Press Releases

In order to facilitate the citizens who cannot use the 8998 text messaging (SMS) service for the movement of citizen by way of exception, the Deputy Ministry for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy is introducing a new call center service, which citizens are advised to use only in the cases below:

• Subscribers of foreign telecommunications providers, as the SMS service does not support messages from non-Cypriot numbers.
• Citizens who face any kind of problems in the efforts to attain approval through the SMS service.

The service will be available to citizens from 06:00am to 21:00, in both Greek and English, as follows:

• For Cypriot phone numbers: 80012012
• For non-Cypriot phone numbers: +357 22 263030.

It is highlighted that the centre will service calls only from mobile phones, through an automated IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system.

Citizens using this system for movements by way of exception, will be receiving a relevant reply through text message (SMS) on their mobile phones.

Please be reminded that, as per the relevant decrees, only one movement by way of exception is allowed per day, regardless of the method used to attain the relevant approval.

Citizens bear personal responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided to the call center and shall be liable for false statements.

Further information on the process of attaining approval for movement by way of exception is available at the following link: www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus

(EK/EXR)