Cyprus Basic Information

According to A2zgov.com, Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Everyday life in Cyprus has been negatively affected by the unresolved so-called Cyprus issue for several decades. Of the total area of ​​the island, 43% of the territory is outside the jurisdiction of the government of the Republic of Cyprus. Since 1974, 37% of the island’s territory has been occupied by the Turkish army, where the internationally unrecognized (except for Turkey) so-called “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” operates. The so-called the buffer zone managed by the UN mission – UNFICYP occupies 3% of the territory. Another 3% of the island’s area is British Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, or two sovereign military bases of Great Britain. The island has been a member of the European Union since May 1, 2004, and joined the Eurozone in January 2008 (the euro is used only in the southern part of the island, the Turkish lira is used in the northern part). Cyprus is not a member of the Schengen area, nor is it a member of NATO. Since 1961, the island has been part of the Commonwealth. The Republic of Cyprus is a presidential republic, with a directly elected president who holds executive power. The government cabinet also has executive power. Ministers do not necessarily have to be in parliament at the same time, which now has 56 deputies who are elected to office for a period of five years. The court system is based on Anglo-Saxon Common Law. The courts are two-instance, independent of state authorities, and judges are appointed by the government. The highest instance is the Supreme Court of Nicosia. The Republic of Cyprus is an economically developed state with an open economy, with an overwhelming dominance of the tertiary sector in the economy (in 2019 it was 68% of GDP), a small volume of its own industrial production and agricultural production. Due to its dependence on tourism and the provision of professional and financial services, the Cypriot economy remains extremely sensitive to external economic and political influences. Cyprus has been an important regional offshore tax center for decades. The long-term ambition of the Republic of Cyprus is to benefit from its geographical location and act as a bridge between the EU and especially the Middle East. Cyprus is characterized by a generally favorable business environment, good business and tax services (currently a form of EU “tax haven”), relatively modern infrastructure, an educated workforce with good English skills, a business-friendly legal system and a low crime rate. Considering the relatively small population, which, according to the latest available information from the Cyprus Statistical Office from 2018, is around 875,900, of which approx. 58% are economically active, the economy of the Republic of Cyprus represents a relatively limited market, the potential of which was increased annually by a significant number of tourists (in the pre-CoV year of 2019, a record number of almost 4 million tourists), who stay on the island mainly from April to November. Due to its limited production base, Cyprus represents a potential for the import of goods and raw materials from abroad, however, due to its size and population, it has a limited absorption capacity. Merchants nevertheless add a high margin to the price, without which they cannot operate shops with a relatively small volume of sales. Relatively high transport costs also increase the price of goods. The penetration of Czech consumer goods into the Cypriot market (apart from traditional and widely known goods such as cut glass and beer) significantly complicates the interest of Cypriot traders in cheap alternatives from Asia, especially from China. Cypriots are good businessmen and dealing with them is usually pleasant, but closing a business can take longer than we are used to in the Czech Republic. In Cyprus it is important to have the right contacts, for this reason we would recommend working with a local representative.

Practical telephone numbers (emergency services, police, firemen, information lines, etc.)

As for health care, acute treatment is provided to EU citizens on the basis of presentation of the European health insurance card (so-called blue card) directly in public health facilities. The state general health care system GESY applies to selected groups of residents, including foreigners with long-term residence, if contributions are made to the system for them. GESY covers treatment in state health facilities and private doctors if they are registered in the system. Health care at other private doctors and in private hospitals outside GESY must be paid directly or covered by private insurance.

The vast majority of medical staff in the Republic of Cyprus speak English.

Important contacts:

First aid: 112

Police: 112

Firefighters: 112

Information about non-stop pharmacies: 11892

Regional Hospital:

Nicosia General Hospital: +357 22 603 000 (accident)

Nicosia Makareio: +357 22 405 000 (Children’s Hospital)

Limassol General l: +357 25 801 100

Limassol Old General: +357 25 305 333

Larnaca General: +357 24 800 500

Larnaca Old General: +357 24 630 312

Paphos General: +357 26 803 100

Paralimni: +357 23 200 000

Platres: +357 25 422 224

Polis: +357 26 821 800

Kyperount: +357 25 806 700

Agros Rural Health Centre: +357 25 521 317

Contact line for citizens: 1460

Important web links and contacts

• Portal of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, where you can find in particular contact for the Office of the President, Parliament, Government, all ministries and regulatory authorities
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Ministry of Finance
• Cyprus – Czech Chamber of Commerce
• Ministry of Finance – Tax Office of the Republic of Cyprus
• Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry
• Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
• Central Bank of Cyprus
• Invest Cyprus (investment promotion agency)
• Ministry of Tourism
• Registry and Migration Office
• Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Cyprus Employers’ Union
• Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce
• Press and information office

The updating of websites in Cyprus is not very consistent, the usability of information from individual web portals varies greatly. The pages are mostly processed in Greek and English language mutation.