Cyprus inaugurates 1,000-bed Limnes pre-removal centre to ease migrant overcrowding
EU Entry/Exit System takes full effect 10 April – Cyprus keeps manual passport stamping for now
Travel Expo Cyprus 2026 returns to Nicosia, promising one-stop shop for post-crisis travel planning
Latest News
Middle-East war dents Cyprus air passenger numbers 15% in March
Hermes Airports says passenger throughput at Larnaca and Pafos tumbled 15.3 % in March as the Iran–Gulf crisis spooked tourists and corporate flyers. The downturn has led the government to activate subsidies and ramp up reassurance campaigns in key European markets. Business-travel managers are advising flexible tickets and extra transit time as airlines reroute around conflict zones.
Cyprus kept outside EU’s new biometric Entry/Exit System launching 10 April
The EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System goes live on 10 April, but Cyprus and Ireland will not participate. Travellers entering Cyprus will avoid the new fingerprint and facial-scan procedures, giving Larnaca and Pafos a short-term competitive advantage but creating itinerary-planning headaches for firms whose staff combine Schengen and Cypriot stops.
UK bolsters Akrotiri with two Merlin Mk2 helicopters, raising civil-airspace safety questions
Two additional Merlin Mk2 helicopters reached RAF Akrotiri on 8 April, expanding the UK’s surveillance footprint after last month’s drone strike. While the move strengthens regional security, it is generating more military NOTAMs and minor routing changes for civil flights over Cyprus, requiring travel-risk monitoring by corporates.
Plug and Play launches Cyprus Innovation Centre to attract global start-up talent
Silicon Valley accelerator Plug and Play opened a Cyprus chapter on 8 April, promising to back 60 start-ups and generate 500 jobs. The hub is designed to lure foreign founders under Cyprus’ start-up and digital-nomad visa regimes, giving multinationals a visa-light innovation base outside Schengen.
Foreign seafarers spared social-cohesion levy as Cyprus tweaks shipping tax rules
Parliament has scrapped the 2 % Social Cohesion Fund levy for non-resident seafarers, effective back to 2010. The measure cuts crewing costs, strengthens Cyprus’ tonnage-tax system and simplifies payroll for global ship-management companies based in Limassol.