Cypriot National Guard

The Cypriot National Guard is the military force of the Republic of Cyprus. Since Cyprus is a small island with a small population, the Cypriot National Guard does have not have seperate branches, and the land, air, and naval elements all serve under one branch. It has active duty, reserve and militia personnel.

Currently, only Greek Cypriots serve in the military. Turkish Cypriots serve in the Turkish Cypriot Security Force.

Since 2008, service is mandatory for all members of the Greek Cypriot community and not only for ethnic Greeks. The current supreme commander is a Greek military commander, as have been all of his predecessors.

Military service in the Republic of Cyprus is mandatory for males. The minimum obligatory service period is 24 months. All male visitors to the island of military age (16 and over) who have a father of Cypriot extraction are required to obtain an exit visa from a Defence Ministry office.