Christodoulides urges swift political decision on Cyprus’ Schengen accession
President Nikos Christodoulides said Cyprus is ready to join the Schengen area and called for an EU political decision as soon as possible.
Nicosia, Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides has called for a political decision on Cyprus’ bid to join the Schengen area as soon as possible, following a meeting on Friday with European Council President Antonio Costa. Accession could bring benefits for tourism, investment and business mobility.
European agenda
Christodoulides said he raised Cyprus’ “desire and readiness” for full accession during the meeting with Costa.
He referred to a European Commission evaluation which, he said, confirmed the country’s preparedness and recommended that the process be completed as a priority.
“The government is hoping for a political decision to be made on whether it will be able to join Europe’s border-free Schengen zone ‘as soon as possible’,” Christodoulides said.
He added that EU member states would take the decision at the justice and home affairs council level.
Commission assessment
The European Commission formally gave Cyprus a positive assessment of its preparedness in July, paving the way for the matter to be considered by the Council of the European Union.
Cyprus is currently one of two EU member states outside the Schengen area, alongside Ireland, which has chosen not to fully participate because of its common travel arrangements with the United Kingdom.
Romania and Bulgaria became the latest countries to join the border-free area at the beginning of 2025, leaving Cyprus as the only EU member state still seeking full accession.
Travel and tourism impact
Schengen membership would remove routine internal border controls between Cyprus and other participating countries, simplifying travel between the island and much of continental Europe.
The potential impact could be particularly significant for tourism, as Cyprus competes with destinations already within the Schengen area.
The Schengen zone allows more than 450 million people to travel between participating countries without routine internal border checks, with around 1.25 billion journeys made within the area each year.
Easier movement could make Cyprus more attractive to European travellers combining several destinations, potentially strengthening its position in multi-country holidays and encouraging longer or more frequent visits.
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