Cyprus border crossing points: the full list
Last verified 22 August 2026
There are nine places where you can cross between the north and the south of Cyprus. All of them sit on the Green Line, the UN buffer zone that has divided the island since 1974, and all of them work in both directions. Crossing is routine: thousands of people do it daily for work, shopping and family visits. But the crossings differ in what they allow, and picking the wrong one can add an hour to your journey.
This page lists every crossing from west to east, what each is for, and what you need to cross. Rules here change quietly, so check the date at the top of this page, and if you spot something out of date, tell us.
The nine crossings, west to east
| Crossing (south / north name) | Type | Opened | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kato Pyrgos, Limnitis / Yeşilırmak | Vehicle and foot | 2010 | The Polis and Paphos side of the island |
| Lefka, Apliki / Lefke | Vehicle and foot | 2018 | The Troodos foothills and Lefka area |
| Astromeritis, Zodeia / Bostancı | Vehicle and foot | 2005 | Driving from the Nicosia motorway towards Güzelyurt and the west of the north |
| Ayios Dometios / Metehan | Vehicle and foot | 2003 | The main vehicle crossing, western Nicosia. Busiest of all nine |
| Ledra Palace | Foot (vehicles restricted to diplomatic and UN traffic) | 2003 | Walkers in Nicosia, just outside the old city walls |
| Ledra Street / Lokmacı | Foot only | 2008 | The old town crossing, in the middle of Nicosia’s shopping street |
| Pergamos / Beyarmudu | Vehicle and foot | 2003 | Larnaca and the south east, passing beside the British base at Dhekelia |
| Strovilia / Akyar | Vehicle and foot | 2003 | Ayia Napa and Protaras towards Famagusta |
| Dherynia / Derinya | Vehicle and foot | 2018 | The direct route from Paralimni to Famagusta |
The two Nicosia foot crossings deserve a word. Ledra Street is the one most visitors use: you walk up the pedestrianised shopping street, show your document twice within fifty metres, and carry on walking. It is the simplest possible introduction to the island’s division. Ledra Palace, five minutes west, is quieter and mostly used by residents, cyclists and official traffic.
The big vehicle crossings, Ayios Dometios and Astromeritis in the west and Pergamos, Strovilia and Dherynia in the east, generally operate around the clock. The two small western crossings at Kato Pyrgos and Lefka keep shorter daytime hours, and insurance counters everywhere keep shorter hours than the crossings themselves, which matters if you are taking a car across at night. Treat hours as a thing to confirm on the day rather than a promise; they have shifted several times over the years.
What you need to cross
The checks are real border-style checks, even though the Republic of Cyprus does not regard the line as an international border. In both directions you will show your document twice, once to each side, usually from the car window.
If you hold a UK or other non-EU passport, bring the passport. EU and EEA citizens can cross with a national identity card. Neither side stamps passports at the line: the north records entries electronically, and the checks on the southern side are police checks rather than immigration ones.
Where it gets more complicated is for visa nationals, meaning people who need a visa for the Republic of Cyprus. How you entered the island matters, and someone who arrived through the north can be refused entry to the south. That whole question, including what flying into Ercan means for crossing, gets its own guide.
Children need their own documents, the same as at any border. If you are crossing with a hire car, the car needs paperwork of its own, chiefly insurance for the side it was not hired on, which is sold at the vehicle crossings. Our guide to taking a hire car across the border covers both directions in detail.
Queues and timing
Foot crossings rarely take more than a few minutes. Vehicle queues at Ayios Dometios can build at commuter times, on Friday evenings, and around public holidays on either side, when half of Nicosia seems to cross for lunch. If you are heading to Famagusta from the Ayia Napa side, Dherynia and Strovilia are usually quicker than driving round through Pergamos. Going west, Astromeritis saves you crossing Nicosia entirely.
Might there be more crossings soon?
Possibly, and this is worth watching through 2026. Talks between the two sides, revived under the UN this year, include a package of four proposed new crossings: a road linking Athienou with the Nicosia suburb of Aglandjia, a crossing at Mia Milia in eastern Nicosia, one at Louroujina north of Larnaca, and a further pedestrian crossing in Nicosia’s old town. As of late summer 2026 the negotiations were deadlocked over whether the package could be split, and none of the four has opened. If any does, this page will say so, and the change will be recorded below.