Cyprus Post announce the operation of the “THALIS” system, which is the new, modern method for the handling of postal items as well as the way to comply with the changes in the postal sector that either have been or will be soon implemented.

The first phase covers the registered items as well as the small packets. The parcels will follow.

What is «THALIS»?

«THALIS» is a holistic system for the handling of inbound and local postal items. It employs modern OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology to read the item’s label and to link it with the respective recipient and then to issue the item’s arrival notification.

It also includes a sorting machine for the registered items and the small packets as well as a modern pickup method at the delivery Post Office. «THALIS» is also integrated with other systems for the track & trace update as well as for the customs process.

What are the changes as regards the items originating from outside the European Union?

The changes concern items containing goods (items of correspondence as well as documents are not affected). The changes are:

1. As of 1^st January 2021, the United Kingdom is not a member of the European Union and as a result, postal items are subject to customs control.  
2. As of 30th September 2021, the Import Control System (ICS2) Release 1 for the pre-loading check of postal items originating from outside the European Union was implemented by the Cyprus Customs Authorities.
3. As of 1^st July 2021, the e-Commerce Regulation was implemented. The threshold of value of €17,09 will be removed and therefore, all items regardless of value are subject to V.A.T.
4. As of 1^st July 2021, the IOSS scheme was implemented. According to this, e-commerce platforms which have been registered in the VAT Authorities of an EU Member State, charge and collect the respective VAT upon purchase of the product, provided that its value does not exceed 150 euro. Therefore, the recipient does not pay VAT upon collecting the item in Cyprus. Important prerequisities:
   • The product value does not exceed 150 euro.
   • The e-commerce platform is registered in the VAT Authorities of a member state. 
   • The customs declaration is sent in electronic form.
   • A valid IOSS number is included in the electronic customs declaration in the specified field.

What will change with «THALIS»;

«THALIS» is integrated with a customs declarations system for the handling of the postal customs declarations CN22/CN23, which are now being sent in electronic form too, upon posting or upon departure from the origin country. The postal customs declarations CN22/CN23 concern postal items containing goods that:

1. Originate from a country outside the European Union
2. Originate from a member country of the European Union, however, the contents’ origin is from a non-European Union country and the corresponding duties and taxes have not been paid upon its first entry in the European Union tax area. These items bear a “yellow label”.

Using «THALIS» and with the cooperation of the Cyprus Customs Authorities as well as the cooperation of other competent Government Departments, the examination of the postal items, before their arrival in Cyprus, will commence gradually, based on the information contained in the postal customs declaration CN22/CN23 in its electronic form which is forwarded beforehand.

The capability as described above largely depends on the quality and the reliability of the information contained in the postal customs declaration. The aim is to reduce as much as possible the need for a physical examination of the item upon its arrival in Cyprus, something that may cause delays. It is noted however that the physical examination, when deemed necessary, at the absolute discretion of the Customs Authorities, will be performed centrally based on the provisions of the relevant legislation, without the physical presence of the addressee, as it is done today.

The customs examination by the Cyprus Customs Authorities of all items entering Cyprus, regardless of their country of origin, is performed based on the provisions of the relevant legislation and it is to its absolute discretion. The aim is to conclude the customs process, to the maximum possible extent, before its arrival in Cyprus.

What does «THALISUPP» platform do?

To enable the Customs Authorities to conclude the item examination on the basis of the contents of the electronic postal customs declaration CN22/CN23, it is possible that the recipient will be required to provide with evidence/supporting documents which relate to the respective item, for example an invoice.

The required documents will be uploaded on the «THALIS Upload & Payment Platform» (THALISUPP). The registration and the use of the platform is free of charge and access is from  https://thalisupp.cypruspost.post. You can watch a short video on ThalisUpp and its use by clicking here.

Receiving a notification to upload documents for customs clearance or to pay for taxes/duties from ThalisUpp DOES NOT necessarily mean that your item is already in Cyprus.  You can check where your item is by using our Track & Trace system.

You can only access information to the item if the Customs Department has requested documents to be uploaded or if the taxes/duties have been calculated and they are ready to be paid online.

At every step of the process, the recipient/user will be notified by e-mail or SMS.

The platform provides the possibility to the item’s recipient to pay of the duties/taxes that are imposed by the Customs Authorities beforehand, so that the item, upon its arrival in Cyprus is treated in the respective way (e.g. home delivery if applicable etc).

How will the postal items be picked up?

The items will be picked up by the recipient or an authorized person at the delivery Post Office, where the relevant duties/taxes will be paid for all registered items and small packets which are subject to customs control. This process will be implemented gradually to all 51 Post Offices instead of the four District Parcel Post Offices as it is done today. This will result in the improvement of the service level offered.  

The inhabitants in rural communities, will be able to collect their items which are subject to payment of duties/taxes from the nearest Post Office instead of doing so from the District Parcel Post Office.

The delivery office is included on the notification, either by SMS or printed form. The delivery process of items originating from European Union countries will remain the same.

We continue the home delivery of regular small packets which are not subject to customs control Please note that small packets, that based on their size, can be safely carried by our delivery personnel will be delivered to the recipient’s home address. They will be placed in the domestic post box. If this is not suitable, the item will be placed to the safest possible place closest to the post box. We stress that it is the obligation of the recipient to install a domestic post box, suitable for the type and size of postal items he/she received.   

What benefits to the citizens/customs will the use of «THALIS» bring?

The expected benefits will be:

1. Faster handling of the postal items, regardless of origin, which however, will largely depend on the speed and the quality of the information provided as it is described in previous paragraphs.
2. Customs handling process without the need for a physical presence of the recipient.
3. Acceleration to the maximum possible extent of the customs clearing process.
4. Provision of information to the recipient via the THALISUPP as regards the contents of the specific item.
5. Collection of postal items which are subject to customs examination and payment of duties/taxes from 51 Post Offices instead of four as it is done so far.
6. Ability to pay for duties/taxes online (coming soon), to enable more flexibility in the handling and delivery of postal items. If the payment of duties and taxes is made before the item's arrival in Cyprus, then it can be delivered at the recipient's premises, provided that the postal service used includes home deliver and provided that it is not a bulky item. You can use the Track and Trace service from our website in order to track your item. Alternatively, you can pay the relevant duties and taxes upon collection of the item at the Post Office.

What do we require from our customers?

You can help us to serve you better, if you follow some simple rules:

1. When you make online purchases, enter your full details, in a clear manner, that is:
   1. First name and last name, in latin characters.
   2. Avoid the use of greeknglish, for example you should write Ioannis and not Iwannhs.
   3. Enter you full address, following the official way, including the correct postal code.

For example, the official name is Omirou street and not Homer street.

For more information, please visit our website at https://cypruspost.post/el/find-postal-codes or the mobile application for Android and iOS.

4. Do not enter unnecessary information which is not part of the official address, for example church region (enoria).
5. Always include your mobile phone and e-mail address.

2. Sign up at THALISUPP https://thalisupp.cypruspost.post  using the same details as you use for your online purchases, so that you are easily authenticated if you are required to upload any supporting documents for customs clearing. The use of the platform is free of charge.

3. When you are required to upload a document:
   1. Do that as soon as possible.
   2. Follow the instructions regarding the type of document you have been asked to upload.
   3. Ensure that the said document is legible.

3. It is emphasized that the uploading and the acceptance of a document is part of the customs examination process and it does not mean that the information contained therein has been accepted as correct and accurate.
4. The physical examination of the item is at the absolute discretion of the Customs Authorities based on the relevant legislation.             

What can cause delays in the handling of inbound postal items?

1. The absence of an electronic postal customs declaration CN22/CN23 for items that should have one.
2. The postal customs declaration CN22/CN23 contains data that is incomplete, misleading or erroneous.
3. Failure from the sending postal operators to complete the relevant ICS2 process within the required timeframe.
4. The label affixed on the postal item containing the recipient’s information is illegible.
5. The recipient’s address on the item label is incomplete or wrong (for example the postal code is wrong or is missing).