24/09/2020
24 SEPTEMBER 2020
Changes made for countries and travel according to Covid-19 risk categories
The Ministry of Health announced that the categories of many countries have changed according to the risk assessment made on 22nd September 2020.
Accordingly, Estonia, Norway, and Canada, which were in Group A, have been moved to Group B, and Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Monaco, Hungary and Slovenia have been moved from Group B to Group C. Serbia in Group C moved to Group B and Australia moved to Group A.
In the statement of the Ministry of Health, "Travel practices regarding the new categories will come into force as of 25th September 2020 at 23.59pm.
The statement is as follows:
"Category A”
1) Finland,
2) South Korea,
3) Lithuania,
4) Latvia,
5) New Zealand,
6.) Thailand,
7) Australia
a) Those who come to the TRNC via Southern Cyprus and show negative PCR test results done in the last 72 hours as a document to the Ministry of Health official at the point of entry will be able to enter the country. These persons will not be subject to routine testing or quarantine.
b) For those who come to the TRNC via Turkey from Category A countries, Category B rules will be applied.
c) People who work, receive education, or have health treatment in the Greek Cypriot side and those who travel to the south for other reasons will be able to continue passing through to South Cyprus by having a PCR test only once. However, these people will have random PCR tests. In addition, everyone living in Southern Cyprus will be able to enter the country by showing a negative PCR result only once.
d) All citizens residing in Pile will be able to continuously pass to Pile or from Pile to the North, provided that they show a PCR negative test result for once on their first pass.
e) Personnel of diplomatic missions, UN, EU, British Bases Area and similar international organisations in Cyprus will be asked to show a negative PCR result only once at the first pass. These people will also be PCR random tested.
“Category B”
Denmark,
Ireland
Iceland
Japan
Poland
Belgium
Italy
Vatican
San Marino
Rwanda
Uruguay
China
(including Hong Kong)
Singapore
Turkey
Greece
United Kingdom
Sweden
Liechtenstein
Slovakia
Germany
Georgia
Estonia
Norway
Canada
Serbia
Taiwan*
People coming to the TRNC from Category B countries;
a) They will be able to enter the country by submitting a negative PCR test result, which has been done between 0-120 hours before the travel start date, to the Ministry of Health official at the entry point as a document, and if they do not, they will not be admitted into the country. However, those coming from countries in Group B will be quarantined in centres determined by the state for 7 days after entering the country. On the 7th day of the quarantine, the PCR test will be repeated and the quarantine can be terminated according to the result.
b) Those who go from TRNC to Turkey or come from Turkey to the TRNC as officials will not be quarantined on the condition that they will complete their mission within 72 hours by implementing necessary measures and return to their country.
c) Students who come to the TRNC for their higher education will be isolated in the dormitories or hotels designated by the university for 7 days.
d) The quarantine applications of those who go abroad for health reasons will be evaluated if they apply to the Ministry of Health.
* People coming from Taiwan will be asked to present a document in English showing that they have been in Taiwan for the last 14 days.
“Category C”
USA
Brazil
Argentina
Montenegro
Portugal
Luxembourg
Romania
India
Iran
Israel
Kazakhstan
Kosovo
Mexico
Egypt
Pakistan
Russia
Turkmenistan
Bangladesh
Philippines
Iraq
Spain
France
23) Bulgaria
24) Algeria
25) Morocco
26) Qatar
27) Azerbaijan
28) Malta
29) Croatia
30) Netherlands
31) Andorra
33)United Arab Emirates
34) Lebanon
35) Ukraine
36) Bahrain
37) Saudi Arabia
38) Switzerland
39) Monaco
40) Hungary
41) Slovenia
42) Czech Republic
43) Austria and other countries
* For people coming from countries in category C, it is obligatory to submit a negative PCR test result, which has been done between 0-120 hours before the boarding date, to the Ministry of Health officials when they enter the TRNC. These people will remain in quarantine centres determined by the Ministry of Health for 14 days and will be tested at the end of the quarantine.
Notes:
1- PCR test results will not be requested from children in the 0-5 age group who will enter the country.
2- “The duration of 0-120 hours before the boarding date” specified above will be evaluated based on the date of delivery of the PCR samples.
3- The PCR test results done 6 days before or earlier from the travel date for those who come from B and C group countries will not be considered valid when entering the country. People who submit such tests will not be admitted to the country.
4- As a result of the meeting held by the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Health, those who come from B countries that work in nightclubs will be quarantined in the TRNC for 7 days even if they have stayed in Turkey for 2 weeks. Those who come from a group C country for the same purpose will remain in quarantine for 14 days. Those people coming from B and C group countries must also submit negative PCR test results, which have been performed between 0-120 hours before the boarding date, when entering the country.
5- Those passengers coming from Turkey to the TRNC have the obligation to present a QR code on the PCR test results
