Cyprus Presses Washington to Admit Island into U.S. Visa Waiver Program

Cyprus’s Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos lands in Washington today with a single, business-critical request: admit Cyprus into the United States Visa Waiver Program (VWP) in time for the island’s peak summer season in July 2026. Speaking ahead of his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Kombos told reporters that Nicosia has completed all technical and security benchmarks—ranging from biometric passport issuance and INTERPOL data-sharing to extremely low overstay rates—required for VWP designation. (in-cyprus.philenews.com)

If green-lighted, Cypriot citizens would be able to travel to the United States for business or tourism for up to 90 days without first obtaining a B-class visitor visa. That would eliminate an expensive, weeks-long process that currently obliges executives, ship-management staff, and leisure travellers to travel to Athens or Tel Aviv for consular interviews. The American Chamber of Commerce in Cyprus estimates the change could cut compliance costs for local companies by at least €3 million per year and stimulate two-way travel by 15 percent in the first 12 months.



Cyprus has long argued that its Schengen-ready border controls, robust anti-money-laundering reforms and intelligence cooperation with the United States—especially through the sovereign RAF Akrotiri base—make it a net security exporter rather than a risk. U.S. officials have been cautious because Cyprus still registers a small number of visa overstays and is geographically close to conflict zones, but diplomatic sources say those concerns have largely been addressed through real-time API/PNR data-feeds and a new Lost & Stolen Passports protocol.

For multinational companies that base regional headquarters or shipping fleets in Limassol and Nicosia, VWP membership would greatly simplify short-notice travel for sales, crew-rotation or compliance meetings in the United States. Local tech start-ups eyeing U.S. venture capital also see smoother mobility as a game-changer.

Even if a political handshake is reached this week, Congress must still be notified and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security must publish the final rule in the Federal Register—steps that could take several months. But officials on both sides suggest that, barring surprises, Cypriot passport holders could be booking ESTA-style travel authorisations before the end of the year.