Each state has its own visa formalities and peculiarities of the conditions of stay on their territory. With the development of tourism, many countries are gradually simplifying the visa regime, which can significantly increase the inbound tourist flow.
Do Russians need to get a visa to Cyprus
Cyprus is included not only in the European Union, but also in the list of countries participating in the Schengen Agreement, therefore, the visa regime with Western European states is simplified. However, the Schengen Agreement on the territory of Cyprus is fully suspended for an indefinite period due to the unresolved territorial situation with Northern Cyprus. The above circumstances allowed Cyprus to create a simplified visa regime with Russia.
Features of the visa regime between Cyprus and Russia
The Republic of Cyprus and the Russian Federation in 2009 entered into an agreement on the simplification of the visa regime, according to which Russian citizens can visit sunny Cyprus only on a pro-visa. Such a visa entitles you to a single entry and stay in Cyprus for 90 days. You can only fly on it from the territory of Russia, third countries are strictly excluded.
A pro-visa is relevant for Russian travelers with a direct flight from Russia to Cyprus and back.
Travelers who prefer to fly frequently to the island are advised to apply for a regular national visa at the Cypriot Embassy in Moscow or St. Petersburg. To do this, you need to provide the necessary documents to the consulate, among which financial guarantees of your own solvency are required. You can apply for a Schengen multivisa, according to which you first need to visit a Western European country, and then you can freely travel to Cyprus until its expiration date.
What a pro-visa looks like
The pro-visa looks like an A4 form with a table with the entered tourist data in Latin letters. A pro-visa is free, and you can apply for it via the Internet 1-2 days before departure. To do this, you need to fill out only an electronic template, and you do not need to provide any documents (copies of passports, certificates from work, etc.). The main requirement: the passport is valid for more than 6 months at the time of submission. If a voucher is purchased through a tour operator, then an internal company profile is filled out. Employees of the travel agency, based on the data provided, will fill out a pro-visa application form by themselves.
But it should be borne in mind that in case of any questions from the consulate, it is possible to call the embassy or request additional documents. It is undesirable to have stamps of Northern Cyprus in your passport: in the overwhelming majority of cases, this threatens to deny entry to the Greek part of Cyprus in the future. Officially, the country's authorities have pledged not to interfere with entry and exit through the ports and airports of the northern part of the island, but in reality, unfortunately, the opposite is still happening.
There are simplified visa regimes between the countries. One example is the Cyprus pro-visa.
It is noteworthy that for the establishment of a simplified visa regime with Russia, Cyprus annually pays a fine to the European Union. However, it can be assumed that the state's revenues from the influx of Russian tourists are significantly higher, because the regime has existed for five years.
