The first consequence of its officially unrecognised status is that Ercan airport is not recognised by the IATA. As a result, all flights (including charters) have to stop over in Turkey before landing at Ercan. Scheduled flights on Turkish Airlines and Pegasus connect via several destinations in Turkey.
Another possibility would be to fly to Southern Cyprus (Larnaca, for example) and take a taxi to the north, crossing the Green Line at Nicosia. Many suggest that you get a travel operator to arrange for a taxi from the North to collect you, as sometimes Greek Cypriot taxi drivers are reluctant to take tourists up north.
When passing a Green Line checkpoint into Northern Cyprus, all visitors pass through TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northen Cyprus) immigration which is fairly hassle-free. Citizens of the European Union, the US, Japan and most other industrialised countries get a visitor visa issued free of charge at the border or Green Line crossing point. Others have to apply at ‘representative offices’ in London, Washington D.C and New York, as TRNC has no embassies or consulates outside Turkey.
At the checkpoint, TRNC will stamp either a piece of paper (often the norm at the Green Line) or your passport (most common at airports).
This article is an extract from Buying a Home in Cyprus from Survival Books.