Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

I have been informed by someone in the U.K. that tour operators there are telling prospective clients that they will only be allowed to travel into the TRNC via Larnaca or Paphos airports if they still hold an EU passport and not the new post-Brexit (blue) British passport. Can someone who has travelled here via the south, with a post-Brexit British passport please confirm this is not the case, but just another attempt at scaremongering or deliberate misinformation.

I don’t have any further details of the tour operators concerned.

Many thanks.

Well spotted somebody.

Luckily we renewed our passports early and so have the new blue ones We did this to save any problems of having our passports running out during our residency application here in the TRNC meaning that we wouldn’t get the full year (or whatever).

But checking our old passports I see that one had an issue date of 02/12/2011 and expiry 19/07/2022. Of course we only ever look at the expiry date but under this new ruling that passport would have been deemed to expire on 02/12/2021 - not enough to have let us back into the TRNC since it had less than six months to expiry.

So post-Brexit travel perhaps isn’t as easy as some people like to make out.

Only a question but, since when did anyone need an EU passport to enter the TRNC?

Or if I have read that wrong and no doubt people will provide facts and figures to prove I have, since when were non EU passport holders not allowed to enter the RoC?

Maybe it is lost in translation but you can always go to Gov.uk if you are not confused as yet!

waddo wrote: ↑

Sat 28 Aug 2021 10:43 am

Only a question but, since when did anyone need an EU passport to enter the TRNC?

Or if I have read that wrong and no doubt people will provide facts and figures to prove I have, since when were non EU passport holders not allowed to enter the RoC?

Maybe it is lost in translation but you can always go to Gov.uk if you are not confused as yet!

https://check-passport-for-travel-to-europe.homeoffice.gov.uk/?cookies=true

(Check completed using the dates mentioned in my previous post. )

“…… If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Please note, any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the minimum period needed…..”

Point being that TRNC is not in the EU so why should it bother the RoC? Could not find anything on Gov.uk about non-eu countries and a passport that may/or may not be out of date because the UK are no longer in the EU. So the money I paid to renew my passport and keep the days I had already paid for has now been lost?

Now we have the new blue British passports I hope we can get back into the habit of thrusting it in the person's hand and say "it's a British passport my good man no reason to even look at it."

waddo wrote: ↑

Sat 28 Aug 2021 12:20 pm

Point being that TRNC is not in the EU so why should it bother the RoC? Could not find anything on Gov.uk about non-eu countries and a passport that may/or may not be out of date because the UK are no longer in the EU. So the money I paid to renew my passport and keep the days I had already paid for has now been lost?

It has been that way since September 2018

https://www.passports-office.co.uk/blog/passport_renewal_recent_changes/

“You will no longer get the extra time left on your old passport

This has come as a shock to many customers as this has not been widely advertised, up until now a Briton renewing their passport would have had any time left over on their old document, up to a maximum of nine months, added to their new one. Someone whose passport expires on March 1, 2019, for example, would have been able to renew today and still be handed a fresh document valid until March 1, 2029. Now, however, a new passport issued to them today will only be valid until September 13, 2028.

This effective means that many people have had the life of their passports cut down from 10 years to just 9 and a half years. You may want to consider renewing your passport before this change comes into effect, but please be aware some countries including Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Russia, Indonesia and the UAE, only accept passports with at least six months left to run and will not accept any months passed over from your previous passport, please check this before renewing your passport.”

waddo wrote: ↑

Sat 28 Aug 2021 12:20 pm

Point being that TRNC is not in the EU so why should it bother the RoC? Could not find anything on Gov.uk about non-eu countries and a passport that may/or may not be out of date because the UK are no longer in the EU.

It has nothing to do with travel to the TRNC per se. It relates to travel “to most countries in Europe”. The OP’s query regards travelling to the TRNC via the ROC which IS a European country and so the restriction MAY apply when landing there.

The full text from the homeoffice.gov.uk link I posted earlier reads:

“ *Following this recommendation for travel to most countries in Europe will ensure that your passport has at least 6 months remaining. This includes:

- the minimum 3 months validity required from the date that you return plus up to 90 days to travel without a visa and
- will be less than 10 years old from the date that you return

If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Please note, any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the minimum period needed.

These rules do not apply to travel to Ireland. You can continue to use your passport as long as it’s valid for the length of your stay.

You can renew your passport online or find out what you need to do if you need a passport urgently.

Check how to prepare if you’re planning on travelling to Europe from 1 January 2021 and check Travel Advice for your destination.

Find out if other rules will also apply to you after January 2021 at https://www.gov.uk/transition and take action now.”

EnjoyingTheSun wrote: ↑

Sat 28 Aug 2021 1:44 pm

Now we have the new blue British passports I hope we can get back into the habit of thrusting it in the person's hand and say "it's a British passport my good man no reason to even look at it."

Or vice versa

Ok, thanks for that, mine runs out in 2027 so once again stuffed by brexit - lol!

waddo wrote: ↑

Sat 28 Aug 2021 3:04 pm

Ok, thanks for that, mine runs out in 2027 so once again stuffed by brexit - lol!

Exactly!

For those that are devastated that they no longer have their EU passport and the loss of 'freedom of movement' just give this a thought.

It would be very convenient to have keys to everyone in your street's home, even if you barely know them.
if you run out of tea bags or a light bulb goes and the shops aren't open you could simply let yourselves into their house if they do not answer and help yourself to a spare light bulb or half a dozen tea bags. After all you'll replace them as soon as the shops open won't you? I'm sure they won't mind after all we all get emergencies.

It's certainly convenient and might be a great ice breaker to get to know them better.

One problem.

For them to give you keys to their home they will expect keys to your home.

Still keen?

Couldn't have put it better myself!