The High Commission of Cyprus in London and other Cypriot missions have confirmed that 23 February—known locally as Green Monday—will be observed as a public holiday in 2026, with consular sections closed for all routine services. Green Monday marks the start of Orthodox Lent and is widely celebrated on the island with family outings and kite-flying. For global mobility managers, the holiday can be a trap: many expatriates assume EU embassies operate on the host country’s calendar, but Cypriot missions often follow Nicosia’s schedule instead. Visa applications, passport renewals and document legalisations submitted after the cut-off on Friday 20 February will not be processed until Tuesday 24 February. Time-sensitive travel—for example, technicians headed to offshore energy projects or executives finalising property transactions—may be derailed if emergency travel documents are required on the day itself. The London High Commission instructs applicants needing an urgent laissez-passer to email the consular team, but response capacity will be limited. Corporate mobility teams should circulate reminders to staff in the UK, the Gulf, and North America, where several Cypriot consulates also close for Green Monday. Outsourced visa-processing partners report a seasonal spike in last-minute requests each year and recommend scheduling appointments at least one week in advance. Employers sponsoring third-country nationals under Cyprus’s fast-track immigration schemes should likewise adjust onboarding timelines. The next consular closure after Green Monday will be Greek Independence Day on 25 March, giving mobility planners a month’s breathing space to catch up on deferred filings.
