The Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy has issued an update on the process of securing permission for movement in exceptional cases for needs that cannot be covered in alternative ways.
The ministry advises as follows:
Each movement approval corresponds to a single isolated movement.
Each citizen is entitled to one movement per day.
Regarding the method of securing approval of movement by exception:
- For people under 65 years of age, movement can only be requested by sending an SMS to 8998 in the advised format.
- For people above 65, movement can be requested in three ways:
- Sending an SMS to 8998
- Completing Document B
- By handwritten solemn declaration
When leaving the house, citizens must also always carry on them — in addition to a paper or SMS confirmation for movement — proof of ID as follows:
- Cypriot citizens: Cypriot ID
- European citizens and third country nationals: Registration confirmation or residence permit respectively. If these are not at hand, other ID documentation will be accepted, like a foreign passport or ID or a diplomatic passport.
It is reminded that as per the provisions of the decree dated March 30, 2020, movement is prohibited from 9 pm until 6 am, except those in possession of the Confirmation of Movement of Employee (Document A), given that it allows them to move within that period.
Meanwhile, holders of foreign phones have been unable to send an SMS to the 8998 number which only operates with local sim cards. The advice given by authorities is that they sign a written declaration to exit their homes so as to purchase a local sim, incypus.com has learned.
INSTRUCTIONS
As regards sending a text message (SMS)
The correct format for sending an SMS is as follows:
- X space ID number space post code
Where:
- Χ is the number corresponding to the purpose of movement (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- ID number for:
- Cypriot citizens: their Cypriot ID number.
- For European citizens and third country nationals: their ALIEN REGISTRATION NUMBER (ARC) found on their registration confirmation or residence permit.
- European citizens who don’t have an ARC: the number of other acceptable ID (number of foreign passport or foreign ID, number of diplomatic passport).
Note regarding the form of ID number accepted by the system: numbers, up to 3 letters and up to 10 characters total (numbers and letters).
Replies to SMS will be in three forms:
- approval
- rejection due to message content
- rejection due to reaching daily limit of allowed movement
Citizens approved by SMS have the right of movement for a reasonable amount of time depending on the reason of movement.
It is reminded that texts to 8998 are free of charge.
For more information: https://www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus/
