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The government of Cyprus has two types of controls for goods imported into the country – prohibited imports and restricted imports.

• Prohibited Imports: Goods cannot be imported into Cyprus under any circumstances.
• Restricted Imports: Special permission or paperwork is required in order to import the goods.

Prohibited Imports to Cyprus

It is prohibited by law to import any of the following items into Cyprus:

• Narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and other controlled pharmaceuticals
• Obscene matters and objects, such as video-cassettes, DVD's, films, books, magazines etc.
• Flick knives and daggers
• Counterfeit and pirated goods
• Nuclear, chemical, toxic, biological weapons and similar substances
• Goods used for illegal hunting of game
• Counterfeit bank notes
• Firearms and weapons other than firearms, such as military explosive devices and projectile launchers, automatic firearms, ammunition, long-barrel semi-automatic or repeating firearms.
• Goods shipped or originating from countries under an embargo from the United Nations Security Council and the European Union, such as Iraq, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan.

Restricted Imports to Cyprus

• Air-rifles of a diameter not exceeding 1.77 inches or 4.5 mm, hunting guns
• Animals and animal products
• Cinematograph films
• Explosives, cartridges for hunting guns, fireworks and similar goods
• Flowers and plants
• Goods of precious metals (destined for the market)
• Handcuffs
• Honey and other bumble bee products
• Meat, fish and cheese
• Precursor chemicals
• Wild fauna and flora

Declaring Goods in Cyprus

If you claim “Nothing to Declare” when entering Cyprus, you are still allowed to bring certain items up to a certain value, depending on whether you are entering Cyprus from another EU country or a non-EU country.

If you are entering from a non-EU country and say you have “Nothing to Declare”: you are allowed to bring up to 200 cigarettes and 2 liters of alcohol that does not exceed 22% volume of alcohol (if you are over 17), personal items of a non-commercial nature worth up to 430 Euros.

If you are entering from an EU country and say you have “Nothing to Declare”, there are technically no restrictions on the value of personal belongings, alcohol or tobacco you can bring with you. However, customs may give you a hard time if you are bringing in quantities of tobacco and alcohol that exceed either 800 cigarettes or 20 liters of alcohol beverages under 22%.

“Goods to Declare”, on the other hand, include the following: goods that exceed 430 Euros in value (if you are entering from a non-EU country), and goods brought into the country for commercial use, business or trade.

Taking Your Pet to Cyprus

If you are bringing your pet to Cyprus, the pet must be identifiable, meaning it must have either a tattoo or an electronic identification system. Also, the pet needs to be vaccinated against rabies and have a health certificate to prove the animal has a clean medical history and has received all the necessary vaccines.

• Microchip/Electronic Identification System: Your pet must have a microchip implanted with an ISO 11784/11785 that is 15 digit and non-encrypted.
• Vaccinations: If you are bringing your pet in from a rabies-free or rabies-controlled country, the pet must be vaccinated more than 21 days prior to entry. If your pet has been vaccinated in the past but needs a microchip, the pet will have to be vaccinated against rabies again after the microchip implantation, and then you must wait 21 days before traveling. Make sure your pet is also vaccinated against distemper.
• Health Certificate: If you are traveling to Cyprus from outside the EU, a licensed and accredited veterinarian has to complete the Annex IV form for Cyprus within 10 days of entry.
  

Restrictions on pets you can bring to Cyprus:

Under Cypriot law, you can bring most dogs, cats, and ferrets into the country with no problems as long as you have followed the above guidelines, and the dogs and cats are over the age of 12 weeks, since dogs and cats below that age are unvaccinated.

Certain dog breeds, such as Pit Bull Terriers, American Pit Bulls, Japanese Tosa, Tosa Inu, Dogo Argentino, Argentinian Mastiffs, Fila Brasileiros, and Brazilian Mastiffs are banned breeds in Cyprus.

Other pets such as birds, invertebrates, tropical fish, reptiles, and rabbits do not require a rabies vaccine but may have to meet other requirements and should have a health certificate to enter Cyprus.

Pet Transport to Cyprus

Some airlines allow pets to travel in an airplane's cabin, provided their cage is small enough to fit under your seat. Small birds may also be able to travel in the cabin, but tropical birds such as parrots are usually not allowed.

If your pet's cage does not fit under your seat, you will have to ship it as checked baggage. Since the outside air temperature also affects the temperature in the cargo bay, airlines may restrict the transportation of pets during certain times of the year. Airlines have special requirements for containers in the cabin and cargo bay. Make sure you get detailed information from your preferred airlines before purchasing a cage or kennel. Before leaving, acquaint your animal with the kennel or container. Add some familiar toys or some of your clothing items, so your pet has a sense of familiarity during the transport. Sedation of your pet during the trip is generally not recommended and should only be used as a last resort.

Take some time to think about your flight itself. If possible try and arrange it so you only need to take one flight to your final destination. It is much more straightforward and less stressful for both you and your pet to travel some of the way by car to an airport that has a direct flight as it means you do need to worry about getting your pet on and off the plane.

There are also pet relocation services, such as Pet Air UK that figure out all the details of the move. These services tend to be quite expensive, but take away the stress of doing it yourself. Services offered usually include: collecting your pets a couple of days ahead of travel to give you pet time to recover, carrying out the final blood checks ahead of flight, arranging the export and import licenses, building custom crates for your pets to travel, ensuring your pet is checked in at the airport, and arranging an agent to meet your pet, help them through customs and then delivering them to your accommodations in Cyprus.

Quarantine in Cyprus

Noncompliance with the requirements listed above for bringing your pet into Cyprus may result in your pet being placed into quarantine by officials upon entry into Cyprus.

Custom's Resources

UK Citizens: The HMRC has an expatriate team who are on board to help understand customs regulations.

U.S. Citizens: The free pamphlet "Know Before You Go" at http://www.cbp.gov/ is very helpful. (Click on "Travel" and then click on "Know Before You Go! Online Brochure").

You can also contact:

U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP)
1300 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC20229
Tel. 877/287-8667

Canadian Citizens: "I Declare", issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (tel. 800/461-9999 in Canada, or 204/983-3500 ) is helpful.

Australian Citizens: A helpful brochure is available from Australian consulates or Customs offices called "Know Before You Go". Call the Australian Customs Service at tel. 1300/363-263, or log on to http://www.customs.gov.au/.