The Council of the European Union on 29 November approved its negotiating mandate for a voluntary digital travel application that will allow passengers to preload passport and ID data before arriving at the border. The three-part system—comprising a mobile app, verification backend and secure router to national systems—aims to slash queue times and free up officers to focus on high-risk travellers.
Although full roll-out targets the 25 Schengen states, Brussels officials confirmed that Cyprus, still outside Schengen, can participate in pilot testing as soon as it completes ongoing Entry/Exit System upgrades. Nicosia has signalled interest, viewing the app as a way to showcase technical readiness ahead of its hoped-for accession later this decade.
![EU Green-Lights Digital Travel App—Cyprus Poised To Join Pilot When Schengen Ready]()
For Cypriot airports the benefits are clear: today’s manually intensive checks at Larnaca and Paphos can produce peak-summer queues exceeding 40 minutes. By pre-clearing data, immigration booths could move low-risk EU and third-country travellers through in half the time, improving user experience and airline on-time performance.
Corporate-mobility managers will gain a practical tool for frequent flyers; employees can submit credentials once and reuse them for multiple trips, reducing paperwork and ensuring compliance with ever-stricter Schengen entry rules. The app is designed to integrate with ETIAS and the biometrics-heavy EES, both of which Cyprus must adopt regardless of formal Schengen status.
Next steps involve trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament. EU agency eu-LISA will oversee technical build-out, with limited pilots expected as early as Q4 2026—timing that could coincide with Cyprus’ accession timetable if political hurdles are cleared.
Although full roll-out targets the 25 Schengen states, Brussels officials confirmed that Cyprus, still outside Schengen, can participate in pilot testing as soon as it completes ongoing Entry/Exit System upgrades. Nicosia has signalled interest, viewing the app as a way to showcase technical readiness ahead of its hoped-for accession later this decade.
For Cypriot airports the benefits are clear: today’s manually intensive checks at Larnaca and Paphos can produce peak-summer queues exceeding 40 minutes. By pre-clearing data, immigration booths could move low-risk EU and third-country travellers through in half the time, improving user experience and airline on-time performance.
Corporate-mobility managers will gain a practical tool for frequent flyers; employees can submit credentials once and reuse them for multiple trips, reducing paperwork and ensuring compliance with ever-stricter Schengen entry rules. The app is designed to integrate with ETIAS and the biometrics-heavy EES, both of which Cyprus must adopt regardless of formal Schengen status.
Next steps involve trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament. EU agency eu-LISA will oversee technical build-out, with limited pilots expected as early as Q4 2026—timing that could coincide with Cyprus’ accession timetable if political hurdles are cleared.
