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Accessible Cyprus: airports, transport and beaches

How to request assistance at Larnaca and Paphos airports, where to find accessible beaches in Cyprus, and what parking regulations apply.

Cyprus InformEditorial team

27 October 2015 11 min read

Accessible Cyprus: airports, transport and beaches

Checked: 17 September 2026.

Cyprus’s accessibility: no illusions

Accessibility in Cyprus is organised through several independent systems. Assistance at the airport operates in accordance with European regulations; beaches are managed by the Ministry of Tourism; parking permits are issued by the Department of Social Services; and buses operate according to their own transport regulations. There is no single point of contact for any of these matters.

This information will be useful for those who use a wheelchair, tire easily when walking, have impaired vision or invisible disabilities, as well as for their carers. The Republic’s official guide openly acknowledges that infrastructure is not yet fully developed everywhere and advises wheelchair users to plan their journeys with a companion.

Everything described below applies to the territory of the Republic of Cyprus: these lists and rights do not extend to the north of the island. Traffic here drives on the left, and the single emergency number is 112. Opening hours, restrictions and lists are subject to change, so please check them against the original source on the date of your trip, rather than relying on copies from last year.

Assistance for PRMs in Larnaca and Paphos

Under EU Regulation 1107/2006, you must notify the airline, travel agent or tour operator of your need for assistance and the type required – either when booking your ticket or no later than 48 hours before the published departure time. The carrier then forwards the request to the service provider at the airport; the airport does not accept requests directly.

If no advance notice has been given, there is no guarantee that full assistance will be provided or that there will be no waiting time. On the day of departure, you must arrive at the terminal at least two hours in advance and make yourself known at the designated arrival point in front of the terminal building by pressing the call button on the intercom. A member of staff will come with a wheelchair if required.

There are four such points in Larnaca: at the bus and taxi rank, at the public drop-off point by Bridge 2 on the departures level, by the car park for passengers with reduced mobility, and at the bus drop-off point. In Paphos, there are two — by the kerb and by the parking meters. The assistance desk in Larnaca is located at the west entrance; its opening hours should be confirmed before departure.

Parking permits and concession cards

Holders of a European parking card may use spaces for people with reduced mobility at airports by placing the card on the dashboard, face up. As of September 2026, the first 120 minutes of parking are free, but the time limit should be checked with the car park operator; in Paphos, the card and ticket must be presented at the information desk before leaving.

The European card is also accepted on public roads and in public car parks across the island. On streets with parking meters, parking is free and there is no time limit; on yellow lines, parking is permitted for up to 3 hours and only in areas designated in advance by the commission and marked with a sign. The card is valid only whilst the holder is in the car.

The card must not be passed on to third parties. All card-based benefits – parking, free entry to attractions and transport – are linked to European cards, and travellers from outside the EU do not have access to them: a Russian disability certificate and a sticker on the windscreen do not grant these rights. Cypriot cards are issued to residents according to a restricted list of categories.

Buses, wheelchairs and special transport

Regular buses will carry one wheelchair measuring up to 120 by 70 centimetres, subject to space being available and always at the driver’s discretion; the driver is entitled to refuse carriage on safety grounds. There are priority seats on every bus, and other passengers are obliged to vacate them. There is no guarantee of a seat.

Separate limits apply to electric scooters: a width of up to 60 centimetres, a length of up to 100 centimetres, a speed of up to 6.4 kilometres per hour, and a combined weight of up to 300 kilograms including the passenger; a certificate with a sticker is required. Guide dogs, assistance dogs and hearing dogs are always carried, regardless of the driver’s discretion.

Free travel is available for wheelchair users, blind passengers and their companions, as well as for holders of the European Disability Card; however, the card is currently valid only in a pilot scheme covering eight countries: Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Malta, Romania and Slovenia. The guide lists special taxis and minibuses without specifying fares or booking deadlines.

Accessible beaches and access to the water

The current list of beaches for people with special access needs — as published by the tourism authority in July 2026 — comprises 61 beaches, of which 46 are fully accessible and 15 are partially accessible. In this context, ‘fully accessible’ means a wooden or plastic walkway leading from the shore into the sea, toilet facilities and disabled parking spaces.

There are two types of water access aids, and it is important not to confuse them. Seatrac is a fixed chair on a rail, powered by a solar panel, which takes users out to a depth of approximately 60 centimetres, whilst the Mobi Chair is a portable floating wheelchair. The former is available at 11 of the beaches on the list, whilst the latter is listed at 43. The selection of beaches varies.

Use of the equipment is free of charge; to check availability and operation, ask the lifeguards at the specific beach: the list contains neither timetables nor seasonal information. Seatrac is listed at Vathia Gonia, Agia Triada, Louma, Vrysi C’, Vyzakia, Akti Olympion A’, Latchi C’, Takkas, Coral Bay and the municipal beaches of Geroskipou and Polis Chrysochous.

Archaeological sites and access to them

Kourion is almost entirely wheelchair-accessible via footbridges and special walkways; some information boards are duplicated in Braille; the western section is accessed via a separate entrance, and there is a marked car park and toilet facilities nearby. The Kato Pafos Archaeological Park is only partially accessible and has no marked route.

Visitors must follow staff instructions when moving around Kato Pafos. At the Tombs of the Kings, the ticket office and the site are accessible, but viewing is only possible from above. In Amathus, the Lower Town is open, whilst in Hirokitia, due to the slope of the hill, the only area accessible to pushchairs is the zone of reconstructed dwellings; this does not equate to the site being fully accessible.

At Kourion, Kato Pafos, the Tombs of the Kings, Amathus and Hirokitia, opening hours are seasonal: from 16 September to 15 April, 08:30 to 17:00, from 16 April to 15 September until 19:30; Kition is open on weekdays. Entry to sites listed by the Department of Antiquities is free with a European Disability Card from any of the eight participating countries; a companion may also enter free of charge if the card is marked ‘A’.

What to do before your trip and what to check

Before travelling, check four key details: the latest version of the list of beaches, the opening hours of archaeological sites, the conditions for discounted travel with your transport provider, and the deadline for submitting a request for assistance to your airline. These are managed by different authorities and are not updated simultaneously. The single EU disability card will not come into effect until 2028.

The Eagle lift is required for those who cannot transfer to a wheelchair unaided: there is only one for every two airports, located in Larnaca; it is designed to carry up to 250 kilograms and is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. As of September 2026, it is booked by sending a letter to the PRM contractor at their designated address, specifying the weight; if a flight is delayed, the slot is not rescheduled.

On the day of departure, the vehicle is only stopped at the terminal to let passengers alight: leaving it unattended is prohibited and punishable. The ‘Sunflower’ lanyard is issued free of charge at the assistance desk; it indicates an unobvious disability and is recognised by staff, but it does not reduce queuing time nor does it grant priority in service.

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Official sources

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