Production support for filming in Cyprus
When it comes to filming in Cyprus, there is a lot that has to do with the sun, beaches, and great people. This island located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea is a paradise for tourists and also for producing video content. When you get to Cyprus, the first noticeable feature is not just natural beauty but also the opportunity of what an impressive movie location this place can be.
Start by hiring a video production company in Cyprus. These people, with years of experience in media production, will have you navigating the production scene easier. Regardless if you are into corporate video, TV production, or anything else, this is the first correct step to be taken when you begin your project on the island.
Production support & video production services in Cyprus
Filming in Cyprus begins with the basics. Hiring a video production company in Cyprus is the first step toward great media production regardless of the type of project. Video production in Cyprus is naturally a big unknown to a foreign crew like yours.
There is no shame in asking for help, such as any type of production support in Cyprus, so that you can move along easier with your commercial video production, or whatever it is that you are filming.
Filming requirements in Cyprus
- Capital
- Nicosia
- Main hubs
- Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, Troodos
- Languages
- Greek, Turkish; English widely spoken
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Film permit
- By location authority; Film Commission coordinates
- ATA Carnet accepted
- Yes
- Drones
- Department of Civil Aviation approval
- Production incentive
- Cash rebate up to 45%
- Schengen
- No; own visa rules
How far ahead to start
Street filming clears quickly. Antiquities, forests, the UK bases and the buffer zone take longest. Timings are fixers’ figures.
- Drone authorisation10–15 working days
- Municipal permits, no closures5–10 working days
- Film Commission accreditation5–10 working days
Requirements in detail
Filming authorisations
- Free to film
- People, shops and most public places, with the owner’s permission
- Authorisation needed
- Airports, ports, military zones, antiquities, aerial and underwater filming
- Coordinated by
- Cyprus Film Commission (Invest Cyprus)
Permits come from whoever controls the location: municipalities, the Department of Antiquities, the Department of Forests (much of Troodos), the police for closures, the UK Ministry of Defence in the Sovereign Base Areas, and the UN (UNFICYP) near the buffer zone.
Entry and work
- EU and EEA crew
- No visa; free to work
- Schengen visa
- Not valid for Cyprus
- Longer non-EU jobs
- Temporary work permit, arranged by the local employer
Days in Cyprus do not count towards the Schengen 90/180 limit.
Drones
- Authority
- Department of Civil Aviation, EU rules
- Commercial work
- EU pilot certificate, operator registration, insurance
- Closed
- Akrotiri and Dhekelia airspace; restricted near the buffer zone
Antiquities and the UK bases need their own clearances on top.
Equipment customs
- ATA Carnet
- Accepted
- Kit from the EU
- No carnet or clearance
- Contact
- Customs and Excise Department
Kit arriving through northern ports cannot be regularised by crossing south. Use specific item descriptions on lists to avoid delays.
Production incentive
- Cash rebate
- Up to 45% below-the-line, 25% above-the-line, by cultural test
- Or tax credit
- 25–35%, capped at 50% of taxable income
- Minimum spend
- EUR 200,000 features; EUR 65,000 per series episode
Maximum aid is EUR 1.5m, 3.5m or 5m, depending on the share of days and budget spent in Cyprus. Paid after filming and audit. Spend in the north does not qualify.
Steps and documents (5)
- Cyprus production company (SPV)
- Pre-approval application to Invest Cyprus
- Cultural test
- Proof of minimum Cyprus spend
- Audited cost report after production
Safety and practical
- Security risk
- Low
- The north
- Not under the Republic’s control; its permits do not apply
- Summer
- Inland heat often over 35°C in July and August
Akamas and Lara Bay have turtle-nesting restrictions in season.
Rules and fees change. We confirm every figure for your dates before you budget.
Get a quote
Film crew for hire & local contributors
Hire a professional filming crew for your time in Cyprus. Through our local contributors, we will make sure you are serviced right away with any tasks regarding media production.
Research & fact-checking
If you are traveling to Cyprus to shoot a documentary, make sure you are getting your facts right. Our local fixers can help you with the research and fact-checking of your production.
Film permits & local access
Thanks to our local professionals you will be free from figuring out film permits and local access on your own. Our fixers will sort the legal aspects of production efficiently.
Location scouting & management
Finding the right locations to shoot while in Cyprus is essential for a successful project. Let our location scouts guide you to where you should film based on the needs of your project.
Gear rental
Filming in Cyprus implies shipping gear to the island for your exact needs. When you lack a piece of equipment while on the ground, our fixers will guide you to professional gear shops.
Logistics handling
The logistics of your production can turn out challenging without proper help. We will ensure you are getting accommodation and transportation between shoots at local convenient prices.
Tips from our local producers
Getting film permits in Armenia
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Visas and ATA Carnet
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.
Fun fact about filming in Armenia
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.
Our local work
See how we work
Filming in Cyprus is a doable challenge. Such as it is with any country, filming in Cyprus is a mix of finding the right production support in Cyprus, the right video production company in Cyprus, and the rest of the elements that will give your video that fine-tuning.
Access to unique film locations
Hiring a professional to help you with accessing those unique film locations where you want to shoot is going to make it much easier for you to achieve your production goals faster and more efficiently. We will get you to where you truly want to film.
Complete support with paperwork
Consult with your production support in Cyprus people, like fixers and local contributors, before pointing your cameras towards public areas of interest or private buildings. Have your film permits and other paperwork sorted by your fixers in no time.
Broad-ranging portfolio
Over the years we have helped many production crews coming to Cyprus with their media projects. We have worked with some of the most important brands in video content, such as Netflix, Discovery, History Channel, and others.
Full-service production support
The right way to go about filming in our country is to hire a video production company in Cyprus. It will save you from a lot of trouble. We offer full-service production support to all crews.
Our international work
We serviced content for
Key people
Ruxandra
Producer & Fixer
Paul
Global Production Specialist
Ayman
Producer
Ariel
Videographer
Storytailors were incredibly dialed from day one through the last – from helping assemble our production crew in Seoul, to navigating our 16-hour time zone difference with grace and ease, to translating Korean interviews in post – they truly were an extension of our creative production team in Portland.
The Storytailors team were an immense support on a remote project that started with many moving pieces. We ultimately shot with a brilliant team in Bolivia who were thorough and a pleasure to work with.
Working with Storytailors on our recent film in Cambodia was an efficient, helpful, and creatively collaborative experience. The Storytailors team understood what our specific goals were and matched us with skilled artists, with intimate knowledge and connection to the local community we were interested in capturing.
Paul Lungu kindly supplied us with fixers and crews for a series of short charity films that we made in four European countries. Everything was dealt with very efficiently and the crews and fixers were friendly and helpful. The project was particularly challenging because of the Covid pandemic but everything passed without a hitch.
Storytailors were great in facilitating an overseas shoot in South Korea during lockdown. It was a tricky brief, with lots of moving parts and the guys helped us find solutions at every turn.
Storytailors Is the video production company you need
Storytailors will make it easier for you to work on a promotional video, or while you shoot a multiangle scene in a movie, if you need a film equipment rental, and so on. The way we will help you on the ground will depend on your production, yet we strongly believe that hiring a full-on video production company in Cyprus is the right way to go for any video project.
So there you have it, your complete video production in Cyprus guide for beginners! All that is left to do now is to find that production support, either individually or by hiring a video production company while on the ground, and start working on your production.
