A guide to the export and import of cultural goods between Russia ...

Chapter 3: European Union Member States
Cyprus
General open licences can be used for the repeated temporary export of goods that form
part of a temporary collection in a museum, and can be valid for up to 5 years.
What are my first steps? How do I plan this process and how long might it take?
You should make an application for export to the Director of the Department or Service
that issues the export licence (see Law on Export of Cultural Goods). If you want to export
an antiquity as defined under the Cypriot Law, you must apply to the Director of the
Department of Antiquities.
The application form and procedure vary according to whether the object falls within the
scope of Council Regulation 3911/92 or only the national legislation of Cyprus.
As well as the application form, you must present all available information concerning the
object, the reasons for the application and relevant documents, description of the object
and photographs, and proof of payment of the processing fee.
The decision-making procedure to issue or refuse a licence takes from one to three
months. The decision is made by a committee of various experts from different government
departments and NGOs. Once they have made their decision, they inform the relevant
authority who will either issue the export licence or advise the applicant that it has
been refused.
How do I find if the art object I want to export is of national significance? Is there a Public
Inventory of cultural goods of special interest or importance?
You can apply to the Department of Antiquities to research the status of an object.
Do museums and galleries need licences for temporary exports (e.g. a touring exhibition)? Do
non-profit organisations need export licences?
Yes. There is no difference with the general procedure for an export licence. Most frequently
museums apply for general open licences.
I am a musician. Do I need to know about export regulations if I am travelling with my
instrument?
Yes. Any musician who wishes to travel with a musical instrument which is over a certain
age and value must obtain an EU export licence (as described in Chapter 2). This applies
whether the export is temporary, e.g. for a concert tour, or permanent.
I am a tourist visiting Cyprus. If I buy a work of art, how do I take it home with me?
If you have purchased a cultural good as defined in Council Regulation 3911/92, you must apply
to the appropriate authority and ask for a standard export licence. If you have purchased
an antiquity as defined under Cypriot Law, you must apply to the Department of Antiquities.
57