Long queues at crossings: Republic of Cyprus authorities report no changes in rules

Queues and delays at crossings between Northern and Southern Cyprus have become more frequent; the authorities of the South state that no changes have been made to crossing rules. President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides stated that there are no changes in the operation of border checkpoints, and the police confirmed that freedom of movement for citizens of both sides remains.

According to the police of the Republic of Cyprus, the reason for the slowdown is updates in the systems of the Department of Civil Registry and Migration and the need to manually enter data when using Northern Cyprus identifiers, which are not always compatible with barcode and chip systems. The department recommends, when possible, presenting a Republic of Cyprus passport or birth certificate to speed up the process.

In addition to technical delays, queues are also affected by random vehicle checks by the police, as reported earlier by the media; the lack of detailed public information has fueled social media rumors about a ban on crossings with TRNC IDs. It is also noted that such uncertainties particularly affect people from mixed marriages and those without Republic of Cyprus identification.

Residents of Northern Cyprus are advised to take possible delays into account (especially at the Metehan checkpoint), carry alternative documents (Republic of Cyprus passport or birth certificate), and check official police and migration service announcements for up-to-date information.