The European Commission has confirmed that the long-awaited Entry/Exit System (EES) will start on 12 October 2026, replacing manual passport stamps with a biometric register of third-country nationals entering or leaving the Schengen Area. Although Cyprus is not yet a full Schengen member, Nicosia plans to join in 2026 and will therefore switch to EES from day one. On 5 November 2025 the Civil Registry and Migration Department published an English-language FAQ outlining what residents, tourists and cross-border workers should expect.
Under EES, fingerprints and a facial image will be captured at the first point of entry and stored for three years. The system will automatically calculate authorised length of stay and flag overstays. Travellers who hold multiple passports or who cross frequently—such as multinational staff based in the Middle East using Larnaca as a hub—are being advised to enter with the same document each time to avoid duplicate files.
![EU Entry/Exit System countdown: Cyprus posts traveller guidance ahead of October 2026 launch]()
The FAQ also confirms that airlines operating ‘hub-and-spoke’ itineraries through Cyprus will need to collect advance passenger data 48 hours before departure rather than the current 24 hours. Car-hire firms operating at the airports will have to integrate with an EES vehicle-registry interface so that overstayers cannot hire cars. The government is working with Hermes Airports to install 42 automated e-gates—28 at Larnaca, 14 at Pafos—by June 2026, with multilingual user prompts and dedicated assistance lanes for elderly and reduced-mobility passengers.
For employers, the biggest operational change concerns intra-EU travel by non-EU assignees. Posting letters or A1 certificates will no longer be enough: staff must ensure that their biometric ‘clock’ is reset whenever they exit the Schengen Area, including through Cyprus once it accedes. Mobility teams should review rotation schedules now to avoid unintentional overstays after October 2026.
The Deputy Ministry of Immigration will run a public-information campaign from January, including webinars for corporate travel managers and relocation firms.
Under EES, fingerprints and a facial image will be captured at the first point of entry and stored for three years. The system will automatically calculate authorised length of stay and flag overstays. Travellers who hold multiple passports or who cross frequently—such as multinational staff based in the Middle East using Larnaca as a hub—are being advised to enter with the same document each time to avoid duplicate files.
The FAQ also confirms that airlines operating ‘hub-and-spoke’ itineraries through Cyprus will need to collect advance passenger data 48 hours before departure rather than the current 24 hours. Car-hire firms operating at the airports will have to integrate with an EES vehicle-registry interface so that overstayers cannot hire cars. The government is working with Hermes Airports to install 42 automated e-gates—28 at Larnaca, 14 at Pafos—by June 2026, with multilingual user prompts and dedicated assistance lanes for elderly and reduced-mobility passengers.
For employers, the biggest operational change concerns intra-EU travel by non-EU assignees. Posting letters or A1 certificates will no longer be enough: staff must ensure that their biometric ‘clock’ is reset whenever they exit the Schengen Area, including through Cyprus once it accedes. Mobility teams should review rotation schedules now to avoid unintentional overstays after October 2026.
The Deputy Ministry of Immigration will run a public-information campaign from January, including webinars for corporate travel managers and relocation firms.
