On Sunday, 11 May, the President of Cyprus, Nicos Christodoulides, announced that the country plans to officially join the Schengen Area in 2026.
He says that they are already preparing for this and all the necessary technical procedures will be completed by the end of 2025.
We will join the Schengen area in 2026. By the end of 2025, we will have finished everything needed at the state level. Christodoulides said that this is a key goal for Cyprus.
He said that joining Schengen would be good for both Cyprus and the European Union. The president said that he needed support from the European Parliament and was happy with the results of his meeting with its president, Roberta Metsola, the day before.
I am happy with how the meeting went. In the future, when I go on business trips, especially when the EU Council Presidency is happening, the question of joining Schengen will be one of the most important issues, he said.
Metsola also confirmed that the European Parliament is ready to support Cyprus as it moves closer to joining the Schengen area.
The European Parliament will always support them and will do everything it can to help, Metsola said.
If Cyprus joins the Schengen area, people won't need to pass through passport control when travelling between Cyprus and 29 other European countries.
This will apply to both air and sea passenger transport. Citizens will no longer have to show their passports or ID cards when travelling to most EU and Schengen countries.
Right now, Cyprus and Ireland are the only EU countries that aren't part of Schengen. However, four non-EU countries — Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland — are already part of the free movement zone.
It should be remembered that one of the most important things Cyprus must do to join the EU is to make its borders more secure, especially on the 'green line' that goes between the south and north of the island. Although it is not officially part of the EU, the same security rules as in the EU will apply.
Cyprus will also have to:
- Make its consulate more active in other countries by working together with them.
- Use external visa service providers more often.
- Make sure you follow all the rules of the Schengen Visa Code.
- Tighten up the rules on sending illegal migrants back to their own countries.
Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kompas said that the country has been following the rules of the Schengen Visa Code since 2004, when it joined the EU.
According to police data, Cyprus deported 10,098 illegal migrants in 2024, which also reflects progress in fulfilling migration commitments.The Maritime Spatial Planning