Cypriot passport

Cypriot passport
Issued by	Cyprus
Type of document	Passport
Purpose	Identification
Eligibility requirements	Cypriot citizenship

Cypriot passport are issued to citizens of Cyprus for the purpose of international travel. Every Cypriot citizen is also a citizen of the European Union. The passport, along with the national identity card allows for free rights of movement and residence in any of the states of the European Union and European Economic Area.

According to the 2016 Visa Restrictions Index, Cypriot citizens can visit 159 countries without a visa or with a visa granted on arrival, thus ranking the Cypriot passport 17th in the world. Cypriot citizens can live and work in any country within the EU as a result of the right of free movement and residence granted in Article 21 of the EU Treaty.

The Civil Registry and Immigration Department of the Ministry of the Interior is responsible for issuing and renewing Cypriot passports.

Despite the continuing division of Cyprus due to the Turkish invasion of 1974, all Cypriot passports contain text in Greek as well as Turkish and English, as Greek and Turkish are the official languages of the Republic of Cyprus (according to Article 3, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution of Cyprus).Turkish Cypriots may obtain Cypriot passports and ID cards if they can prove their descent from a citizen of the Republic of Cyprus. Turkish settlers in the northern part of Cyprus are not entitled to Cypriot citizenship.

Biometric passports have been issued since 13 December 2010 and include text in all official languages of the European Union. They carry a microchip containing biometric data such as fingerprints, a biometric photograph, and a digital signature. Inside, on different pages, there are images of a statue of the goddess Aphrodite on display at the Cyprus Museum, a dove carrying an olive branch, the Cypriot mouflon, and the Kyrenia ship.

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Wikipedia