Everyday life in Cyprus Checked: no change to the rule has been established since the check
In short
- Who it applies to
- Anyone entering Cyprus with goods for their own use: tourists, residents coming back from a trip, and people returning from the north of the island. Moving house with your belongings and parcels follow other rules.
- What it costs
- Within the allowances — nothing. Above them you pay customs duty, excise and VAT, and the goods must be declared in the red channel.
- How long it takes
- The allowances apply on the spot, when you arrive: nothing has to be arranged in advance.
- Where to apply
- Larnaca and Paphos airports and Limassol and Larnaca ports have two channels: green if you carry no more than the allowance, red if you carry more or anything restricted. From the north of the island — only through the official crossing points.
- If your case differs
- Cash of €10,000 or more must be declared in writing on arrival and departure — including travel from another EU country. If you do not declare it, the cash is seized, and the penalty can reach three years in prison or a fine of up to €100,000. Tobacco and alcohol allowances do not apply under 17.
Your case
If your journey started outside the EU — including with a connection at an EU airport
Duty-free: 200 cigarettes, 1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of weaker drinks, plus 4 litres of wine and 16 litres of beer, and other goods up to €430. The UK, Israel, Russia and Turkey are third countries. Family members' allowances cannot be added together: a €900 phone does not become duty-free because two of you carry it.
If your journey started in another EU country
No duty, provided tax was paid in the country of purchase and you carry the goods yourself, for yourself. The figures in the law are guide levels: 800 cigarettes, 10 litres of spirits, 90 litres of wine, 110 litres of beer. You may carry more, but customs may ask why, and beyond a reasonable amount will treat it as trade.
If you are coming back from the north of the island through a crossing point
A separate Green Line regulation applies: 40 cigarettes and 1 litre of spirits, goods worth no more than €260 in total, from age 17. Rolling tobacco from the north is not allowed in any quantity. Neither are animals and animal products.
Deadlines and conditions
- from outside the EU — 200 cigarettesDirective 2007/74/EC, art. 8(1)(a): «200 cigarettes»; Customs page «Σύστημα διέλευσης και παραχωρήσεις», para 2.4: «τσιγάρα … 200 τεμάχια» — or 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars, 250 g of tobacco, or a proportional mix.
- 1 litre of spirits over 22% or 2 litres of weaker drinksDirective 2007/74/EC, art. 9(1)(a)–(b): «a total of 1 litre» above 22% or 2 litres up to 22%, or a proportional mix; para 2.4 of the Customs page — the same.
- plus 4 litres of still wineDirective 2007/74/EC, art. 9(3): «a total of 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer» — on top of the spirits allowance, not instead of it.
- and 16 litres of beerSame article 9(3): 16 litres of beer.
- other goods — up to €430 per personDirective 2007/74/EC, art. 7(1): for air and sea travellers «EUR 430»; art. 7(3): the value of an individual item may not be split. Customs page, para 2.4(γ): «€430 για κάθε ταξιδιώτη» and the ban on pooling family members' allowances.
- for a child under 15 — up to €175Customs page, para 2.4(γ): for travellers under 15 — «€175» (Directive 2007/74/EC, art. 7(2) allows a lower threshold, but not below €150).
- duty-free tobacco and alcohol only from age 17Directive 2007/74/EC, art. 10; Regulation 866/2004, art. 6(2); Customs page: «ΤΑΞΙΔΙΩΤΕΣ ΚΑΤΩ ΤΩΝ 17 ΕΤΩΝ ΔΕΝ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥΝΤΑΙ ΑΠΑΛΛΑΓΗ».
- from the EU — a guide level of 800 cigarettes, not a limitExcise Law 91(Ι)/2004, art. 18(3): «απλώς και μόνο ως αποδεικτικό στοιχείο» the quantity should not exceed «τσιγάρα 800 τεμάχια», 400 cigarillos, 200 cigars, 1 kg of tobacco. A guide level, not a limit: more is allowed if you show it is for yourself.
Show all conditions (13)
- spirits — 10 litresSame, art. 18(3)(β): «οινοπνευματώδη ποτά 10 λίτρα», intermediate products 20 l, wine 90 l (no more than 60 sparkling), beer 110 l.
- beer — 110 litresSame: «μπύρες 110 λίτρα».
- across the Green Line — 40 cigarettes and 1 litre of spiritsRegulation 866/2004, art. 6(2): «40 cigarettes and 1 litre of spirits for personal consumption»; Customs page «Crossing Points – Green Line Regulations», para 6(B).
- goods from the north — up to €260 in totalRegulation 866/2004, art. 6(1) as amended by 587/2008: goods in personal luggage are exempt if non-commercial and «their total value does not exceed EUR 260 per person».
- cash of €10,000 or more must be declared, even when travelling within the EURegulation (EU) 2018/1672 and Cyprus Law 63(Ι)/2022; Customs page «Cash Control», para 2: anyone entering or leaving «from a third country or from another member state» with «€10.000 … or more» must declare it; para 6 — seizure, up to three years in prison or a fine of up to €100,000.
Sources
- Customs Department, “Channel system and concessions” (travellers)www.mof.gov.cyChannels, third-country allowances and EU guide levels, the connection rule, €175 for children, age 17, the ban on pooling family allowances.
- Customs Department, “Crossing Points – Green Line Regulations”www.mof.gov.cyAllowances from the north, crossing points, the ban on rolling tobacco, animals and animal products.
- Customs Department, “Cash Control”www.mof.gov.cyDeclaration from €10,000, including travel from another EU country; penalties.
- Council Directive 2007/74/EC on exemption of goods imported by travellers from third countrieseur-lex.europa.euArts. 7 (€430, an item cannot be split), 8 (tobacco), 9 (alcohol, wine and beer on top), 10 (age 17).
- Council Regulation (EC) 866/2004 — Green Line, consolidated 31.08.2015eur-lex.europa.euArt. 6: €260, 40 cigarettes and 1 litre of spirits, age 17.
- Excise Duty Law 91(Ι)/2004 — consolidated text (cylaw)www.cylaw.orgArt. 18: bringing goods from the EU for own use, signs of trade and guide quantities.