The accession of Cyprus to the Schengen area and the visa-free regime program are among the main priorities of the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the next year.
In the summer, Cyprus joined the Schengen Information System (SIS II), which is one of the final and mandatory requirements for a candidate country. SIS II is the largest public security information system in Europe, allowing the exchange of information between national border control authorities, customs and police.
Accession to Schengen requires verification according to five criteria, which relate to the protection of personal data, interaction of the Cypriot police with the police departments of the Schengen countries, accession to the Schengen Information System (SIS), border control of the external borders of Schengen, resolution of consular issues (issuance of Schengen visas).