Shopping from abroad in Cyprus
Nowhere in Europe leans on cross-border shopping like Cyprus — nearly nine in ten online shoppers here buy from abroad, because the island simply doesn’t have the domestic stores bigger countries take for granted. The flip side: Cyprus is also the address that too many European shops leave off their delivery lists. This guide covers both — what ships here, what it costs, and the workarounds.
How cross-border shopping into Cyprus works
The reality is a mixed bag. There’s no Amazon Cyprus — amazon.de is the usual route, with eBay, Etsy, AliExpress, Temu and Shein all delivering to the island. Some UK names run surprisingly good local stores (Next’s flat €2.95 all-charges-included delivery is the standout), while others — Zalando, H&M online, Back Market — simply don’t deliver here at all, which is where forwarding services come in.
On costs: EU orders arrive with no customs at all. Anything from outside the EU picks up 19% VAT, the new €3-per-category duty (since 1 July 2026), and — if the charges weren’t settled at checkout — Cyprus Post’s €3.50 handling fee, paid through its THALISUPP portal. Get delivery and the true landed priceright and the island’s selection problem mostly disappears.
A quick checklist before you buy
- Will it ship here? Check the ships-to-Cyprus directory — and its forwarding-service list for the stores that won’t.
- What’s the real total? Run it through the import calculator.
- EU or non-EU? EU orders avoid customs entirely — see the import charges guide.
- Is it actually cheaper? Compare the price across marketplaces on OroScout and filter to what ships to you.