Cyprus expects full Schengen membership in 2027

Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus expects to join the Schengen area in full during 2027, Deputy Migration Minister Nikolas Ioannides said on Saturday. The government expects to complete six outstanding actions by early next month.

Technical preparations and approval

Speaking to CyBC, Ioannides said the government would then notify the European Commission that Cyprus was technically ready, allowing the accession process to move to its next stages.

He said accession required close cooperation with other member states and that bilateral contacts had begun, including with Luxembourg.

Once accession is complete, internal border controls involving Cyprus will be lifted and the necessary information systems will be fully operational.

The decision rests with the EU Council and requires unanimous support from the 25 EU member states already in Schengen.

Cyprus and Ireland are the only EU members outside the zone. Ireland has chosen to remain outside to protect its travel arrangement with the United Kingdom.

Green Line remains a point of contention

The main point of contention remains the Green Line. Cyprus has told the Commission that it will not apply Schengen’s new digital entry and exit system at the nine crossing points because the demarcation is not recognised as a border.

The Republic holds sovereignty over the whole island, although EU law is suspended in the areas outside its control.

Under such an arrangement, a non-EU national who arrives in the government-controlled areas, leaves through the occupied north and later tries to enter another Schengen state would appear in the system never to have left Cyprus.

Possible compromise arrangements

Compromise proposals have included border checks at Cypriot ports and airports modelled on those at Dover and St Pancras, or Schengen controls operated by Frontex staff, allowing passengers to complete formalities before boarding flights and ferries to Europe.