Visa application forms will be filled out online on a Cyprus government website and the information submitted to the consular services. Once the Cypriot consulate determines that everything is in order, it will ‘pre-approve’ a visa and send it to the applicant via email.

A FINANCE Ministry bill for the hiring of 28 additional police officers to man passport control points at the island’s two airports will go to the vote at the plenum today.

It’s part of a scheme intended to simplify travel procedures and attract as many tourists—and much-needed foreign cash—as possible. Under the plan, Cypriot consular services in Russia will issue ‘pre-approved’ visas to Russian nationals wishing to come to the island. Visa application forms will be filled out online on a Cyprus government website and the information submitted to the consular services.

Once the Cypriot consulate determines that everything is in order and that the applicant is not on any stop list, it will ‘pre-approve’ a visa and send it to the applicant via email.

Russian holders of these e-visas will then have them validated on arrival at Paphos or Larnaca airport, and pass through passport control quickly and without hassle.

Currently, tourist visas issues issued to Russian and Ukrainian nationals are valid up to three years, but travelers are not allowed to stay on the island for more than 90 days over a period of six months.

Now, nationals of these countries will be able to get three-year, multiple-entry visas.

The proposal is one of several proposed by a ‘task force’ set up by the government to come up with ideas to stem the economic slowdown and an anticipated drop in tourist arrivals. Another idea has been that holders of Schengen visas (valid in the country of issue) should be allowed to pass through passport control without the need for a national visa.

The application forms you can find on the website of Embassy of Cyprus in Moscow:
http://www.mfa.gov.cy/mfa/Embassies/MoscowEmbassy.nsf/DMLindex_en/DMLindex_en?OpenDocument

or Consulate General of Cyprus in St.Petersburg:

http://www.mfa.gov.cy/mfa/consulate/consulate_spb.nsf/dmlindex_en/dmlindex_en?opendocument

Source: Cyprus Mail 2009