In an interview published on 21 February, President Nikos Christodoulides said that any restart of UN-brokered Cyprus negotiations should be accompanied by the immediate opening of four additional road checkpoints along the 180-kilometre Green Line. He highlighted Pyroi–Athienou, agreed in principle last July, as a priority site stalled by Turkish-Cypriot reluctance.(cyprus-mail.com)
Cyprus currently operates nine crossings where identity checks—but no visas—are required. Long queues at weekends and on commuter runs have become a headache for EU nationals working on one side of the divide and living on the other. The new points would relieve pressure, shorten detours by up to 25 km for some villages and, officials say, stimulate bi-communal commerce.
![President links peace talks to opening four new Green-Line crossings]()
While Green Line crossings themselves do not involve traditional visas, travellers who may need documentation for onward journeys or related residency paperwork can streamline the process through VisaHQ. The service’s Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) offers clear, step-by-step guidance, document checks and fast submission options for multiple destinations, saving commuters and businesses valuable time.
Christodoulides’ five-point plan also calls for the UN to record all negotiating convergences up to the 2017 Crans-Montana talks and to convene an expanded conference with the guarantor powers. Business lobbies welcomed the practical focus on mobility, arguing that easier crossings would boost labour-market flexibility and make it simpler for multinational teams to service clients island-wide.
Cross-border commuters should, however, temper expectations: even if leaders agree, infrastructure upgrades, customs posts and security vetting could take 12–18 months. Mobility managers with staff traversing the buffer zone should continue to schedule generous travel buffers and monitor potential traffic disruptions during the forthcoming bicommunal meetings on 24 February.
Cyprus currently operates nine crossings where identity checks—but no visas—are required. Long queues at weekends and on commuter runs have become a headache for EU nationals working on one side of the divide and living on the other. The new points would relieve pressure, shorten detours by up to 25 km for some villages and, officials say, stimulate bi-communal commerce.
While Green Line crossings themselves do not involve traditional visas, travellers who may need documentation for onward journeys or related residency paperwork can streamline the process through VisaHQ. The service’s Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) offers clear, step-by-step guidance, document checks and fast submission options for multiple destinations, saving commuters and businesses valuable time.
Christodoulides’ five-point plan also calls for the UN to record all negotiating convergences up to the 2017 Crans-Montana talks and to convene an expanded conference with the guarantor powers. Business lobbies welcomed the practical focus on mobility, arguing that easier crossings would boost labour-market flexibility and make it simpler for multinational teams to service clients island-wide.
Cross-border commuters should, however, temper expectations: even if leaders agree, infrastructure upgrades, customs posts and security vetting could take 12–18 months. Mobility managers with staff traversing the buffer zone should continue to schedule generous travel buffers and monitor potential traffic disruptions during the forthcoming bicommunal meetings on 24 February.
