Northern Cyprus — An Unrecognised State Already in the EU

Northern Cyprus is part of the EU, although Turkish and local flags fly everywhere and statues of Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, are almost obligatory.

The plane from Prague lands at Larnaca Airport, the second-largest city in the Republic of Cyprus. Although it is in the European Union, it is not part of the Schengen area, so you will need to show some documents at the airport — it does not matter if it is a passport or an ID card.

Some European tourists take buses to the north of the island. Here they face another border, the Green Line, which divides the Greek and Turkish parts of the island. It is recommended to have a passport to enter the Turkish region, called the ‘Republic of Northern Cyprus.’ This double-check is only a minor inconvenience for Czech tourists.

‘Customers travelling with us to Cyprus will land in the southern part of the island. The northern part is about 50 kilometres away,’ says Ilona Topolová, a Blue Style Travel Agency representative, which, like several others, has included northern Cyprus in its offer. ‘The controls are not onerous, but it is true that if the traffic is heavier, the crossing may become a little longer. However, North Cyprus is worth it,’ she adds.