A traveller holding an Indian passport, a valid Schengen visa, and UK permanent residency recently shared their experience of being denied entry at the Northern Cyprus border. Taking to Reddit, the traveller recounted how border officials at the Deryneia crossing turned them away without any explanation.
Denied without explanation: What happened at the border?
The Reddit user, who goes by the name Brugiamalayi, explained that they were attempting to visit Famagusta in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). While they had successfully crossed into TRNC via the Nicosia border just two days earlier, they were unexpectedly refused entry at the Deryneia checkpoint.
“Travel isn’t always smooth sailing, but I never expected to be outright denied entry without a proper explanation,” the traveller wrote in their post.
Adding to their confusion, the border officer allegedly rejected their passport outright.“A few days ago, I was planning to visit Famagusta in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). I took the road from Southern Cyprus and reached the Deryneia border crossing, expecting a routine check. Instead, the border officer took one look at my Indian passport and said: Indian passport holders are not allowed,” they shared.
To make matters more confusing, two European travellers accompanying them were granted entry without issue.
The traveller attempted to argue that they had entered TRNC just two days before without any trouble, but their concerns were dismissed.
“I was confused—because just two days earlier, I had entered TRNC through the Nicosia border crossing without any issue. When I mentioned this, the officer shouted at me: ‘I don’t care. This is a new rule; the rules have changed now,’” they recounted.
Seeking clarity, the traveller later reached out to the TRNC authorities, hoping to understand why they had been denied entry. However, the response they received only added to the confusion.
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"Indian passport - No entry"
byu/Brugiamalayi inindia
In an email, TRNC officials informed the traveller that Indian passport holders did not require a visa prior to travel. “Trying to get some clarity, I later emailed the TRNC embassy specifically about requirements for Indian passport holders. Their response made things even more confusing: ‘Please be advised that except for Syrian, Nigerian, or Armenian passport holders, there is no requirement to obtain a visa prior to travel to TRNC.’”
The contradictory information left the Redditor questioning what had truly transpired at the border. “Honestly, the whole experience felt unfair. Whatever the reason, being singled out like that left a bad taste in my mouth,” they concluded.
After the incident, the traveller turned to online reviews and found that they weren’t alone. Several other travellers had reported similar experiences, particularly at the Turkish side of the border. Many one-star reviews pointed to inconsistent rules and unexplained denials, adding further concerns about the checkpoint’s practices.
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