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Following Croatia's accession in 2023 and last year's Bulgaria and Romania, yet another European country is expected to join Europe's Schengen Area soon:
This year, Cyprus is expected to conclude its negotiation talks with the border-free zone and become its 30th member, but what does this mean effectively for travelers, especially Americans staying mid- to long-term on the continent?
First, if you're not a Brit or German who's used to flocking there every year for stag dos and sunny holidays, you may be wondering, where is Cyprus even?
The Pearl Of The East Mediterranean

Located in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus is a paradisiacal island fringed by turquoise seas, and it has a rich history spanning millennia.
It's one of Europe's most multicultural countries: the largest group are Greek Cypriots, making Greek the most widely-spoken language, though there is a significant Turkish Cypriot minority, as well as Maronites, Armenians, and of course, British expats.
Its southeastern coast is littered with bustling resort towns, with Protaras and Ayia Napa drawing in millions of visitors annually, while the west is best known for its pristine bays and the port city of Paphos, home to ancient ruins like the UNESCO-listed Tombs of the Kings.
An inland administrative center, Nicosia is (in)famous for being Europe's last officially-divided capital:

Long story short, some decades ago, Turkish forces landed and occupied the northern third of Cyprus, including North Nicosia, effectively splitting the island in two.
Community tensions are still somewhat high, as the conflict hasn't yet been solved, but there is no longer sectarian violence, and the ‘border' remains open for Cypriots and tourists alike to cross.
Northern Cyprus is one of the Mediterranean's most underrated, as well as as affordable destinations: booking the beachfront Bellapais Oasis Hotel in the coastal city of Girne (or Kyrenia, as it is known in Greek), will set you back by $56.
Oh, and if you're visiting Northern Cyprus this year, perhaps you should know one of its formerly-trendiest resort hotspots, closed due to the Turkish invasion of the 1970s, is finally open again for the first time in half a century.

Cyprus In The Schengen Area Within 2025
Now that you know something about Cyprus, how is it relevant that it is joining Europe's border-free zone?
In case you didn't know, Cyprus has been a member of the European Union since 2004, and it even uses the euro, though it never lifted internal border checks with its fellow EU countries.
The fact that the island is fractured, with a strong UN presence, not to mention it hosts two British military bases, may have something to do with the EU's reluctance to lift border checks with Cyprus.
Flying from other EU countries to Cyprus or arriving by cruise, all passengers must undergo border control.

Soon enough, this will change, as Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides confirms himself:
Between the end of this year and the start of 2026, Cyprus will become a member of the Schengen Area, thus eliminating border checks between the island and its European partners.
He was quoted saying they're in the ‘final stage' to achieve this, and they expect to be ‘ready' from a technical point of view ‘within 2025'.
During a meeting of the European People's Party in Berlin on January 18, the President reiterated joining Schengen is a ‘main goal' for Cyprus, and it's taken a ‘huge effort' from him and his administration to convince mainland Europe they're ready.

Bulgaria and Romania are well familiar with Europe's reluctance to expand Schengen: for years, they were blocked by the Netherlands and then Austria, citing security concerns, until the final vetoes were finally lifted in 2024.
What Does This Mean For U.S. Travelers?
So what does this mean for travelers, you ask?
Well, for starters, once Cyprus is in Schengen, you will no longer have to undergo passport control flying into or out of the island, if your point of departure, or destination is a fellow Schengen country.
The complete list of Schengen states can be seen below:

- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
The major downside, of course, is now there is yet another European country applying the Schengen acquis: in other words, you'll no longer be able to remain an independent 90 days in Cyprus, if you've been in other Schengen destinations recently, or vice-versa.
Sounds confusing? Here's how it works:

How Does Schengen Work?
As tourists, Americans can only be present in the Schengen territories for up to 90 days out of any 180-day period:
This means, effectively, that by spending a month traveling around France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and following it up with another month down in Italy and Greece, if you decide to fly next to Cyprus, you'll then get only 30 days, as you've used up 60 days elsewhere already.
Or, if you're staying a week in Cyprus, and you plan on traveling around other European countries right after, you'll only be granted an 83-day stay across the entire 30-country area.
Digital nomads, we feel your pain, but not all is lost!

Once Cyprus ascends to Schengen, and it will sooner or later, there's still a number of options at hand that can help you extend your stay in the Old Continent, from an offbeat Albania to the castle-dotted Serbia, where Americans can even fly to nonstop.
Digital Entry Permit For Visiting Cyprus?
The last important piece of information is, like other European Union countries, Cyprus will be formally introducing a digital travel permit applying to American tourists.
From 2025 onward––no official date so far––U.S. tourists will be required to apply for an online travel authorization flying to any of the Schengen states.

Without this document, which essentially functions like an eVisa, they will not be allowed to board EU-bound flights, let alone enter, and this includes Cyprus.
We know it's a complex set of rules to navigate if you're a traveler and to think you used to believe Covid border bureaucracies were the worst of your concerns…
But hey, worry not! We're here to help:
You can still travel to Cyprus and other EU countries without applying for permits, for now, and rest assured we'll keep you up to date once these regulations do come into effect––on the other hand, you can no longer fly to the United Kingdom without obtaining pre-authorization.
Learn how to apply and avoid unpleasant surprises upon check-in here.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.