Cyprus nears visa-free US travel in final stages

President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides said Wednesday that Cyprus is at the final stage regarding joining the Visa Waiver Program thus becoming eligible for visa-free entry into the USA.

Speaking at the start of the Council of Ministers meeting, the President stressed the importance of the Strategic Dialogue agreement of the Republic of Cyprus with the USA and called on all Ministers to work on the implementation of the agreement, which involves many Ministries and many issues, such as energy, security, trade, attraction of investments, research and technology and culture.

"So, everyone's cooperation is needed. At the same time, in order to achieve the goal of the Republic of Cyprus joining the US Program where Cypriot passport holders do not need entry visas, we are at the final stage, that's why I expect everyone to work for the realization of this goal," he said.

The President of the Republic welcomed the new Deputy Minister for Immigration to the Cabinet and invited everyone to support him "in this great effort to continue the holistic approach for dealing with immigration in which many Ministries are involved". He said that this is an approach that yields results, which is important, and it is also recognized by the Cypriot society.

The President also said that the Cabinet will discuss the support of the communities and those who suffered from the recent fires, not only in the Paphos region, but also in the other areas, Ipsonas and Farmakas.

After that, he said, they would discuss whether adjustments need to be made, "so immediately after the approval, today, I want to ensure that the relevant amounts are paid," he stressed.

The President also said that today they will announce the extension of the support measures until the end of October, especially regarding the extension of the electricity subsidy, taking into account the high temperatures that prevail.

"The responsible fiscal policy we follow, which also leads to continuous upgrades of the Cypriot economy, allows us to have a targeted social policy and allows us within this context to announce today the extension of the subsidy and some other measures, which we will discuss," he said.

President Christodoulides also noted that today a special meeting of the Council of Ministers will be held on matters regarding the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union (Jan - Jun 2026) during which Ministers will be informed by the Deputy Minister of European Affairs.

"We are at an advanced stage and that is positive, but a successful Presidency is a strategic goal of our Government. I am sure that we can achieve it, our experiences after 20 years in the EU and the recognition we receive are only some of things that allow us to have a successful Presidency, but we must prepare now," he concluded.