Relations between Germany and the Republic of Cyprus have traditionally been close and characterised by mutual trust.

As part of bilateral cultural cooperation, the Goethe-Institut – based in the UN-controlled buffer zone – facilitates meetings between members of the two communities in Cyprus on neutral ground. The Federal Foreign Office finances a project for confidence-building and reconciliation work there, called Imagine. Between 2017 and 2022, over 700 teachers and 6100 pupils from the two communities met thanks to this project. In May 2021, Imagine won the GENE Global Education Award 2020/2021, which is presented annually to education-related initiatives.

In 2022, German exports to Cyprus were worth 780.7 million euro, while imports from Cyprus to Germany totalled 275.1 million euro. Within the EU, Cyprus is one of the most important shipping centres and has the second-largest open register of ships; it also has the world’s ninth-largest fleet by tonnage. In the field of ship management, German or German-led companies have a market share of around 50%. As part of the privatisation of Limassol port, the German company Eurogate took over management of the container terminal in 2016.

In the field of security and defence policy, Cyprus enables and supports the presence of the German navy contingent with the UN mission UNIFIL in Limassol.

The Federal Republic of Germany does not maintain official relations with the so-called “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (recognised only by Turkey) but does have wide-ranging contact with representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community.