Tourist Guide – Temporary

Last Update on 15/10/2020

Provision of Tourist Guide Services

General Information

In order for a tourist guide, citizen of another member state, who accompanies a group of tourists coming from a member state for an organized tour in the Republic of Cyprus, of a certain duration and of a prescribed route to places, and returns together with the group to his/her country of origin, to provide tourist guide services, he/she must notify the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, by submitting a Declaration Form concerning the temporary provision of services in the Republic of Cyprus.

Declaration Submission

Who is Eligible

A natural person can be eligible to temporarily provide tourist guide services for the purpose described above, if the Deputy Ministry of Tourism is satisfied that he/she:

is a citizen of an EU member state;
has a licence to practise the occupation of a tourist guide, granted to him in accordance with the legislation of the member state of descent or of origin;
holds certificates/evidence of special knowledge regarding Cyprus history, Cyprus Art, and area specific knowledge of archeological and other historical sites of the Cyprus Republic in the case of museums and historical sites.

Where to Declare

The declaration form concerning the temporary provision of services for regulated professions in the Republic of Cyprus can be submitted either through the PSC Cyprus or by post/hand to the competent authority:

Deputy Ministry of Tourism
P.O.Box 24535
1390 Nicosia, Cyprus
Tel. +357 22691271
Fax. +357 22338541, +357 22331324
Email: cytour@visitcyprus.com, avenizelou@visitcyprus.com
Website: http://www.tourism.gov.cy

Which Certificates must be Submitted

The Declaration Form should be accompanied by the following documents:

copy of proof of nationality (identity card or passport);
copy of certificate that the applicant lawfully exercises the tourist guide practice in an EU member state issued by a competent authority or copy of the licence to practise the occupation of a tourist guide, granted in accordance with the legislation of the member state of establishment;
copies of evidence of professional qualifications;
copy of proof of two years of professional experience (only if the profession is not regulated in the member state of establishment);
schedule of the organised tour group;
certificates/evidence of special knowledge regarding Cyprus history, Cyprus Art, and area specific knowledge of archeological and other historical sites of the Cyprus Republic (in the case of museums and historical site).

Legislation & Obligations

Which Laws and Regulations Apply

What are my Obligations

Every tourist guide is obliged to:

present his/her licence upon request by the authorized officers of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism or Officers of the Government;
a tourist guide cannot guide a group of more than fifty five persons;
any tourist guide who without just cause, acts in contravention of a sight-seeing tour agreement is guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to the penalties provided for under the Regulation 18 of the Tourist Occupations and Associations Regulations, unless he secures in time the services of another tourist guide for the execution of the undertaken sight-seeing tour.

It is forbidden for the tourist guide:

to persistently offer services to sightseers;
to simultaneously offer double service, as sight-seeing tour and driving of a vehicle, except in the case of driving a small vehicle of maximum capacity of nine passengers;
to carry out any religious, political or racial propaganda during the sightseeing tour;
to sell or offer for sale any items during the sightseeing tour;
to provide false or inaccurate information;
to accept any kind of commission offered by entrepreneurs;
to simultaneously carry out a sight-seeing tour in more than two languages.