Travel to Cyprus, Northern Cyprus and Turkey

[Scarlett]

Ladies and Gents,
I have spent the better part of a day reading different official websites, including Australian specific guidance and even tripadvisor. What I understand from those is that there is a grey area surrounding travel between the three places of the title. What I need is hopefully, actual info from someone who has done this sort of thing. The problem is that Cyprus lists black and white rules but then doesn't enforce them, or deliberately ignores some possibilities due to it not recognising the TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus).

What I am considering doing is:
1. Entering the EU via Denmark (CPH) - no problems with this.
2. Travelling from the broader EU to Cyprus - again, no problem with this.
3. Travelling from Cyprus, into Northern Cyprus. Again, there appears to be no problem with this as the TRNC issues an entry visa to Australians and does so on a separate slip of paper, rather than stamping the passport itself. This visa is for 30 days and my travelling is well inside that period. Spend a couple of days in TRNC.
4. Now it gets interesting. Flights from Ercan (ECN) in TRNC, to Turkey, are much cheaper and quicker than going back out of Cyprus itself. Moreso, I'm planning to travel to Antalya (AYT) in the south of Turkey, close to Cyprus, and ECN-AYT is a 55 min hop. This is where the grey comes in:
-- I'm almost certain that travel from TRNC to Turkey requires Australians to have a Turkish visa. I'm planning on going to Turkey, so either way I'll be getting that visa.
-- I further assume that the visa will be issued (or formalised) arriving in Turkey and a Turkish stamp will be placed in the passport.
-- At this point I still don't foresee any problems.
5. I finish travel in Turkey and then fly back AYT-ECN. Although I am stamped out of Turkey as normal there's then more grey here. TRNC may accept my entry stamp from a week earlier, or may give me a new one, again hopefully on a separate slip and not in the passport. But I can't find any confirmation of what happens entering TRNC from Turkey itself.
6. I then return to Cyprus, being stamped out of TRNC on the separate slip, and waved back into Cyprus based on my original EU entry.
7. Finally, I depart the EU (via ATH) a few days later.

Facts:
- I am allowed to cross from Cyprus into TRNC and then back again. As long as I correctly enter and leave Cyprus from the airports in south, there is no problem.
- I'll have a Turkish visa (AS can get an e-visa easily enough), so can enter Turkey.

Assumptions (and this is where I'd like some help if anyone knows):
- I can re-enter Cyprus from the north with Turkish stamps. I assume so, as I'm allowed to enter Cyprus with Turkish stamps when entering normally. Does a passport even get scanned entering Cyprus from the TRNC?
- I can enter and leave Turkey via AYT.

What I want to do:
... -CPH - x - LCA. Cross Cyprus/TRNC border heading into the north, likely on foot. ECN-AYT (1 hr flight). AYT-ECN. Cross border again, heading south. LCA-ATH... depart EU.

Alternative:
... -CPH - x - LCA. Cross Cyprus/TRNC border heading into the north, likely on foot. Couple of days in TRNC. Cross border again, heading south. LCA-ATH-IST-AYT (a full days flying and about 3 x the cost). Spend my time in Antalya region. AYT-IST-ATH... depart EU.

Has anyone done something like this, or can offer some advice on crossing the Cyprus/TRNC border?

 

[nalee]

How did you get on Scarlett? I too have a predicament as I will be flying into ECN, but leaving via LCA. Sounds like what I will be doing is illegal based on your info and the info I have read online so far.

 

[Scarlett]

How did you get on Scarlett? I too have a predicament as I will be flying into ECN, but leaving via LCA. Sounds like what I will be doing is illegal based on your info and the info I have read online so far.

We were fine, but likely because we had entered Cyprus through Larnaca originally. Without that entry stamp it could have been a problem.

In more detail:
We entered Cyprus first through Larnaca and spent some time over in the Paphos area, which was nice enough.

We then crossed the green line heading north to get to ECN and flew across to Turkey. We had a transfer booked with a TRNC company and the driver handed over the passports. We didn’t even have to lower a window and show our faces. I’m pretty certain we only stopped at the one checkpoint heading north and it was Turkish controlled. No stamp in the passport at the land crossing heading north. Normal immigration formalities departing ECN, and still no stamp in the passport.

On returning to ECN from Turkey a week later we did get an entry stamp in the passport at regular airport immigration. We then spent some time in Kyrenia/Girne.

Returning south: we had another transfer booked and driver again took our passports as we approached the first checkpoint. This was the Turkish controlled one on the outskirts of Nicosia. It looked like passports were scanned (to record we were leaving TRNC) but no exit stamp applied. We then moved forward to what I assume was the Cypriot checkpoint. Our passports were not handed over. It looked like the driver gave an ID card (his drivers license, or maybe insurance proof?) to the staff for a few seconds and that was it. Again, we didn’t have to get out, or even lower windows. But this is the problem, VMMY. They might check and I think the rules are deliberately a grey area so you don’t do what you’re planning because you could be denied entry.

The next point was we were flying out of Larnaca immediately after crossing the green line heading south. The only person who commented on the TRNC stamp was the Aegean Airlines check in member. He noted the stamp and said it would be a problem. I pointed out the LCA entry stamp from a fortnight before and he then made a brief call to someone. After the call he said no problem and checked us in. He further told us that if there were any issues at departing immigration to point out the same LCA stamp I’d shown him.

As it was, our Cyprus departing stamp was on the same page as the TRNC stamp and that immi agent didn’t say anything. We were flying LCA-ATH and Greek entry immigration also saw the stamp and said nothing.

So that’s a long winded way of saying, it sounds like you know you have a problem. I can’t help you however with the scale of that problem or even if it really will be, but it’s likely.

Final note for posterity: we were travelling on Australian passports.

 

[nalee]

Hi Scarlett, thank you for your detailed reply. It’s incredibly helpful having your experience - being both recent and also relevant in that we too are Australian passport holders. I agree that had you not had the LCA stamp in your passport, they may or may not have given you a hard time about the other entry stamp. Perhaps even denying you boarding. I figure worse case however, it would mean returning to ECN and purchasing new tickets - which is not the end of the world, but again it’s uncertainty and nobody likes uncertainty. I am the type that would usually take a chance on this but as I am travelling with a few others I think I will have to skip Cyprus this time and spend more time elsewhere (not necessarily a bad thing). I’m fortunate your message was very timely as I was about to book those tickets tonight for that leg of the journey! I really appreciate your valued input!! Nalee

 

[Scarlett]

You’re welcome @nalee.

I wouldn’t discount just staying in northern Cyprus as an option either, flying into and out of ECN if your plans allow it. The northern coastline had enough interesting things to see for a few days such as going up into the mountain range that runs along the northern coast and visiting Kyrenia/Girne. It’s similar to much of Turkey, being a little bit chaotic, but there’s also the Cypriot history, presence, and a significant number of expats living there because it’s cheaper than Cyprus proper.

One of the reasons I was staying there for a few nights was to play at the below golf course. If that’s something you or your fellow travellers enjoy I can thoroughly recommend Korineum.