On July 10, 2025, Parliament passed a law providing for the creation of a Cypriot VIS, enabling the integration into the European Union’s Visa Information System (VIS). This marks a significant step in Cyprus’s path toward joining the Schengen Area.
The new law also brings Cypriot visa procedures at external borders with Schengen standards and sets the framework for future integration with the EU’s Entry/Exit System and the European database of personae non gratae.
It also obliges external visa service providers to adhere strictly to personal data protection regulations.
Should Cyprus formally join the Schengen Area, it would become the 30th member, joining 25 EU countries as well as four non-EU nations: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
