Cyprus Police denies information about a border crossing ban for Turkish Cypriots

In response to concerning reports about a ban on using identity cards issued by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the Republic of Cyprus Police issued an official statement on Tuesday, August 26, 2025. A law enforcement spokesperson emphasized that no changes have been made to the border crossing rules, and this information is not accurate.

As clarified by the official spokesperson, Turkish Cypriots still have the right to present TRNC-issued identity cards at checkpoints. The only difference is the procedure for verifying these documents: the automatic scanning system cannot process TRNC IDs, so the data is entered manually by border control officers.

Due to the need for manual data entry, the verification process takes longer compared to IDs issued by the Republic of Cyprus or EU countries, which are read automatically. As a result, some delays at the border may occur.

Thus, there are no restrictions on crossing the border for holders of TRNC IDs. The difference lies only in the document processing method — manual verification instead of automatic — which explains potential delays at checkpoints.