Northern Cyprus: Harbours, bridges and formalities for sailors
6 harbours
Northern Cyprus: 6 harbours, clearing in, papers and fees. Plan your trip with weather, tides and route.
Formalities
outside the EU customs unionCurrency: Turkish lira
Clearing in: Recognised only by Turkey; EU law is suspended in the north. Clear in at Girne (Kyrenia), Gazimağusa (Famagusta) or Karpaz Gate Marina with customs, passport control and the harbour office. The Republic of Cyprus closed the ports in the north in 1974 and treats their use as illegal entry: anyone who enters here and then sails to the south of the island commits an offence there, according to insurers even after a stopover in a third country. For boats under the Greek flag or with a Greek crew, Greek penalties are added. On land, EU citizens may freely cross the Green Line at the crossing points, even if they entered in the north.
Documents: Passport or identity card, boat papers, insurance, crew list.
Fees: Harbour dues in the marinas, clearance fees in lira.
Fairway: North coast with few harbours, steady westerly wind in summer. The ceasefire line reaches the sea south of Famagusta (Varosha, military restricted area).
Nature: Turtle beaches on the north coast (Alagadi) and on the Karpaz peninsula.
Emergency: 112 on mobile networks; VHF channel 16 and DSC.
Sources: Auswärtiges Amt: Cyprus, section on entry via ports in the northern part, travel and safety advice, UK P&I: notice on the closed ports in the north, Noonsite: Karpaz Gate Marina (as of 2026-10-20)
Harbours by cruising area
Northern Cyprus (Kyrenia, Famagusta, Karpaz)
Frequently asked questions
Northern Cyprus: Do I need to clear in?
Recognised only by Turkey; EU law is suspended in the north. Clear in at Girne (Kyrenia), Gazimağusa (Famagusta) or Karpaz Gate Marina with customs, passport control and the harbour office. The Republic of Cyprus closed the ports in the north in 1974 and treats their use as illegal entry: anyone who enters here and then sails to the south of the island commits an offence there, according to insurers even after a stopover in a third country. For boats under the Greek flag or with a Greek crew, Greek penalties are added. On land, EU citizens may freely cross the Green Line at the crossing points, even if they entered in the north.
Northern Cyprus: Which documents do I need on board?
Passport or identity card, boat papers, insurance, crew list.
Northern Cyprus: What fees apply?
Harbour dues in the marinas, clearance fees in lira.
Northern Cyprus: What is the emergency number at sea?
112 on mobile networks; VHF channel 16 and DSC.
Northern Cyprus: How many harbours does Sailseer cover?
Sailseer covers 6 harbours with harbour info, weather and route planning.