Journalists, business associations and civil-society observers can now apply for accreditation to the Informal Meeting of EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Ministers, which Cyprus will host at the Filoxenia Conference Centre, Nicosia, from 21 to 23 January 2026. The presidency secretariat published the logistical note and opened its online registration platform on 16 January, emphasising stricter security vetting because migration, returns policy and Schengen governance are on the agenda.
Informal JHA Councils—held every six months by the member-state holding the EU Council Presidency—shape non-legislative cooperation and often pave the way for formal decisions. According to the draft programme, ministers will debate:
• implementation milestones for the Migration and Asylum Pact;
• achieving full interoperability of the EU’s large-scale border IT systems;
• asset-recovery rules targeting smugglers’ profits; and
• harmonised standards for returning cultural objects removed illegally across borders.
Accreditation badges will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis and must be collected in person at the dedicated media centre.
![Accreditation Opens for Informal EU Justice & Home Affairs Council in Nicosia, 21–23 January]()
Those unfamiliar with Cypriot entry formalities may benefit from specialist assistance. VisaHQ, an accredited visa and passport service, offers up-to-date guidance on Cyprus visa categories, electronic application filing and expedited courier options; see https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/ for details.
Travel professionals should note that entry lanes and parking around the Filoxenia venue will be closed to the public, with rerouting of city-centre traffic between 20 and 24 January. Hotels within a 2-km radius are reporting occupancy rates above 90 per cent, and the presidency advises late-registering delegates to consider properties in Larnaca or the Troodos foothills.
For global-mobility teams, the meeting represents both a practical planning point—due to heightened security checks at Larnaca and Paphos airports—and a policy-watch opportunity, as ministers are expected to give political guidance on how soon businesses must comply with the EU Entry/Exit System once it is re-scheduled.
Informal JHA Councils—held every six months by the member-state holding the EU Council Presidency—shape non-legislative cooperation and often pave the way for formal decisions. According to the draft programme, ministers will debate:
• implementation milestones for the Migration and Asylum Pact;
• achieving full interoperability of the EU’s large-scale border IT systems;
• asset-recovery rules targeting smugglers’ profits; and
• harmonised standards for returning cultural objects removed illegally across borders.
Accreditation badges will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis and must be collected in person at the dedicated media centre.
Those unfamiliar with Cypriot entry formalities may benefit from specialist assistance. VisaHQ, an accredited visa and passport service, offers up-to-date guidance on Cyprus visa categories, electronic application filing and expedited courier options; see https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/ for details.
Travel professionals should note that entry lanes and parking around the Filoxenia venue will be closed to the public, with rerouting of city-centre traffic between 20 and 24 January. Hotels within a 2-km radius are reporting occupancy rates above 90 per cent, and the presidency advises late-registering delegates to consider properties in Larnaca or the Troodos foothills.
For global-mobility teams, the meeting represents both a practical planning point—due to heightened security checks at Larnaca and Paphos airports—and a policy-watch opportunity, as ministers are expected to give political guidance on how soon businesses must comply with the EU Entry/Exit System once it is re-scheduled.
