Paphos People

Russian citizens applying for tourist visas in Cyprus will have to pay €80 from December 1 onwards, along with providing additional paperwork for stricter checks.

While not a particularly steep fee, it still marks a significant shift from the previous policy whereby Russians were exempt from visa fees – whereas applicants from other third countries had to pay €20.

The development comes after the Council of the EU adopted a decision in September to suspend the visa facilitation agreement with Russia which had been in force since 2007.

SchengenVisaInfo reported on the development which was confirmed by to the Cyprus Mail by the foreign ministry.

Children between the age of six and 12 will pay half price, therefore €40.

It also means that more documentary evidence will be required for Russians applying for tourist visas, including longer processing times and more restrictive rules for the issuance of multiple-entry visas.

Direct flights between Russia and the EU were cancelled at the start of the conflict, limiting Russians’ ability to enter the union.

EU foreign ministers agreed to suspend the visa deal but stopped short of backing an EU-wide visa ban for Russian tourists that Ukraine and several EU members had called for.

In 2019, before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, one fifth of tourists were Russian (782,000 out of 3.9 million) making the Russian market the island’s second largest after Britain.

Last year, despite severe Covid travel restrictions, that figure rose to over 25 per cent, with arrivals from Russia accounting for almost 520,000 of the 1.93 million.

_________________
Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”