Cyprus has a strong maritime connection going back thousands of years. Due to the perfect location of the island, with easy access to three continents, and of course being an island, sailing has always been part of the Cypriot life. Whether for business or leisure, the sea is the lifeblood of Cyprus and, over the centuries, maritime knowledge has been passed down through the generations, making Cypriot sailors some of the best, and most experienced, in the entire world.

To this day, shipping remains a very strong part of the Cypriot economy. This ‘blue economy’ provides a great deal of employment and contributes significantly to the island’s financial situation. It is an industry that is constantly growing and expanding and so it’s perhaps no surprise that there are many high-quality marina facilities around the island.

– Limassol Marina

Dubbed ‘the Monte Carlo of Cyprus’, Limassol Marina is incredibly impressive, attracting both yacht owners and tourists. This landmark marina offers docking for up to 650 yachts from 8 to 115 metres making it the first Cyprus marina with a capability of accommodating super yachts. With a wide range of bars and restaurants, Limassol Marina is a lively and salubrious area.

 – Larnaca Marina

 Located in Larnaca Bay, this official entry point to Cyprus offers mooring for 450 vessels. It’s wise to note that the Larnaca Marina is 1.5m at some points so entry for vessels over 2 metres deep should enter with caution using a depth meter. This marina offers a wide range of amenities from water and electricity to access to showers and laundry facilities.

 – Ayia Napa Marina

 Currently under construction, this impressive new marina is expected to be completed in 2021. The planned development will give vessels access to high-end facilities and there will also be several luxury accommodation areas overlooking the marina.

 – Latchi Harbour and Marina

 Latchi used to be a small fishing port, but over recent years it has increased in popularity and become a main stopping point. The marina offers all the services for vessels you’d expect of a small harbour and there are some amazing fish restaurants here too.

 – Paphos Marina

 Another marina under construction, the Paphos Marina is set to be a large development with capacity for 1000 vessels on 45,000 square metre site that will include housing, parking and restaurants.

 – St. Raphael Marina

 On the east side of Limassol is St. Raphael Marina. This beautiful marina provides docking for 273 vessels up to 30 metres long and 4 metres deep. Electricity, wireless and television services are available as well as management and technical services.

 – Zygi Marina

 Zygi Marina can be found in the Larnaca district. It’s a small marina mainly used by small to medium sized fishing boats. It offers basic services for vessels and the area is very pleasant with a beach and restaurants close by.

 For further information and for all your maritime legal requirements, contact A. Kartizis & Associates LLC.

Being a Cyprus legal business, it’s perhaps no surprise that we are experts in Shipping and Maritime Law. We have a dedicated maritime law department with an expert team ready to help with any aspect of maritime law from vessel registration and yacht leasing to financing and admiralty court representation. Please do get in touch today to discover how we can help you.

Coastal State regulation of bunkering (the supplying of fuel for use by ships) in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a contentious matter. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) does not establish a clear allocation of jurisdiction as between coastal and flag States. Bunkering by its very nature is a way to avoid customs duties applied by the coastal State. Inevitably, bunkering in the EEZ entails more dangers, especially environmental hazards, than bunkering within a port. Several coastal States regulate bunkering of fishing vessels in the EEZ in their fisheries laws, but State practice is not uniform.

Part V, Articles 55-75 of UNCLOS establishes the legal regime that governs the EEZ. The EEZ is a maritime zone sui generis which combines fundamental freedoms of the High Seas with certain sovereign rights of coastal States, thereby creating considerable tension between the two interests. The Coastal State enjoys broad-ranging legislative jurisdiction within its EEZ (Article 56). At the same time, the rights, and obligations of other States in EEZ are set out in Article 58 of UNCLOS. While Articles 56 and 58 of UNCLOS have undoubtedly an important role to play, it is not straightforward how they should be applied. Offshore bunkering is not contemplated by Article 58. Where the coastal State has no jurisdiction, any legislative or enforcement measures will constitute an infringement of the flag State’s freedom of navigation in the EEZ pursuant to Article 58 (1) UNCLOS.

Bunkering in the EEZ can be considered as falling under the freedom of navigation or as being “related to the freedom of navigation. However, if interpreted too liberally, this provision (Article 58) would arguably frustrate the will of the drafters by infringing upon the field of operation that they chose to reserve for Article 59 which deals with the resolution of conflicts regarding the attribution of rights and jurisdiction in the EEZ.

1. The M/V SAIGA and the M/V Virginia G cases

The possible inclusion of bunkering among the domains on which the coastal State may lawfully legislate was questioned for the first time in the “SAIGA” Cases. In the “SAIGA” (No.1) Case as an obiter dicta comment, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) considered that it was possible to argue that “refuelling is by nature an activity ancillary to that of the refuelled ship” and thus an activity the regulation of which can be assimilated to the exercise by the coastal State of its sovereign rights under Article 56.

In the “SAIGA” (No. 2), ITLOS decided that in the EEZ, the coastal State does not have jurisdiction to apply its customs laws and regulations other than in respect of artificial islands, installations, and structures. While in both cases (“SAIGA”) ITLOS did not expressly mentioned whether bunkering falls into the scope of coastal State jurisdiction, dissenting opinions gave some critical considerations on the issue. Interestingly, Judge Anderson in “SAIGA” (No. 1) following the collective dissenting opinions of Judges Wolfrum and Yamamoto stated that bunkering falls withing the internationally lawful uses of the sea related to navigation and it is not within the competence of the coastal State concerning fishing. In the case of bunkering of a fishing vessel, on the other hand, “the accent is not so much on the navigation of the fishing vessel as upon its efficient exploitation of the stocks.” However, Judge Zhao in “SAIGA” (No. 2) stated in his separate opinion that bunkering must not be regarded as falling within the high seas freedom of navigation or related to it, but it is an offshore commercial activity.

Later, in the Virginia G Judgment, ITLOS unanimously concluded that the requirement for bunkering vessels to obtain the authorization of the coastal State prior to bunkering fishing vessels in the EEZ could be considered as a legitimate exercise of the coastal State’s jurisdiction to conserve and manage living resources under Article 56(1)(a) of UNCLOS. This finding, however, only applies in relation to bunkering of vessels engaging in fishing and it does not extend to the bunkering in general of non-fishing vessels.

2. The M/V Norstar Case

More recently, in 2019 ITLOS in the M/V Norstar Case declared that bunkering on the high seas is part of the freedom of navigation under Article 87 of the Convention. Following that argumentation, it could be stated that the coastal State in the EEZ cannot regulate bunkering activities, except in the cases of bunkering of fishing vessels or other instances such as Marine Scientific Research on which the coastal State has jurisdiction as per article 56, because bunkering falls within the freedom of navigation.

ITLOS’ reasoning in the “Norstar” case can be extended by arguing that the EEZ bunkering of vessels in transit should be regarded as an internationally lawful use of the sea related to the freedom of navigation under Article 58. Yet, it is still questionable whether States need an authorization prior to bunkering in the EEZ in the case of non-fishing or fishing related vessels, especially in today’s fragile marine environment and ecosystem.

On 12 June 2020 the Shipping Deputy Ministry to the President of Cyprus issued the Circular 13/2020, through which informed all owners, bareboat charterers and managers of ships flying the Cyprus Flag about the replacement of its previous circular no. 12/2020, dated 14 May 2020, providing information regarding the revised procedure for conducting crew changes in a practical and effective way, in accordance with the Decree no. 28, issued by the Minister of Health and the relevant instructions of the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, regarding the operation of Ports and Port Facilities as well as the related protocol for crew changes.

For the sake of consistency and clarity, according to Decree No. 28 dated 5 June 2020, issued by the Minister of Health (on the determination of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19), crew changes are possible at Cyprus ports provided certain conditions are met.

The revised procedure is as follows:

1. For crew changes involving crew members which, in the 14 days before their arrival in Cyprus, were in countries belonging to categories A or B, or were onboard vessels which did not dock at any port, or were onboard vessels which docked only at ports of countries belonging to categories A or B, no approval is required from the Shipping Deputy Ministry. In all such cases, crew changes should be executed in accordance with all existing measures and procedures applicable to persons arriving from countries belonging to categories A and B.
2. For crew members which meet the above criteria but are not able to perform a PCR- based covid-19 test from a certified medical center in the country of departure within 72 hours of departure with a negative result, a request should be made to the Shipping Deputy Ministry in accordance with the procedure set out in paragraph 3 below, in order to secure approval, so that a PCR-based covid-19 test is conducted upon their arrival in Cyprus.
3. In addition to cases described in paragraph 2 above, special approval should be obtained from the Shipping Deputy Ministry for crew members and passengers of vessels or pleasure craft who do not meet the provisions set out in paragraph 1 above. Approval requests should be submitted electronically at the following email address: crewchanges@dms.gov.cy.  

All requests should include the following information:

• Vessel Name and/ or IMO number
• Vessel location in the Republic of Cyprus (name of port/ marina)
• Crew members’ names (on-signers and off-signers)
• Crew members’ flight details and original country of departure
• Accommodation arrangements in Cyprus (if applicable)

No approval is required for crew changes between vessels (which do not involve the embarkation/ disembarkation of any crew members).

4. In cases where charter flights are organised for the transfer of crew members and/ or passengers, additional permission is required from the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works for the execution of such flights.
5. The above procedures should be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 28 of the Minister of Health (on the determination of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19) as issued on 5 June 2020, as well as the provisions of the Protocol for crew changes issued by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works. 

It is of great importance to be mentioned that the relevant provisions for crew changes can be found in paragraph 2.15 of Decree No. 28, issued by the Minister of Health. Provisions for the disembarkation of crew members can be found in paragraph 2.16 of said Decree and provisions for the disembarkation from pleasure craft can be found in paragraph 2.19 of said Decree.

According to paragraph 2.15 of Decree No. 28:

The transportation and/or departure from the Republic shall be allowed as of 9 th June 2020 at 00:01 hrs until midnight 19th June of persons who are members of crews of commercial aircraft or members of crews on rigging platforms carrying out exploratory drilling within the Exclusive Economic Zones of States, with which the Republic has established diplomatic relations, or members of laid up cruise ships or members of pleasure boats, which are either docked in ports of the Republic, or are arriving by commercial flights or flights, which are allowed by exception, following a special permit by the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, in accordance with the Civil Aviation (Determination of Measures against the Spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus) Regulations of 2020 until (No.6) of 2020, as amended or replaced for the time being under the following terms:

(i) The said persons shall be placed in a state of self-isolation 14 days prior to their arrival,

(ii) They shall undergo molecular examination for the COVID-19 disease, before their arrival, which should be negative or if this is not possible on their arrival and if the examination is positive, they shall remain in a state of compulsory isolation (quarantine) subject to the medical protocol of the Ministry of Health.

(iii) The company for which they work or/and the agent who has undertaken the change of crew, shall undertake to transfer the crew directly from the ship to the airport, while the transfer of the crews arriving by air from airport to the port of departure, under strict security measures. If there is no coordination between the arrival of the ship and the arrival of the flight, or if the results of the molecular examination are pending, the company or/and the agent shall proceed to the necessary arrangements with the Authorities for the crew to stay in designated premises, in a state of isolation, until the arrival of the flight or the ship. Where possible, the disembarking crew shall remain on the ship until the date of the flight.

Provided that, for persons who are already working as crew members on vessels anchored in Cypriot ports, which are due to depart from the Republic, only sub-paragraph (iii) shall apply.

According to paragraph 2.16 of Decree No. 28:

The transfer and stay shall be allowed in the Republic as of 9th June 2020 at 00:01hrs until midnight 19th June 2020, of sailors and members of ship crews, who arrive on board vessels anchored in the ports of the Republic, under the following terms:

(a) For vessels arriving in the Republic from countries of Categories A and B, and provided that in the previous 14 days they have not called at a port of any country not belonging to the above categories, the sailors and crew members shall furnish a negative certificate of molecular examination for the COVID-19 disease, valid 72 hours prior to the departure of the vessel or such persons shall undergo molecular testing at the place of anchorage and they shall remain on board the vessel until the result is issued.

(b) For vessels arriving at the Republic from countries not belonging to Categories A and B, the sailors and crew members thereof must: (i)have completed 14 days in self-isolation and filled out a particular form issued by the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Works, as part of the protocol for change of crews. (ii)submit to a molecular examination for the COVID-19 disease upon disembarkation. (iii)these persons shall remain on the boat or in places of compulsory isolation (quarantine) until the result of the examination is issued.

(c) If the persons referred to in sections (a) and (b) above are positively diagnosed for the COVID-19 disease, they shall remain in a state of compulsory isolation (quarantine) subject to the medical protocol of the Ministry of Health.

(d) The procedures provided in Regulation 2.15(iii) are followed proportionally for the conduct of the molecular examinations, the transfer procedure and the isolation, until the issuing of the results for the examination of said persons.

 According to paragraph 2.19 of Decree No. 28:

With the exclusion of paragraphs 2.15 and 2.16 above, concerning the sailors and crew members, the following apply for persons lawfully entering the Republic from legal points of entry by sea:

(i) For pleasure boats arriving in the Republic from countries of Categories A and B, the passengers shall present a negative certificate of molecular examination for the COVID-19 disease, valid 72 hours prior to the departure of the boat or the said persons are given a molecular testing at the docking berth and in such case remain on the boat until the result is issued.

(ii) The passengers of pleasure boats which arrive from countries not falling under categories A and B and 14 days prior to their arrival they have not docked at any other port or they have docked only in the ports of countries that belong to categories A and B, shall be given a molecular test for the COVID-19 disease upon their arrival at the place of anchorage and remain on board until the result is issued.

(iii) The persons of categories (i) and (ii) who arrive in the Republic and are positively diagnosed for the COVID-19 disease, shall remain in a state of compulsory isolation (quarantine) subject to the medical protocol of the Ministry of Health. Provided that the administrators of the legal points of entry by sea shall ensure that the passengers will comply with all of the above.

6. Crew members entering the Republic of Cyprus through the airports of the Republic of Cyprus can apply for granting of a “CyprusFlightPass”, at the official web electronic platform of the Republic of Cyprus (https://cyprusflightpass.gov.cy/). By selecting, through the online platform, in Section 41 of the form “Passenger Locator”, the following category of passengers: “Persons, regardless of nationality, having a special permission by the Republic of Cyprus”, and stating thereafter whether or not they will perform a Covid-19 test upon their entry into the Republic of Cyprus, the “CyprusFlightPass” will be granted. Said pass must be presented to the airlines, so that the crew members will be allowed to board the aircraft. Crew members who will be doing the Covid-19 test upon entry into the Republic of Cyprus will need to pay the relevant cost of 60 euros. In the case where the web electronic platform of the Republic of Cyprus is temporarily unavailable due to technical issues or scheduled maintenance, persons travelling to Cyprus will be able to complete the required forms manually. These forms can be downloaded from the above web electronic platform.

 Countries which have been classified in Categories A and B

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus announced on 12 June 2020 the classification of countries which have been classified in Categories A and B, based on the epidemiological risk assessment undertaken by the Infectious Diseases Epidemiological Monitoring and Control Unit (IDEM&CU) on 10/6/2020.

The countries are the following:

Countries in Category A

1. Malta
2. Greece
3. Bulgaria
4. Norway
5. Austria
6. Finland
7. Slovenia
8. Hungary
9. Denmark
10. Germany
11. Slovakia
12. Lithuania
13. Croatia
14. Estonia
15. Czech Republic
16. Switzerland
17. Latvia
18. Luxembourg

Countries in Category B

1. Israel
2. Poland
3. Romania

A. Measures adopted by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works of the Republic of Cyprus

I. Revised Measures on Ports and Port facilities

The Minister of Transport, Communications and Works of the Republic of Cyprus exercising the powers he is vested in according to article 14(1) of the Law on Cyprus Ports Authority 1973 to 2016, has issued on 6 May 2020 revised instruction on the implementation of the restrictive measures to tackle COVID-19 pandemic at ports and ports facilities in Cyprus.

Further to the Directives of the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works dated 9.4.2020 to the Cyprus Ports Authority and within the framework of the gradual lifting of the containment measures to deal with the state of emergency in Cyprus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works issues the following new Directives as regards the revised restrictive measures which must be observed in all ports and port facilities, by the Cyprus Ports Authority as well as by the Contractors/Licensees/Port Operators of port services and port facilities:

1. Passenger / crew disembarkation: Any disembarkation of passengers and persons who are crew members of any type of vessel, including cruise ships and yachts, for the purpose of visits, short stays or overnight stays in the territory of the Republic is prohibited, excluding crew replacement / change as mentioned in 2 below.
2. Crew replacement/change: Persons who are members of crews of merchant ships, cruise ships in decommissioning, yachts and crew members on platforms that carry out exploratory drilling rigs within Exclusive Economic Zones of states with which the Republic of Cyprus maintains diplomatic relations, who are either on boats moored in the ports of the Republic or arrive on flights which, exceptionally, are allowed following a special permit by the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, in accordance with the Civil Aviation (Determination of Measures aimed at minimising the spread of COVID-19) Decrees of 2020 (No.4) are allowed transportation and / or departure from the Republic. A relevant protocol on the procedure that must be followed during crew changes is attached.
3. As regards crews of commercial vessels (tugboats, etc.) which have their permanent base in Cypriot ports, insomuch that they perform international voyages outside territorial waters, or voyages within territorial waters and come into contact with other crews or ports abroad, upon return to Cypriot ports, shall strictly comply with the instructions given by the Medical and Public Health Services, i.e. self-isolation for 14 days. All such vessels performing voyages within or outside of territorial waters, insomuch that the same crew members are employees of the company and insomuch that when they serve other ships they do not come into contact with the crews of other ships and do not visit ports abroad, then there will be no obligation to self-isolate.
4. Ship decommissioning: The long-term stay of ships in anchorages of the Republic for decommissioning purposes, in readiness conditions (warm lay-up), on the basis of the availability of slot for anchoraging for decommissioning purposes and on the basis of the characteristics of the ships, is permitted. It is understood that passengers or crews may not be disembarked for reasons other than for crew replacement/change purposes as referred to in 2 above.
5. Military Vessels: They may be docked after Notam Verbatim, but their crews may not be disembarked except for replacement/change as mentioned in 2 above.
6. Moving of private vessels for maintenance and repair purposes: Private vessels may move between authorised berths within the territory of the Republic for maintenance and repair purposes.
7. UNIFIL: It is permitted to move members of the UNIFIL Command force based in the ground installations of the port of Limassol. As regards the crews of UNIFIL vessels, it is only allowed to disembark for direct transport to an appropriate hotel inland for selfisolation and for their replacement/change as referred to in 2 above.
8. Emergency medical situations: In the event of emergencies (emergency medical situations) for a sick passenger or a sick crew member, either at anchorage or in port, agents exceptionally and due to the emergency medical situation will be entitled to make the necessary arrangements for the transport and care of the patient, provided that they consult, in advance, with the Medical and Public Health Services and inform the Cyprus Ports Authority.
9. No one is allowed to embark on any vessel for any reason apart from conducting activities which relate to cargo operations. It is permissible for stevedores, lashersunlashers and Ships/Cargo Surveyors to embark on vessels for conducting cargo operations with the prerequisite that the master shall undertake to isolate/restrain the crew and send a written confirmation to the Cyprus Ports Authority or to the Contractors/Licensees/Port Operators of port services and port facilities, that the crew is in self-isolation order within their cabins and no contact shall incur with the abovementioned personnel during their stay on board the vessel. It is understood that if their activities can be conducted electronically (signing of certificates) they are prohibited from boarding. It is further clarified that the same applies for surveyors involved in the administrative part of operations. Namely, only those who conduct operations relating to sampling checks and measurements (i.e. bunkering) may embark. It is further understood that stevedores, lashers-unlashers and surveyors must strictly adhere to the rules of self-protection/hygiene (masks, gloves, keeping necessary distance of 1-2 metres from each other, washing hands etc.) before their embarkation and after their disembarkation from the vessel, as per the guidelines for embarkation and disembarkation of navigators in paragraph 12.
10. In case there is a need for an inspection of a berthed vessel on the quay by crew members, only one member of the crew may disembark for a short period of time, provided that the ship’s agent informs the Cyprus Ports Authority or the Contractors/Licensees/Port Operators of port services and port facilities, in order to remove the persons working at that time in the specific part of the yard, as well as the Cyprus Port and Marine Police for on-site presence and supervision.
11. Provisions/Supplies: Crew must self-restrain in their cabins during the ship’s provision process. The Captain is responsible for confirming, both to the Ship Agent and the Cyprus Ports Authority or the Contractors/Licensees/Port Operators of port services and port facilities, that there will be no physical contact/interface of crew with ground personnel. It is understood that providers/suppliers will place the supplies on the quay, at a point near the ship to be indicated, and after they have evacuated the area, the crew will be allowed to approach and load the supplies to the ship. At anchorage, provision is permitted, provided there will be no physical contact/crew interaction with the providers/suppliers.
12. Instructions for boarding and disembarking vessels: 

i. Before navigators board the pilot boat:

a)       Hand washing before use of equipment (masks, gloves).

b)      Installation/application of equipment (masks/gloves) before boarding the pilot boat.

c)       Using masks with respirator-filter (type FFP2).

d)      Use of disposable gloves.

e)      Always have an antiseptic solution with at least 60 % alcohol content so that in case the gloves are distorted during the manoeuvre, they may be disinfected.

 ii. Boarding the ship: 

f)     A distance of at least 1 meter from any person shall be kept.

g)    The ship’s bridge shall accommodate the minimum necessary number of people.

iii. Disembarkation of Navigators from the pilot boat:

h)    Gloves, masks are removed in the appropriate way.

i)     They are dispensed at the end of the manoeuvre as quickly as possible, in a bin on the quay that shall be placed for this purpose and definitely before entering the offices or interacting with any other persons.

j)     Hand washing and antiseptic use.

13. Those who have no other option but to board a ship for operations – such as Port State Vessel Inspectors or Ship Inspectors, or Technicians necessary for conducting inspections or other qualified persons for supervision of unloading machines (e.g. bulk cargo, oil products) as well as inspection of equipment and safety incidents – must comply with the applicable instructions relating to boarding procedures mentioned in paragraph 12.

14. As regards persons who remain on board, irrespective of the duration, such as the “Mooring Master”, for transhipment operations of petroleum products from ship to ship – “STS Operations”, and specialised persons for unloading petroleum products at power stations) , the following should be adhered to:

a)       Certification by the ship carrying the cargo that there has preceded disinfection of the person’s/persons’ living space (cabins). Where it is possible, such cabins should be single to double.

b)      Clarification whether a personal toilet is available for such staff. In the case of a positive response, the personnel will remain isolated in their cabins without contact with the ship’s crew and will use the personal toilets exclusively and strictly adhere to the personal protective/health measures. In the event of a negative response, the ship must designate a separate toilet for the persons, for which it will also have to certify its prior disinfection.

c)       The person(s) should carefully remove the personal protective/health equipment after completion of supervision and before entering the cabin. When leaving the cabin and if they are to come into contact with the ship’s crew, personal protective/hygiene equipment should be available for change in the cabin. The final removal of personal protective/health equipment will take place as recorded in the guidance for navigators (i.e. once they reach land).

d)      Special attention should be paid to avoiding the unnecessary stay of any personnel of the ship near the Mooring Master/Specialised Persons. E. As far as the issue of nutrition is concerned, it is recommended that they carry the necessary supplies for his/her stay on board with him/her. In case anything additional is needed, it will be left outside the cabin for them and strictly keep hands clean.

15. Crew shall be prohibited from disembarking and performing work on the quay for purposes of maintaining the ship, e.g. painting, washing a vessel, etc.

16. Those entering ports and port facilities should adhere strictly to the instructions of the Medical and Public Health Services in relation to the use of personal protective/health equipment. It is understood that requests for exemption from the application of any of the above restrictive measures submitted to the Cyprus Ports Authority will be forwarded by the Cyprus Ports Authority to the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works for consideration and decision after consultation with the Minister of Health of the Republic of Cyprus.

II. Crews change Protocol

1. Crew change is allowed in the following categories of ships:

a)       Crew members of commercial ships.

b)      Crew members that work on platforms that are currently conducting research drilling works within the exclusive economic zones of countries that the Republic of Cyprus has established diplomatic relations with.

c)       Crew members of cruising ships that are currently laid-up.

d)      Crew members of recreation ships.

2. For a crew change to take place, the following rules apply:

a)       Those persons have to remain in self-isolation for 14 days before entering the Republic of Cyprus. The attached document will have to be completed as a confirmation of the above.

b)      They have to have taken the coronavirus molecular test before their arrival or –if this is not possible- immediately after their arrival and the result should be negative.

c)       The company that employs the said crews and/or the agent that has undertaken the crew change has to take the necessary action for the transportation of the crew directly from the ship to the airport and the transportation of crews arriving by plane to the port of departure under strict protection measures.

d)      If the arrival of the ship and the arrival of the flight cannot be synchronized, the company and/or the agent has to make the necessary arrangements in cooperation with the authorities for the accommodation of the crew in particular shelters where they are going to stay isolated until the arrival of the flight or the ship.

e)      If the results of the molecular tests are still pending, the company and/or the agent has to make the necessary arrangements in cooperation with the authorities for the accommodation of the crew in particular shelters where they are going to stay isolated until the announcement of the results.

f)        Whenever possible, the crew that is going to disembark shall remain on board until the date of the flight.

g)       Persons that work as crew members in ships that are docking at Cyprus ports and those persons are going to disembark from the ship in order to leave the Republic of Cyprus and the arrival of the ship cannot be synchronized with the arrival of the flight, the company and/or the agent has to make the necessary arrangements in cooperation with the authorities for the accommodation of the crew in particular places where they are going to stay isolated until the arrival of the flight. For those persons, points (a) and (b) above do not apply.

3. Procedure at the airport:

a)       The crew changes shall be realized with flights specifically chartered for this purpose either by the agent or the ship-owner and/or those organized by the Republic for the repatriation of Cypriot citizens in the event there is space available.

b)      Within the premises of the airport, all the safety and protection instructions have to be implemented.

c)       The use of a mask is compulsory while all the measures of hand sanitization will have to be implemented. Staff members in the airports and other people within the premises should keep the distance of 2 metres from each other.

d)      The transportation to the airport has to be completed within reasonable time as required by the instructions provided by the respective airline before the embarkation at the airport.

4. Procedure at the port:

a)       Members of the crew that are going to enter the port of the port facilities for reasons of embarkation/disembarkation to/from the ship will have to follow strict protection measures.

b)      The use of a mask is compulsory while all the measures of hand sanitization will have to be implemented. Staff members in ports and other people within the premises should keep the distance of 2 metres from each other.

c)       The transportation to the port has to be completed within short time in relation to the embarkation time and provided that the ship is due to the embarkation of the crew.

d)      The disembarkation shall take place only at the presence of the transportation vehicle which is going to transport the crew to the airport or to the designated shelter according to the case.

e)      The embarkation of the new crew shall take place only after the previous crew has left, unless this cannot take place for security reasons.

f)        Any additional instructions provided by the manager of the port and the Cyprus Ports Authority as regulatory authority shall be strictly implemented.

5. Transportation process

a)    Transportation from and to the destination, according to the case (port, airport, hotel) shall be conducted under strict rules.

b)    The transportation process shall be direct and no intermediate stops will be allowed. Disembarkation from the bus/shuttle is not allowed unless there is an emergency.

c)    The type of bus/shuttle chosen will depend upon the number of passengers and in relation with the rules in force implemented within the Republic.

6. Further instructions:

a)       When, according to paragraph 2(b), a coronavirus molecular test is deemed necessary during the arrival of the crew members in the Republic, the company and/or the agent shall make arrangements through a relative agreement with the laboratory and take all the necessary actions for the direct transportation of the crew to a laboratory where the molecular test is to take place, in compliance with the procedure set out by paragraph 5, before the crew is transported to the shelter.

b)      In the event that the use of specific shelters is deemed necessary in accordance to paragraphs 2(d) and 2(e), the company and/or the agent will have to provide the appropriate shelter and the relative arrangements should be made for the accommodation of the crew, where the crew members should stay in isolation for the time required according to each case.

c)       The expenses of the ticket, bus/shuttle, use of protective measures, molecular testing and crew members accommodation in shelters shall be covered by the company/agent.

B. Measures adopted by the Shipping Deputy Ministry of Cyprus (‘SDM’)

I. Procedure for facilitating crew changes within the framework of the gradual relaxation of the Restrictive Measures applicable during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Pursuant to, Decrees No. 20 and No.21 of 2020 issued by the Minister of Health (on the determination of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19), crew changes are possible at Cyprus ports provided certain conditions are met.

More precisely, on 14 May 2020 the SDM issued the Circular 12/2020, through which informed all owners, bareboat charterers and managers of ships flying the Cyprus Flag about the procedure for conducting crew changes in a practical and effective way, in accordance with the above Decrees and the revised instructions of the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, dated 6 May 2020, for the operation of Ports and Port Facilities as well as the related protocol for crew changes.

According to the said circular:

a)       Interested companies must address electronically all requests for crew changes to the Shipping Deputy Ministry to the following email addresses: deputy.minister@dms.gov.cy and epavlidou@dms.gov.cy. All such requests will be assessed by the SDM and, upon their approval, will be referred to the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works (MTCW) for granting the necessary approval of the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works to perform a flight.

b)      The above arrangements will apply provided the provisions of the Decrees No. 20 and No.21 of the Minister of Health (on the determination of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19) as issued on 30 April 2020 and 05 May 2020, as well as the provisions of the Protocol for crew changes issued by the MTCW, are met.

Requests concerning crew changes need not be registered on the online platform connect2cy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which operates for the purpose of providing assistance to Cypriot citizens or permanent residents of Cyprus in emergency situations.

Crew change requests involving Cypriot citizens who wish to remain in the Republic of Cyprus should be addressed to the Ministry of Health for handling.