This post was most recently updated on January 6th, 2023
Currently, the European Union has 27 countries. Previously there were 28, but on 31st January 2020, the United Kingdom opted out of the European Union.
Out of those 27 countries, Cyprus is one of the members of the EU.
Cyprus joined the EU on 1st May 2004.
Since Cyprus became a part of the EU, it has been considered a central hub for international students to pursue their higher education degrees.
The majority of the people from Asia and Africa come to Cyprus on a student visa. With a dream of living European life and a to have better future, they often believe everything their agents / Consultancies say.
Well, you know what, you shouldn’t do that. Most of the time, agents feed you lies so that you process the documentation through them, and they get the commission.
Read here in detail about the things agents say about Cyprus that you mustn’t trust.
One of the things they say is, “Once you are in Cyprus on a student visa, you are free to move to other European countries, and no one will stop you.”
Are they telling the truth?
Obviously, not.
So, Can you visit the EU countries with a Cyprus student visa?
You can indeed travel to some European countries, but not to all of them, as your agents say.
Confused?
Well, I promise you. At the end of this article, all your confusion will be cleared.
Today in this article, we will learn about whether you can travel to other European countries from Cyprus or not. And if you can travel to Europe on a Cyprus visa, how and what is the process?
Interesting, right? Keep reading.
I suggest you click here to read in detail about the country of Cyprus.
European Union and Schengen Area
Do you remember at the beginning of this article I told you that there are currently 27 countries in the European Union?
Out of those 27 countries, 22 countries are in the Schengen Zone.
Now, what is Schengen?
Schengen is a visa agreement between 26 European States to abolish border control at their mutual borders. 26 European countries, not the countries in the European Union. There is a difference. Don’t get confused.
In simple terms, if you are in one of the countries in the Schengen area, you can travel to another country in the Schengen area with a common visa. No new visa is required.
Unfortunately, Cyprus isn’t a Schengen country yet.
If Cyprus were a Schengen Country, you could freely travel to other European countries. But it isn’t. So there are limitations.
Usually, if students are allowed to travel to other Schengen countries from Cyprus, chances are; they will never return back to Cyprus. This is the main reason they don’t allow students to visit other countries.
Countries you can easily get a tourist visa from Cyprus
Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania
Like Cyprus, these above three countries are in the European Union but aren’t in Schengen Zone.
You can’t go to other Schengen countries with a student visa from either of the above countries.
Suppose you go to Romania from Cyprus. When you reach Romania and want to visit Germany, they won’t give you a visa. As a result, you will have to come back to Cyprus. The same goes for Croatia and Bulgaria.
Update:
Rules are changing day by day. You could easily get an on-arrival visa for these countries in the past, but now you will have to get a proper visa to travel to these countries.
To know more about this, visit the embassies of your concerned destination in Cyprus.
Documents required while applying for a tourist visa
The requirements are pretty basic.
- Holiday letter from the college
As you are a student in Cyprus and your visa status is a student visa, you need to get permission from your college to visit other countries. The college will provide you with a no-objection letter, also called the holiday letter. You have to show this letter to immigration.
The college gives you the holiday letter only if the classes are closed. If your classes are running and you ask them to provide you with the letter, they mightn’t give it to you, unless it’s an emergency case. - Bank Balance statement of 500 Euro
- 500 Euro cash in hand
- Hotel booking documents
You have to pre-book a hotel in the destination country. Print the documents provided by the hotel, and you have to show them to immigration. - Travel Insurance
You can get travel insurance at the ticket counter itself. You also might have to pay for that. Price may vary. - Passport
- Pink Card (Temporary Residence Permit Cyprus)
Visit the UK
The United Kingdom was a part of the European Union till 31st January 2020.
Even though the UK isn’t in the EU anymore, Cyprus and the UK’s relationship has stayed the good old same.
The UK doesn’t require many documents and criteria for people from Cyprus if they wanted to visit the UK.
For Cypriots, the visa policy is much easier, and even for international students in Cyprus, the policy isn’t that hard.
All you need is the above-required documents and fill up the application for the UK tourist visa.
The only difference from the list mentioned above is that the bank balance should be more than 2000 Euro for the UK tourist visa.
Visit the UK Embassy in Cyprus to know more.
Is it impossible to get a tourist visa for international students in Cyprus to go to any Schengen country?
Well, it’s not impossible, but it’s too hard.
As I said earlier, if someone gets a Schengen country’s visa from Cyprus, they are not returning back. There are better countries in the EU than Cyprus in different aspects. Why would anyone come back if they get more benefits in other countries?
If the Cyprus government, as well as the European Union, allows Cyprus international students to visit other Schengen countries, then Cyprus wouldn’t have any international students left. Colleges and Universities would mainly have Cypriot students and no other nationalities.
I am in Cyprus for more than 3 years now, and I have only heard of 1 case where they provided a tourist visa to a Schengen country from Cyprus.
A guy from India came to Cyprus on a student visa. He stayed here for seven months. He applied for a Portugal tourist visa. Guess what; he got the visa.
Wow, right?
When I researched his scenario, I learned a lot of things.
This Indian guy had visited 12 other countries before coming to Cyprus. His passport was filled with tourist visa stamps.
What I believe is, when the visa department checked his passport, they might have thought that this guy is a genuine traveler. He will go, and he will come back.
Well, jokes on them. He didn’t return back.
I heard he went to Germany from Portugal. God knows where he is now.
See, this is what happens when you don’t put limitations.
You can apply for a student visa from Cyprus to other countries
Yes, you can. Not only in European countries but also in other 1st world countries.
Be it Canada, the USA, or Australia. You can apply for a student visa in those countries from Cyprus.
The only problem is, it takes time, and there are too many documents you would have to prepare. Also, there is very little chance for you to get a visa.
Let’s say you want to go to Canada from Cyprus. So, how do you go to Canada from Cyprus if you are a student in Cyprus?
Here are the ways you can follow:
- You are a student in Cyprus. You have to stay in the college or university for at least one year, and then you can transfer your credit to a college in Canada.
- You have to be extraordinary in your academics. If you fail your subjects, you mightn’t get admission to those colleges.
- In most cases, you have to prepare all the documents again from your country. Previously you made it for Cyprus, but this time you have to do it for Canada.
- Academic Qualification certificates, property valuation, relationship verification, IELTS certificate, and a lot more documentation.
- You have to go through numerous interviews.
If you get selected, they will issue you a student visa. If not, then you have to stay in Cyprus.
Apply for a Work Visa
You can also apply for a working visa in other countries from Cyprus. Yes, that can happen.
But, if you go on a working visa, you will have to cancel your student visa in Cyprus, return back to your home country, and apply from there.
You won’t get a visa most of the time if you haven’t finished your studies in Cyprus.
In 2023, it’s almost impossible to go to other countries on a working visa directly from Cyprus.
Don’t fall into the hands of crooks. Remember, they are there only to make money from you.
Meet genuine consultants and apply through them.
Suggestions
If you are already in Cyprus as a student, then you know how things are here. But if you aren’t in Cyprus and planning to come to Cyprus only to go to other European countries, then you might be making the biggest mistake of your life.
It’s not that easy to go to other countries from Cyprus. You will only be wasting your time and money. If you want to go to Germany, apply directly to Germany from your country. There is a high chance you would get the visa from there rather than from here.
Cyprus itself is an excellent country. It has better colleges and universities than most of the other European countries.
I suggest you click here to read in detail about the pros and cons of studying in Cyprus.
If you want to study, come to Cyprus. If you want to experience European life, come to Cyprus.
But if your destination is Germany and you come to Cyprus, you might get stuck here.
Think wisely.
You may also like to read:
What is the legal drinking age in Cyprus?
Bad things about Cyprus no one tells you about
