Public Service Hours
Winter Period (September 1 - June 30)
Monday - Friday: 07:30 - 15:00
Summer Period (July 1 - August 31)
Monday - Friday: 07:30 - 15:00
SHOPPING HOURS
Winter Period (November 1 - March 31)
Mon, Tue, Thu : up to 19:00 hrs
Wednesday : up to 14:00 hrs
Friday : up to 20:00 hrs
Saturday : up to 15:00 hrs
Summer Period (April 1 - October 31)
Mon, Tue, Thu : up to 20:00 hrs
Wednesday : up to 14:00 hrs
Friday : up to 20:30 hrs
Saturday : up to 17:00 hrs
Summer afternoon recess Mon, Tue, Thu and Friday (June 15-August 31) from 14:00-17:00 hrs
OFFICES HOURS
September 15 - May 31
Monday - Friday: 08:00 - 13:00, 15:00 - 18:00
June 1 - September 14
Monday - Friday: 08:00 - 13:00, 16:00 - 19:00
Banking hours for the public:
Monday - Friday: 08:15 - 13:30
Monday: 15:15 - 16:45.
(May, June, July, August: Monday - Friday: 08:15 - 13:30)
Centrally located Banks provide "afternoon tourist services".
Banks at the Larnaka and Pafos International Airports provide services in the daytime, as well as a night service for most flights.
Banking facilities are also available at the Lemesos (Limassol) Harbour.
A number of Automatic Exchange Machines operate on a 24hrs basis in central places of all towns and the main tourist resorts Agia Napa and Paralimni. Most currencies and denominations are acceptable.
Hotels, large shops, restaurants, e.t.c. usually accept traveller’s cheques and major credit cards. Rates of exchange are published daily in the local press, and are also broadcast at the 10:00 o’clock News Bulletins by the CBC (except Sundays) on Second Radio Channel on 91.1FM.
Bank holidays are the same as Public Holidays plus Easter Tuesday. Christmas Eve is a working day for banks.
Shopping
Locally produced items, which are popular to visitors, include leather goods, woven goods, (curtains and tablecloths), ceramics, copperware, silverware (especially filigree), baskets and the famous traditional hand-made Lefkaritika lace. These can be purchased from the many souvenir shops found throughout the island and the Cyprus Handicraft Centres.
Cyprus wines and spirits, which have been famous for centuries, are also high on visitors’ shopping lists and can be purchased from supermarkets or grocery shops.
Shoes, shirts, imported textiles and spectacles are good value for money.
In most of the tourist areas, both souvenir shops and supermarkets remain open until late in the evenings, and all day on Sunday.
In towns, shops close at 19.00hrs during the Winter period (November-March) and at 20:30 hrs during the Summer period (April-October). As from 15th of June till 31st of August shops in towns close between 14:00 and 17:00 hrs for the summer afternoon break.
On Sundays, shops in towns are closed. On Wednesday and Saturday shops close at 14:00 hrs.
Just before Christmas and Easter, shops usually remain open until late in the evening.
Supermarkets close one hour later on Friday evening.
CHEMISTS PHARMACIES / DRUG STORES
They stay open during shopping hours. Names, addresses and telephone numbers of chemists which stay open until late at night, on Public Holidays and on Sundays are listed in the daily papers. They can also be traced through the following automatic telephones: Lefkosia: 90 90 14 12, Lemesos: 90 90 14 15, Larnaka 90 90 14 14, Pafos: 90 90 14 16 , Ammochostos: 90 90 14 13.
Schools
Children are required to attend school until they are age 15. Most stay on until they are 18 and gain a high-school diploma, which is required before they can apply for university or a job. All free schools are Greek-speaking. The Cyprus Government wishes to ensure that children from other EU countries continue their education while they are in Cyprus.
To facilitate this, children with other native languages who do not speak Greek can receive special lessons in the language so that they can go to a state school.
There are also more than 30 private English-speaking schools, of varying quality.
Pre-school education is offered by Greek-language state schools and private schools operating in other languages. It is provided for children aged from three years to five years and eight months. Attendance is voluntary. There are also private and state baby nurseries for children up to three years of age.
Primary education is provided free of charge at state schools for children aged from five years and eight months to 11 years and eight months. Age is the only criterion for the entry of children into primary education. The school year is divided into three terms of three months, with attendance on five days of the week. The system of afternoon attendance is being extended to primary schools.
Currency / Banking Hours / Credit Cards
Cyprus Currency
The currency of the Republic of Cyprus is the Euro (€). It is divided into 100 Euro cents (¢).
Notes and coins currently in circulation are as follows:
Banknotes: €500, €200, €100, €50, €20, €10, €5
Coins: 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 euro, 2 euros
Banking
Commercial banks in Cyprus offer a wide range of banking services in Cyprus pounds, as well as in foreign currencies, and have correspondents in most major cities around the world. They are also full members of the Society for Worldwide Interbrain Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT). Commercial banking is based on UK banking law and practice and commercial banks are supervised by the Central Bank of Cyprus.
Banking hours for the public
· September
Monday-Friday 08:15 - 13:00
Monday 15:15 - 16:45
· October to April
Monday-Friday 08:30 - 13:00
Monday 15:15 - 16:45
· May to August
Monday-Friday 08:15 - 13:00
Banks are closed at weekends and on public holidays and Easter Tuesday. Christmas Eve is a working day for banks.
Banks at Larnaka and Pafos International Airports provide exchange bureaux services on a 24-hour basis. Similar facilities are also available at Lemesos harbour.
There are many Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) outside most branches of banks in all towns and in the main tourist resorts of Agia Napa and Paralimni.
Hotels, large shops and restaurants normally accept credit cards and traveller's cheques. Banknotes of major foreign currencies are also acceptable. Rates of exchange are published daily in the local press and are broadcast through the media.
Further information of Cyprus's banking system is available at the Central Bank's website www.centralbank.gov.cy or the website of commercial banks.
· Credit Card
Visitors in possession of any of the following international credit cards may contact the appropriate bank for the withdrawal of cash.
· VISA Card
1. Bank of Cyprus Ltd.
2. Cyprus Popular Bank Ltd.
3. Hellenic Bank
4. Alpha Bank Limited
5. National Bank of Greece
6. Arab Bank
7. Commercial Bank
8. Co-Op branches.
9. DINERS CLUB
10. CARTE BLANCHE: Bank of Cyprus Ltd
· MASTERCARD
1. Bank of Cyprus Ltd.
2. Cyprus Popular Bank Ltd.
3. National Bank of Greece
4. Hellenic Bank
5. Alpha Bank
6. Co-Op branches.
· AMERICAN EXPRESS
1. Cyprus Popular Bank Ltd.
More than 15.000 shops, restaurants and hotels accept at least one of the above Credit Cards. Establishments with P.O.S. accept also VISA ELECTRON and MAESTRO. Usually the Card symbol is displayed in the shop window or at the reception. Eurocheques and travellers cheques are also accepted by all banks, shops, restaurants etc.
This information has been provided by the Cyprus Tourist Organisation
Telecommunications
The Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CYTA) is a corporate body established by law and is responsible for the provision, maintenance and development of telecommunications facilities, both local and overseas. Since the beginning of 2003 the telecommunications market has been liberalised so is now open for other telecommunication providers.
Services provided by CYTA include fixed telephony, mobile telephony (pay monthly and pay as you go), data transmission, telegraphy, maritime, TV transmission/ reception, private leased circuits, audio text, video conferencing, ISDN, DSL, Internet and ATM/Frame Relay.
Fixed Telephony Services
Customers can access from Cyprus essentially all countries in the world through telephone and telefax (for countries that do not support telefax service, telex is also available).
Off-peak Telephone Rates
CYTA offers reduced telephone rates (fixed telephony) for national and international calls during off-peak hours as follows:
- National calls: 20:00-07:00 during weekdays and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.
- International calls: 21:00-08:00 during weekdays and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.
Directory Inquiries
By calling the number 192, you can get a 24-hour service for directory inquiries regarding customers in Cyprus, whereas for foreign customers, country codes and area codes you can get information by dialing 194.
Public Card phones and Payphones
Public telephones of CYTA are installed at various central locations in all towns and villages as well as at International airports, harbours and other locations. There are three types of public telephones:
1. Coin phones
2. Outdoor card phones
3. Indoor card phones
All public payphones can be used for both national and international calls. In all payphones, dialing instructions as well as charges rates are posted.
Tele-cards can be purchased at any CYTA shop, at banks, post offices, kiosks and other shops.
Public telephones of other providers are also installed at various central locations.
Prepaid calling cards (CYTA COMMcard)
CYTA COMMcard, is a prepaid calling card that allows you to make calls from your mobile phone, your hotel phone or any other fixed telephone and charge the calls to the card instead of the phone you are calling from. Using the service is very simple as you are guided all the way through a series of friendly prompts.
Visitors Yellow Pages
The Cyprus Visitors Yellow Pages is a new guide especially designed to give easy access to any information a visitor might need during his/her stay in Cyprus. In the guide a visitor can find useful tourist information, plenty of ideas for entertainment and leisure, maps and a comprehensive classified directory which can be used as a complete shopping guide. In the guide, the "Visitors Discount Card" is also included. This discount card can be used in a wide range of shops and enterprises that advertise in the guide, allowing you to obtain reduced prices for your purchases. The guide is available free of charge in most hotel rooms.
