Southern Cyprus Police: Crossing rules with Northern Cyprus (TRNC) have not changed

On August 26, 2025, the Southern Cyprus Police announced that the rules regulating border crossings on the island have not changed, and rumors about a ban on entry with TRNC-issued IDs (“KKTC”) are false. According to a police spokesperson in an interview with Cyprus Mail, documents issued by the TRNC are still recognized as valid grounds for crossing.

At the same time, the police representative noted one technical change: Southern Cyprus staff now manually record the data indicated on “KKTC” IDs presented at the checkpoints. This is because such cards often cannot be read by automatic scanners at border posts, whereas IDs issued by Southern Cyprus or other EU countries are usually read automatically.

For residents of Northern Cyprus, this may mean longer processing times and possible queues at checkpoints. It is recommended to consider potential delays when planning trips and, if possible, to carry a passport or other valid ID to speed up processing.