday. Travellers and employers must submit visa and passport applications ahead of the long weekend or risk delays until offices reopen on 24 February.
EU veterinary team lands in Cyprus as nationwide foot-and-mouth restrictions escalate
An emergency four-member DG SANTE mission arrived in Cyprus on 22 February to help contain a fast-spreading foot-and-mouth outbreak. The team endorsed a nationwide ban on moving livestock and related products, triggering ripple effects on exports, port operations and corporate travel to rural areas. Businesses must adapt to stricter bio-security checks or face heavy fines.
Cyprus imposes island-wide livestock quarantine, halting animal transports and on-farm slaughter
Responding to escalating FMD cases, Cyprus on 22 February slapped a strict, nationwide quarantine on all livestock movements and closed slaughterhouses. The sweeping order disrupts domestic supply chains, halts live-animal exports and complicates corporate field assignments, signalling that authorities will take no chances with agricultural trade partners.
Additional Larnaca farms infected as foot-and-mouth crisis widens, movement ban confirmed
Tests confirmed FMD in three additional Livadia farms on 22 February, triggering immediate nationwide enforcement of livestock-movement bans and tougher bio-security audits. The widening outbreak complicates work-visa travel for foreign drivers and prompts neighbouring countries to impose precautionary measures on vehicles arriving from Cyprus.
Aradippou farmers install emergency disinfection tanks, warn 4,500 animals may be culled
Aradippou’s dairy farmers took matters into their own hands on 22 February, building wheel-bath checkpoints and restricting road access to keep FMD out of the district. The grassroots action highlights growing tensions with the state, poses new traffic hurdles for business travellers and foreshadows possible mass culling of 4,500 cattle and goats.
Customs seize duty-free cigarettes and 80 litres of fuel at Green Line crossings
Customs authorities announced multiple seizures of untaxed cigarettes and petrol at Green Line crossings, underscoring a tougher enforcement posture as Cyprus gears up for Schengen entry. Higher spot fines and potential vehicle confiscation mean cross-border commuters and business travellers must pay closer attention to duty-free limits.
Green Monday festival in Voroklini cancelled amid livestock-disease curbs
Voroklini cancelled its 24 February Green Monday festival on 22 February because the site lies inside the FMD control zone. The move dents late-Carnival tourist traffic and signals that wider public events could be curtailed until veterinary authorities declare the outbreak under control.