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Jan 19, 2026

Accreditation opens for EU Justice & Home Affairs Council in Nicosia; migration and Schengen top agenda

Accreditation opens for EU Justice & Home Affairs Council in Nicosia; migration and Schengen top agenda
The Cyprus EU Presidency has activated its online accreditation portal for journalists, business associations and NGO observers wishing to attend the Informal Meeting of EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Ministers at the Filoxenia Conference Centre from 21–23 January. Applicants must submit personal data by 19 January and undergo enhanced security vetting because migration, returns policy and Schengen governance dominate the draft agenda.(visahq.com)

Informal JHA Councils, convened by each rotating Presidency, set the political tone for subsequent formal Council decisions. Nicosia intends to use the gathering to review implementation milestones for the EU Pact on Migration & Asylum, accelerate interoperability of border-IT systems such as the Entry/Exit System, and push for tougher asset-recovery rules that would allow authorities to seize smugglers’ boats and financial holdings.

If, in the rush to secure accreditation, you discover that passports or Schengen visas are about to expire, VisaHQ can help. Their Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) streamlines visa renewals, arranges consular appointments and tracks processing in real time—allowing media crews and corporate delegates to meet the Presidency’s tight deadlines without administrative hiccups.

Accreditation opens for EU Justice & Home Affairs Council in Nicosia; migration and Schengen top agenda


For corporate mobility teams the event creates two operational headaches. First, inner-city traffic restrictions: lanes around the venue close from 20 January and hotels within a two-kilometre radius are already above 90 percent occupancy. Second, airport security: Larnaca and Pafos will introduce dedicated lanes for ministerial delegations, which could lengthen queues for regular passengers during peak arrival windows.

The meeting is also a knowledge-goldmine. Delegates will receive status updates on ETIAS fee levels, revised EES timelines and pending changes to the Long-Term Residents Directive—information that multinationals should feed into travel-policy manuals and assignment-planning tools.

Practical tip: accreditation badges cannot be issued on-site without prior approval, and applicants must present the same travel document used during online registration. Failure to align passport numbers will trigger denial of entry to the secure zone.
VisaHQ's expert visas and immigration team helps individuals and companies navigate global travel, work, and residency requirements. We handle document preparation, application filings, government agencies coordination, every aspect necessary to ensure fast, compliant, and stress-free approvals.
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