FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – Cyprus will join the European Union’s borderless Schengen Zone in 2026, President Nikos Christodoulides has said, saying the government is working to complete technical preparations by the end of 2025.
“We will join the Schengen Zone in 2026. A huge effort is being made from a technical point of view, and we will have completed everything we need to do as a state,” Christodoulides said.
He described the move as a strategic step forward for both Cyprus and the EU.
Cyprus, which joined the European Union in 2004, has remained outside the Schengen Zone, a bloc of 27 European countries that allows free movement across internal borders without passport checks.
Admission requires meeting specific security, customs, and data-sharing requirements, which Cyprus has been working toward.
Christodoulides emphasized that Cyprus will need the support of the European Parliament to finalize its accession.
He noted that his recent meeting with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola had been productive and that Cyprus’ Schengen bid would remain a priority as he meets with EU leaders.
“From here on, in all the contacts we have—especially ahead of our presidency of the Council of the European Union—it is one of the main issues I will raise,” he said.
“But first, we have to complete our work, and I assure you that by the end of 2025, we will finalize everything to ensure that Cyprus will enter the Schengen Zone in 2026.”