Cyprus Targets Schengen Area Membership by Late 2025

Cyprus Targets Schengen Area Membership by Late 2025

Key Highlights

  1. Cyprus aims to join the Schengen Area by the end of 2025.
  2. President Nikos Christodoulides believes Schengen membership will significantly boost tourism, a vital sector for the country’s economy.
  3. The Schengen evaluation process to assess Cyprus' readiness for accession is currently underway.

Cyprus Pushes to Finalize Schengen Accession by Year-End
Cyprus is working to resolve all technical requirements necessary to join the Schengen Area by late 2025, President Nikos Christodoulides announced.

Although Cyprus has been an EU member since 2004, it has yet to join the Schengen visa-free travel zone. President Christodoulides affirmed that political concerns regarding the cease-fire line have been addressed, and the focus is now on finalizing technical details.

"We have addressed all political concerns regarding the cease-fire line and are now finalising the technical details required for accession," said President Christodoulides.

The President emphasized that joining the Schengen Zone would bolster tourism, which plays a key role in Cyprus’ economy.

Since July 2023, the Schengen Information System (SIS) has been operational in Cyprus, laying the groundwork for the ongoing Schengen evaluation process.

Currently, only Cyprus and Ireland remain outside the Schengen Area among EU nations. As of January 2025, the Schengen Zone expanded to include Romania and Bulgaria, bringing the total number of member states to 29.

Cyprus Nearing Inclusion in US Visa Waiver Program
President Christodoulides also revealed progress toward Cyprus joining the US Visa Waiver Program, which would enable Cypriots to travel to the United States without a visa.

He mentioned that Cyprus is in the final stages of meeting the requirements, with a US delegation expected to visit soon. The President stressed the importance of this development, noting its positive impact on tourism and the broader economy.

In October 2024, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis expressed optimism about Cyprus' inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program by late 2024 or early 2025.

"There is still an agreement to be signed, and we hope that this will be done soon. We will fulfil all our obligations. The difficulty of the three-per-cent barrier remains, but we are optimistic that we will be able to achieve this goal," Letymbiotis stated.

The US Visa Waiver Program allows nationals of participating countries to enter the US visa-free for short stays related to tourism or business. Cyprus is reportedly close to meeting the program’s visa rejection rate criterion, which requires rejection rates below 3%. In 2023, Cyprus recorded a 4.48% rejection rate, according to VisaGuide.World.

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