Over 180,000 British Nationals ‘Unaccounted For’ in Cyprus

Authorities in Cyprus have recorded around 290,000 foreign nationals—including approximately 180,000 British citizens—who legally entered the country between 2014 and 2023 but never officially left, even after their visas expired.

As reported by Cyprus Mail, these figures were disclosed in a recent audit by Auditor General Andreas Papaconstantinou, highlighting serious concerns about the country’s immigration tracking system. According to the report, a total of 181,648 British citizens were registered as having entered Cyprus, yet no official records exist of their departure.

A large number of citizens from Russia, Israel, the United States, Ukraine, and Australia were also reported to have entered the country during this period, with no confirmation of them leaving either.

The audit found that out of 250 individual cases submitted by police to the Audit Office, only 52 were considered “justified.” These cases involved individuals who either held dual Cypriot nationality, were legally residing on the island, or were recorded as having crossed into the north via a checkpoint and never returned.

In the remaining 198 cases—around 79%—the individuals are presumed to still be living in the Republic of Cyprus without having applied for legal residency. It’s also possible that many of them did in fact leave the country, but their departure went unrecorded, particularly during busy periods at airports, ports, or border crossings.