Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✔ Civil unions (marriage rights)
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✔ Legal, no restrictions
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✔ Legal
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ Illegal in some contexts
    Employment Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Housing Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Adoption
    ✖ Single only
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Not banned
    Military
    ✔ Legal
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✔ Banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
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Recent studies in Cyprus have revealed a prevalence of resistance towards LGBTQ+ rights.

Perception of LGBTQ+ People

Survey results from 5 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited Cyprus.

Overall

Overall

Perceived Safety*

Feel safe being open
Absence of verbal harassment
Absence of threats and violence
*Survey results represent personal perceptions of safety and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.

Equal Treatment

Treatment by peers
Treatment by family
Treatment at work
Treatment at school
Treatment by general public
Treatment by businesses
Treatment by law enforcement
Treatment by religious groups

Visibility & Representation

Inclusion in education
Representation in entertainment
Representation in news
Political support
Out public figures

Culture

Pride/events
Nightlife
Dating life
Interest groups and clubs

Services

Health and wellness
Gender-affirming care
Support and social services
Advocacy and legal

History

Homosexual activity in Cyprus

?

Homosexual activity in Cyprus is legal.

Current status
Since May 21, 1998
Legal
Homosexuality legalised following the European Court of Human Rights case of Modinos v. Cyprus.
Sources:
hudoc.echr.coe.int/sites/en…"dmdocnumber":["695711"],"itemid":["001-57834"]}
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Jan 1, 1929–May 21, 1998
Male illegal, female legal
with the incorporation of the British Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 into Cyprus law. For the first time since 1858, this made male homosexuality a criminal act in Cyprus. Female homosexuality was not recognised or mentioned in the law.

With independence from Britain in 1960, Cyprus retained British colonial law on the island almost in its entirety, with the relevant parts of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 becoming articles 171 to 174 of Chapter 154 of the Cypriot Criminal Code
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Same-sex marriage in Cyprus

?

Same-sex marriage in Cyprus is civil unions (marriage rights).

Current status
Since Dec 9, 2015
Civil unions (marriage rights)
On 26 November 2015, a civil union bill was passed by the House of Representatives with 39 in favour, 12 against and 3 abstentions. The law was published on 9 December 2015, and took effect that same day.
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Until Dec 8, 2015

Censorship of LGBT issues in Cyprus

?

Censorship of LGBT issues in Cyprus is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In Cyprus, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
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Right to change legal gender in Cyprus

?

Right to change legal gender in Cyprus is legal, no restrictions.

Current status
Since Nov 23, 2022
Legal, no restrictions
Since November 23 2022, trans people in Cyprus can update their legal gender simply by applying online. While they can submit medical documentation if they think that would support their demand, there is no obligation to do so. A person must be at least 18 years old to request this change.
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Until Nov 23, 2022
Illegal
In November 2017, President Nicos Anastasiades met advocacy group Accept-LGBT Cyprus to discuss issues concerning transgender rights. A bill to allow transgender people to change their legal sex has been drafted, with the support of the President and the Justice Minister. On 10 June 2019, following months of stalling and delay, four parents of transgender children spoke in favor of the bill and urged for its "speedy adoption". The legislation would allow transgender people over 18 to right to change their legal gender on the basis of self-determination, without a diagnosis, hormonal treatment or sex reassignment surgery. Currently, a bill is in the works for gender change to be legal with the requirement that the applicant is unmarried.

Gender-affirming care in Cyprus

?

Gender-affirming care in Cyprus is legal.

Current status
Since 1999
Legal
In 1999, Cyprus adopted the ICD-10 classification, which contains codes for diagnosing transsexualism in adulthood and childhood, which authorize the initiation of medical transition.
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Until 1999
Banned
Medical transition is not possible
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Cyprus

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Cyprus is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
According to the ILGA Europe, there's no recognition of non-binary gender in Cyprus.
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LGBT discrimination in Cyprus

?

LGBT discrimination in Cyprus is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since Oct 10, 2013
Illegal in some contexts
Until 2013 discrimination was only illegal in the workplace. In 2013, the Cypriot Penal Code has been amended to make violence against LGBT people an aggravating factor in sentencing. Article 99 of the code, entitled "Incitment to violence or hatred due to sexual orientation or gender identity", provides for imprisonment not exceeding three years or to a fine not exceeding 5,000 euros for any person who "intentionally, publicly or in manner which is threatening or insulting or offensive in nature, urges or incites, orally or in writing, violence or hatred against a group, person, or a member of a group of persons on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity".
Until Oct 10, 2013
Illegal
Discrimination is illegal in Cyprus.
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LGBT employment discrimination in Cyprus

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Cyprus is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2014
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Sexual orientation only in Northern Cyprus.
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LGBT housing discrimination in Cyprus

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Cyprus is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Discrimination in all cases are illegal
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Same-sex adoption in Cyprus

?

Same-sex adoption in Cyprus is single only.

Current status
Single only
Unmarried individuals can request to adopt. There's no provisions for same-sex couples wishing to adopt, however.
Sources:
chambersandco.com/navigatin…~:text=Additionally%2C%20unmarried%20individuals%20can%20apply,reasons%20to%20grant%20the%20adoption
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Intersex infant surgery in Cyprus

?

Intersex infant surgery in Cyprus is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
There is no official ban on unnecessary sex reassignment operations in infants in Cyprus.
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Serving openly in military in Cyprus

?

Serving openly in military in Cyprus is legal.

Current status
Since May 1, 2004
Legal
LGBT people are allowed to serve openly under new rules brought into place when Cyprus joined the European Union
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Until Apr 30, 2004
Illegal
Illegal due to the Ministry of Defence viewing homosexuality as mental illness.
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Blood donations by MSMs in Cyprus

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Cyprus is legal.

Current status
Since Apr 20, 2022
Legal
There is no criteria specifically preventing MSMs from donating blood in Cyprus as of April 2022.
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Apr 19, 2022–Apr 20, 2022
Banned (6-month deferral)
MSMs face a 6-month deferral in order to donate blood.
Until 2022
Banned (1-year deferral)
MSMs face a 1-year deferral in order to donate blood.
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Conversion therapy in Cyprus

?

Conversion therapy in Cyprus is banned.

Current status
Since May 25, 2023
Banned
The practice, and advertisement, of conversion therapy was banned after 36 members of parliament (out of 50 total) voted to pass the new bill into law.
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Until May 24, 2023
Not banned
Before May of 2023, conversion therapy’s intended to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of a person were not banned.
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Equal age of consent in Cyprus

?

Equal age of consent in Cyprus is equal.

Current status
Since Jul 11, 2002
Equal
The revised Criminal Code equalised the age of consent to 17, after pressure from the EU.
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May 21, 1998–Jul 11, 2002
Unequal
Age of consent for homosexual couples set at 18 versus 16 for heterosexual couples.
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LGBT Rights by District

View the LGBT laws in each individual district of Cyprus.