Currency and Money Advice for North Cyprus Villa Holiday (2024)

Comparing prices for North Cyprus villas for rent can be confusing, with some companies quoting in Euro or Turkish lira, and some in British pounds. Here at Amy Villas, we only quote in British pounds, so you can see exactly how much holiday villas in Northern Cyprus will cost you. All prices on the Amy Villas website are quoted in UK pounds sterling, but billed in the Turkish Lira equivalent, based on the exchange rate on xe.com at the time of billing.

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The official currency in Northern Cyprus is the Turkish Lira, which comprises of 100 new Kurus. The British Pound is traditionally strong against the Turkish Lira, which is why villa holidays in North Cyprus are great value for money at the moment.

You will get a much better exchange rate for your British Pound or Euro when you arrive in North Cyprus than in the UK. So, just buy sufficient Turkish Lira in the UK for your taxi ride from Ercan Airport to your North Cyprus holiday villa, say around £50 worth. If you arrange your airport transer with us, you actually do not need to bring in cash for your airport transfer, since you can pay it with your villa rental. If you have a car hire, bring some lira to buy groceries en route when you drive to your holiday villa in Northern Cyprus.

Once you've settled in on your villa holiday in North Cyprus, you can exchange your British pounds every two or three days or so, at a local exchange bureau or banks in major towns such as Kyrenia or Famagusta.

Keep an eye on exchange rates while you are in town, as they can change day to day and from bureau to bureau. Don’t exchange your British pounds at the first place you see; shop around and check the rates. If you need emergency cash at night, you can often exchange money at reception at the larger hotels, and have your passport as identification.

Most larger shops and town restaurants accept credit cards, with most using the familiar chip and pin system for payment. If you do encounter an old-fashioned swipe and sign system on a shopping trip or night out from your North Cyprus holiday villa, make sure you never lose sight of your card at any time. Credit card fraud is not a problem in North Cyprus, but taking that extra care will safeguard you, just in case.

You can use a UK credit card to withdraw cash from North Cyprus cash machines, but you may need to drive into the nearest town from your North Cyprus holiday villa to find one. Just make sure you know your PIN number before you go!

Nearly all UK credit card companies charge you for withdrawing cash from a foreign ATM, then also charge you an unfavourable exchange rate, AND a higher rate of interest on the cash you borrow as well! One of the few that does not charge an overseas withdrawal fee is the Nationwide credit card, well worth applying for if you intend to take several villa holidays in Northern Cyprus.