A British father has pleaded guilty to causing the death of his young son, who fell from a hotel window in Cyprus, a court has heard.

Paphos District Court was told in July that the boy fell through an open window while his father, identified as Foster, was holding him around his waist and swinging him from side to side.

Foster entered the guilty plea to avoid a lengthy trial and to spare his family from reliving the child's death in court, his lawyer said.

His lawyer, Alexandros Alexandrou, said his client had been allowed to return to the United Kingdom for the child's funeral, on the condition that he flew back to Cyprus for the plea hearing.

Alexandrou told reporters after Tuesday's hearing that a long trial would mean that the man was "again a victim of this tragedy."

"The most important thing for him is to return to his family," the lawyer said.

Alexandrou said he would ask the court to lift travel restrictions so that Foster can return to the UK to be with his wife and daughter until the next hearing.

The maximum sentence for the charge carries four years in prison. However, Alexandrou said the court should take into account previous cases in which defendants had been fined or received a suspended sentence.