Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos landed in Washington on February 8, 2026 with one overriding objective: to persuade U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to admit the Republic of Cyprus to America’s Visa Waiver Program (VWP). At present, Cypriot executives, seafarers, academics and leisure travellers must travel to Athens or Tel Aviv for costly, time-consuming visa interviews before boarding a flight to the United States. Mr Kombos told reporters that Cyprus has met every technical benchmark—biometric e-passports, real-time INTERPOL data-sharing, sub-3 per cent overstay rates and upgraded airport screening systems—required under U.S. Homeland Security guidelines.
The foreign minister’s lobbying push comes at a strategically opportune moment. Cyprus will hold the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026, a role that will place Nicosia at the centre of trans-Atlantic policy discussions on security, energy connectivity and digital trade. A visa-free travel regime would make it markedly easier for Cypriot officials to shuttle between Brussels and Washington and for American delegations to attend EU meetings convened on the island.
Business stakeholders are watching closely. The American Chamber of Commerce in Cyprus estimates that VWP membership would cut compliance costs for local companies by at least €3 million annually and boost two-way business travel by 15 per cent in its first year. Cyprus is home to the world’s third-largest ship-management cluster and a fast-growing fintech hub; executives in both sectors say that last-minute trips to U.S. regulators or investors are often delayed by the current visa bottleneck.
![Cyprus Foreign Minister Urges U.S. to Grant Visa-Waiver Status During Washington Visit]()
In the meantime, Cypriot citizens who still need to secure a U.S. visa can turn to VisaHQ for streamlined support. The service’s dedicated Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) offers step-by-step guidance, document checks and appointment scheduling, helping travelers minimise the time and expense of journeys to Athens or Tel Aviv until visa-free travel becomes a reality.
Security cooperation is another selling point. Since 2024 Cyprus has hosted joint terrorism-screening exercises with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at RAF Akrotiri and begun feeding Passenger Name Record (PNR) data directly into U.S. systems. Diplomats in Washington acknowledge the progress but say Congress must still be formally notified and DHS must publish a final rule—steps that could take several months. If everything stays on track, Cypriot citizens could be applying for ESTA-style authorisations before the 2026 summer peak season.
For now, Kombos must win a political green light from Secretary Rubio and overcome residual concerns about Cyprus’ geographic proximity to conflict zones. Should he succeed, the eastern-Mediterranean island would become the 42nd country in the VWP—and the first new entrant since Croatia in 2021—cementing its status as a reliable security partner and an emerging business gateway between Europe, the Middle East and the United States.
The foreign minister’s lobbying push comes at a strategically opportune moment. Cyprus will hold the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026, a role that will place Nicosia at the centre of trans-Atlantic policy discussions on security, energy connectivity and digital trade. A visa-free travel regime would make it markedly easier for Cypriot officials to shuttle between Brussels and Washington and for American delegations to attend EU meetings convened on the island.
Business stakeholders are watching closely. The American Chamber of Commerce in Cyprus estimates that VWP membership would cut compliance costs for local companies by at least €3 million annually and boost two-way business travel by 15 per cent in its first year. Cyprus is home to the world’s third-largest ship-management cluster and a fast-growing fintech hub; executives in both sectors say that last-minute trips to U.S. regulators or investors are often delayed by the current visa bottleneck.
In the meantime, Cypriot citizens who still need to secure a U.S. visa can turn to VisaHQ for streamlined support. The service’s dedicated Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) offers step-by-step guidance, document checks and appointment scheduling, helping travelers minimise the time and expense of journeys to Athens or Tel Aviv until visa-free travel becomes a reality.
Security cooperation is another selling point. Since 2024 Cyprus has hosted joint terrorism-screening exercises with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at RAF Akrotiri and begun feeding Passenger Name Record (PNR) data directly into U.S. systems. Diplomats in Washington acknowledge the progress but say Congress must still be formally notified and DHS must publish a final rule—steps that could take several months. If everything stays on track, Cypriot citizens could be applying for ESTA-style authorisations before the 2026 summer peak season.
For now, Kombos must win a political green light from Secretary Rubio and overcome residual concerns about Cyprus’ geographic proximity to conflict zones. Should he succeed, the eastern-Mediterranean island would become the 42nd country in the VWP—and the first new entrant since Croatia in 2021—cementing its status as a reliable security partner and an emerging business gateway between Europe, the Middle East and the United States.
