Bringing a dog to Cyprus: entry rules, flights, heat, beaches

What a dog from the EU needs to enter

Since 22 April 2026, travel with dogs, cats and ferrets has been governed by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, and the Cyprus Veterinary Services have updated their guidance accordingly. The order of steps is unchanged: microchip first, then the rabies vaccination, then the waiting period, with everything recorded in the EU pet passport. A vaccination given before the chip does not count.

For the first rabies jab the dog must be at least 12 weeks old. The day of vaccination counts as day 0, and the dog may travel 21 days later at the earliest; the Veterinary Services give an example: first vaccination on the 1st of the month, travel no earlier than the 22nd of the same month. That is where the minimum age on entry of 105 days comes from, and younger puppies may not enter Cyprus whatever country they come from. A booster is valid from the day it is given, provided the previous vaccination had not lapsed.

No more than five dogs, cats or ferrets may travel in one movement. More are allowed only for competitions, shows or sporting events, with proof of registration and for animals older than six months. Tapeworm treatment does not appear on the Veterinary Services' checklist for entry into Cyprus.

From the UK and other countries outside the EU

For dogs from outside the EU, an official animal health certificate in the prescribed format replaces the pet passport, together with a declaration by the owner that the trip is not for the sale or rehoming of the animal. The EU's Your Europe portal names an exception: pet passports issued in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland and Vatican City are accepted for entry into the EU. Whether a rabies antibody test is also needed depends on whether the country of origin is on the list of exempt countries. Where the test is required, an authorised vet takes the blood sample at least 30 days after vaccination and at least three months before the certificate is issued, an EU-approved laboratory tests it, and the result must be at least 0.5 IU/ml.

Anyone arriving from outside the EU must notify the district veterinary office responsible for the point of entry at least 48 hours in advance, giving the date, time and flight number. If you land at Larnaca, that is the Larnaca district office, telephone +357 24821275.

For travellers from Great Britain, the UK government describes the process as follows: your vet issues the animal health certificate, which, counted from the date of issue, is valid for 10 days for entry into the EU and for 6 months for onward travel within the EU and for returning to Great Britain. You need a new one for every trip. If you live in England, Scotland or Wales you cannot use a pet passport to enter the EU, even one issued in the EU. Before you return to Great Britain, a vet must treat your dog for tapeworm no more than 120 hours and no less than 24 hours before arrival.

Banned breeds, checks on arrival and the flight

Whatever the paperwork, four breeds may not enter Cyprus: Pit Bull Terrier or American Pit Bull, Tosa Inu, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro. The ban also covers crosses between these breeds and crossbreeds in which a vet certifies that the characteristics of one of them predominate (Veterinary Services). The same four are listed as dangerous breeds in the Cypriot Dogs Law, which prohibits importing them.

Dogs may only enter through a designated point of entry, where the microchip, documents, vaccination and, if required, the antibody test can be checked. If something is missing, the dog may be sent back or isolated for as long as necessary, at the owner's expense.

How the dog flies is up to the airline. Cyprus Airways, for example, carries dogs of up to 8 kilograms, or 10 kilograms including the carrier, in the cabin; larger dogs travel in the hold in an IATA-compliant container, and snub-nosed breeds are carried in the cabin only. The fees in its table range from 70 to 200 euros, depending on the route and on whether the dog travels in the cabin or the hold. To the United Kingdom, Cyprus Airways carries dogs and cats only as cargo. Other airlines have their own rules, so check with the carrier before you book.

Getting about: leads, buses and the Green Line

Under the Cypriot Dogs Law it is an offence to let a dog roam on a public road or in any public place without a lead, and equally an offence not to pick up after it. A first conviction can bring up to twelve months in prison or a fine of up to 2,000 euros, any further conviction up to 24 months or 4,000 euros, and in either case the court can impose both.

On the OSEA buses that serve Sotira, the company's code of conduct says passengers must not carry animals. It does not mention an exception for assistance dogs, so if you travel with one, check in advance on the freephone number 8000 5200. Without a hire car, that leaves taxis as the main option with a dog; see the guide to buses and taxis from Sotira.

A day trip to the north of the island is one to do without the dog. The EU's Green Line Regulation prohibits taking live animals across the line, and the Cypriot customs department states explicitly that this includes pets accompanying their owners. The crossing points near Sotira are covered in the guide to getting there.

Heat, sand flies and snakes

Cypriot summers are hard on dogs. In August 2025 the mean daily maximum at the Larnaca Airport weather station was 34.8 °C, 2.0 degrees above the 1981 to 2010 average, the mean minimum was only 24.4 °C, and on 30 days of the month the temperature there rose above 33 °C (Cyprus Department of Meteorology). If you come in summer with a dog, plan longer walks for early morning or late evening.

Leishmaniasis, a disease spread by sand flies, is widespread among dogs in Cyprus. In a study across the area controlled by the Republic, with samples taken in 2005 and 2006, 14.9 per cent of 900 randomly selected dogs tested seropositive, about nine times as many as ten years earlier, and the risk was higher in spring, summer and autumn than in winter (American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2010). Talk to your own vet before the trip about whether and how to protect your dog.

Of the island's three venomous snake species, only the blunt-nosed viper (Macrovipera lebetina) is dangerous. It is active from April to October and mostly hibernates from November to March, although occasional bites have been treated in hospital in the winter months too. There is more on snakes, jellyfish and venomous fish in the guide to jellyfish, venomous fish and snakes.

Beaches, vets and Suite 203

Dogs are not allowed on Blue Flag beaches, apart from assistance dogs. Where local rules permit, criterion 23 of the Blue Flag scheme only allows them in car parks, on paths and on promenades behind the beach, and they must be kept under control. Many beaches around Sotira fly the Blue Flag; the list is in the guide to the beaches. OpenStreetMap shows a place on the Paralimni coast called "Dog's Beach", tagged as a dog park, around 8.2 road kilometres and about 13 minutes by car from Sotira according to our own OSRM route calculation. We have not found any confirmation from the municipality, so go by the signs on site.

Within 10 kilometres of Sotira, OpenStreetMap lists three veterinary practices, the two nearest just under 3 kilometres as the crow flies east of the village centre towards Paralimni; the entries are maintained by volunteers. For official matters, the Famagusta district veterinary office is responsible, telephone +357 24824555.

House rules for Suite 203, including on pets, have not been published yet. The apartment is expected to be ready for occupancy in March 2027; if you would like to bring a dog, it is best to mention it in your enquiry.