Cyprus Border Crossing Volumes — How 7.6 Million Trips Move Between North and South Each Year
Across all open checkpoints between the TRNC and the Republic of Cyprus, 7,621,023 arrivals into the north were recorded in 2025 (a 2.2% softening from 2024's 7,793,124). August peaked at 730,885 arrivals. The full monthly + passenger-origin breakdown for both years, and what it means for cross-border trip planning.
7,621,023 arrivals into the TRNC from the Republic of Cyprus side in 2025 — a 2.2% softening from 2024's 7,793,124. That's the latest official tally from the TRNC Tourism Planning Department, and it captures a flow most international tourism analyses miss entirely.
For a small island, that's a remarkable number. ~21,000 crossings per day on average. Peak day in August probably runs north of 28,000.
The monthly numbers, 2024 vs 2025
| Month | Total 2024 | Total 2025 | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 534,791 | 559,202 | +4.6% |
| Feb | 565,354 | 543,419 | -3.9% |
| Mar | 616,195 | 627,564 | +1.8% |
| Apr | 666,830 | 648,321 | -2.8% |
| May | 663,488 | 667,333 | +0.6% |
| Jun | 698,938 | 678,548 | -2.9% |
| Jul | 700,740 | 689,060 | -1.7% |
| Aug | 759,370 | 730,885 | -3.7% |
| Sep | 688,183 | 652,322 | -5.2% |
| Oct | 676,244 | 662,964 | -2.0% |
| Nov | 605,320 | 591,578 | -2.3% |
| Dec | 617,671 | 569,827 | -7.7% |
| TOTAL | 7,793,124 | 7,621,023 | -2.2% |
By passenger origin, 2025: TRNC residents 3,253,476 (+9.9%); South Cyprus residents 2,398,498 (-15.4%); Other Foreigner 1,969,049 (-1.3%).
Three things the latest data shows
The flow softened mildly in 2025. Net -2.2%, driven by lower South Cyprus residents (-15.4%) — likely the EU-side political-economic backdrop. TRNC residents crossing back from the south actually rose 9.9% (cross-border shopping continuing). Foreign visitor crossings were nearly flat (-1.3%).
Peak month August (730,885). Still the highest-volume single month — but down 3.7% from the 2024 peak. The August softening tracks the same pattern across the year.
Foreign visitors are 26% of the crossing flow. 1,969,049 "Other foreigner" arrivals into TRNC from the south side in 2025. These are mostly tourists who flew into Larnaca or Paphos, then crossed north for a day-trip or a longer stay. That figure dwarfs the 356,409 direct foreign arrivals at Ercan + Girne + Famagusta ports — by ~5.5×.
What this means for crossing your rental
This is where the data shapes a real practical question: how do you actually structure a Cyprus trip when both halves matter?
The high foreign-crossing volume confirms what the rental industry already knows: tourists fly into Larnaca, cross north, and want a car on the north side. The crossing itself is straightforward — about 15-20 minutes for passport control on a normal day.
But — and this is what most travel content misses — rental cars cannot cross the border with you. TRNC-insured rentals cannot operate south of the Green Line (legal restriction + insurance void). South-side rentals can cross north but only with expensive border-kiosk insurance that doesn't cover damage to your own rental. We've broken this math down in detail in the South vs North Cyprus Rental Real Cost post.
For most cross-border travellers, the cleanest play is: cross the border on foot or by taxi (no rental friction), then pick up a fully-covered Kipra rental on the north side. We offer free transfers from Deryneia and Famagusta Crosspoint borders.
Verify the data
The TRNC Tourism Planning Department publishes the full annual report at turizmplanlama.gov.ct.tr — Table 7 in both the 2024 and 2025 annuals holds the monthly arrival/departure flow this dataset mirrors. We refresh when each annual is published.
A per-checkpoint breakdown (Deryneia / Famagusta-Strovilia / Astromeritis / Ledra / Metehan / Akyar / Pergamos / Limnitis) is collected by TRNC Police and Republic of Cyprus CYSTAT but is not currently published as a single aggregated file. Per qualitative reporting, Agios Dometios (Metehan) in Nicosia is the busiest crossing, with Deryneia (closest to Famagusta) handling the largest share of tourist-origin trips.
📊 Download the data: CSV file — open data, CC-BY-4.0 license. Includes both 2024 + 2025 monthly tables.
Bottom line
7.62 million border crossings in 2025. The vast majority are same-day. The foreign component is ~2 million annually — about 5.5× the direct-foreign-arrival count at the north's own airports. This is the structural reality that makes cross-border rental + free-transfer pickup the model that actually works for international visitors.
Browse the fleet at kiprarent.com or book a car with free border transfer.
Last updated: 2026. Source: TRNC Tourism Planning Department, Tourism Statistics 2024 + 2025, Table 7.
