Cyprus companies must switch to CY Connect by October 30
Companies in Cyprus whose information systems exchange data directly with customs must switch to the CY Connect platform by October 30. After that date, the current Message Gateway for Business-to-Government services under the EU Union Customs Code will be permanently shut down.
The deadline was announced by the Cyprus Customs Department and the Department of Information Technology Services. As Cyprus Mail reports, the deadline was set after a previous extension to give companies more time for the technical transition.
Who the transition affects
The change applies to economic operators whose own IT systems interact directly with customs authorities, rather than companies that merely log in to government online services. Such operators under the Union Customs Code may include importers, exporters, freight forwarders, customs representatives and carriers.
Cyprus Customs already uses system-to-system data exchange for a number of electronic customs operations, including the Automated Import System (AIS), the Automated Export System (AES), and the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS). These systems are part of the EU's transition to paperless and fully electronic customs procedures.
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Identification of IT systems
For each company information system connected to CY Connect, only one application with one set of Client Credentials will be created. Authentication will therefore be tied to the company's IT system rather than to individual employees.
Different employee roles, access levels or user profiles within one company will not require separate CY Connect credentials. Customs advised companies whose software is built around different Profile IDs for users or types of operations to check their settings and adapt them to the new model by the established deadline.
Companies that have already received CY Connect access credentials must also ensure that operational data exchange takes place through the new platform rather than the old Message Gateway. Technical support for UCC B2G services and the transition to CY Connect is provided by Cyprus's Department of Information Technology Services.
