Cyprus Eyes Schengen Zone Membership by 2026, Says President Christodoulides

Cyprus is aiming to join the Schengen zone in 2026, President Nikos Christodoulides announced on Sunday, declaring that the Republic of Cyprus is undergoing an intensive technical effort to meet the necessary requirements by the end of 2025. “We will join the Schengen zone in 2026. A huge effort is being made by the end of 2025 from a technical point of view. This is our goal, we will have completed everything we need to do as a state, with the aim of 2026, precisely, for the Republic of Cyprus to join the Schengen zone,” Christodoulides said.

Describing the accession as “a strategic decision, a development, for both the Republic of Cyprus and the European Union,” the president emphasized the importance of institutional support to secure this goal. He stressed that Cyprus will require “the contribution of the European parliament” to succeed and expressed satisfaction with the results of his recent discussions with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. “I am pleased with the outcome of my meeting with European parliament President Roberta Metsola on Saturday,” he stated.

Looking ahead to Cyprus’ presidency of the Council of the European Union, Christodoulides said that during his visits to EU member states, the country’s Schengen aspirations will be a top priority. “From there on, in all the contacts we have now, especially in view of the presidency [of the Council of the European Union], where I will visit all member states, it is one of the main issues I will raise, and I am happy with the responses I see,” he remarked.

He added, “But first, we have to complete our work, and I assure you that by the end of 2025, we will complete all the technicalities we need to ensure that our country will be in the Schengen zone in 2026.”

Accession to the Schengen zone would effectively abolish border checks between Cyprus and 29 European countries, meaning that air and maritime passengers traveling to the continent would no longer be subject to passport or identity card control. Presently, Cyprus is one of only two European Union member states remaining outside the Schengen area, following the admission of Bulgaria and Romania earlier this year. The Schengen zone also includes four non-EU nations—Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

On Saturday, Metsola addressed the issue briefly, stating, “The European parliament will always be by your side and will actively support you.”

Earlier reports have laid out the likely expectations Cyprus must meet to join the Schengen area, with a key focus on bolstering border controls. This includes increased attention to the Green Line—the de facto internal division of the island—which, while not officially considered an external EU border, “requires strict controls” and is subject to EU frontier regulations.

Cyprus must also work on enhancing its global diplomatic footprint, including “strengthening its consular presence internationally,” which involves extending representation and finalizing cooperation agreements with additional states and “external providers.”

Another major step toward Schengen integration involves adopting the Schengen acquis, particularly regarding visa policy and the handling of migrant returns. Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos noted last month that Cyprus has been applying the core elements of the Schengen visa code since its EU accession in 2004.

In terms of returns, Cyprus has demonstrated considerable progress. In 2024 alone, police data confirmed that 10,098 irregular migrants were repatriated to their countries of origin. This performance has not gone unnoticed by EU leadership. During a visit to Paphos in October, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that Cyprus has “made good progress” on returns. Her comments echoed praise from former Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas, who had previously hailed Cyprus as an “emerging European champion of migrant returns.”

Once Cyprus fulfills all technical criteria, a final assessment will be carried out by the European Commission. The country’s accession to the Schengen area will then hinge on unanimous political approval from the 29 existing Schengen member states.

By fLEXI tEAM