Foreign Entries by Air and Sea Fall 7.7%, Crossings at Land Checkpoints Down 13.7%

The number of third-country nationals entering by air and sea fell from 158,360 in the first half of 2025 to 146,096 in the same period of 2026. Meanwhile, the number of third-country nationals entering through crossing points dropped from 2,121,216 to 1,829,954.

When both modes of entry are considered together, total entries fell by approximately 13.3%.

Air and Sea Entries Down 7.7%; Germany Leads with 34.1% Increase

According to data from the Tourism Planning Department, based on figures from the Police General Directorate, the number of foreign passengers entering the country by air and sea declined by 7.7%, from 158,360 in January-June 2025 to 146,096 in the same period of 2026.

Germany recorded one of the most notable increases. The number of passengers arriving from Germany rose from 16,453 to 22,063, an increase of 34.1%. Germany therefore became the leading source of air and sea arrivals in the first half of 2026.

Austria also recorded a significant increase of 103.9%, with arrivals rising from 714 to 1,456. Nepal recorded the highest proportional increase at 114.3%, followed by Taiwan at 71.4%, Montenegro at 50%, Indonesia at 44.2% and Kenya at 41.6%.

Arrivals from France, Belgium and Croatia Fall by More Than 75%

Significant declines were recorded in arrivals from several European countries. The number of passengers arriving from France fell by 79.3%, Belgium by 78.8%, Croatia by 76.3% and Slovenia by 64.9%.

Arrivals from Iran also fell by 42.3%, from 15,567 to 8,985. Iran recorded the largest numerical decline, with 6,582 fewer arrivals, while France saw a decrease of 4,211.

Russia remained a major source market, with 19,743 arrivals. Arrivals from the United Kingdom fell by 13% to 9,546, while those from Azerbaijan declined by 5.9% to 3,922.

In contrast, arrivals from Pakistan increased by 4.9% to 6,960, those from Turkmenistan rose by 7.2% to 5,881, and arrivals from Israel increased by 9.2% to 3,584.

Decline at Land Crossings More Pronounced

The number of foreign nationals entering Northern Cyprus through crossing points fell from 2,121,216 in the first half of 2025 to 1,829,954 in the same period of 2026, representing a 13.7% decline.

Crossings from the Republic of Cyprus accounted for the vast majority of entries through land crossing points. The number of people crossing from the Republic of Cyprus to Northern Cyprus fell from 1,227,168 to 1,024,706, a decline of 202,462.

Despite the decrease, crossings from the Republic of Cyprus accounted for approximately 56% of all entries through land crossing points.

Entries originating from other major countries also declined. Crossings from the United Kingdom fell from 114,160 to 95,695, while those from Greece dropped from 108,914 to 90,018.

By contrast, entries originating from Germany increased from 66,567 to 70,035, while those from Poland rose from 66,441 to 69,772. Austria recorded a 31.7% increase, reaching 10,069 entries.

The largest proportional increase at the crossing points was recorded among arrivals from Nigeria, which rose from 68 to 181, an increase of 166.2%. Afghanistan increased by 72.5%, Mozambique by 66.1%, Luxembourg by 41.8% and Tunisia by 39.6%.

The sharpest declines were recorded in entries originating from Tajikistan (-68.1%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (-63.5%), Sudan (-62.5%), Malaysia (-61.7%), India (-50.6%), Morocco (-49.9%), Pakistan (-49.2%) and Algeria (-49%).

Total Entries Down 13.3%

When air, sea and land crossing data are combined, the total number of entries fell from 2,279,576 in January-June 2025 to 1,976,050 in the same period of 2026.

This represents a decline of 303,526 entries, or approximately 13.3%.