Cypriot passport holders hoping to travel to the United States without first obtaining a visa will have to wait longer.
The United States is reassessing its Visa Waiver Program, and no new countries have been added as that review continues, sources familiar with Cyprus’s application told the Cyprus News Agency on August 24.
Cyprus remains outside the program, so travelers relying on a Cypriot passport cannot use ESTA for short tourist or business trips to the United States.
The latest development follows a July visit to Cyprus by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary Rob Law, who met with Deputy Minister to the President Irene Piki. The Cypriot presidency said afterward that it had been reaffirmed during the meeting that Cyprus had completed the required technical criteria. Further consideration of the application, it said, would proceed through U.S. internal procedures.
Nicosia had once expected the process to be finished sooner. In January 2025, President Nikos Christodoulides’ government said Cyprus’s accession to the Visa Waiver Program would be completed during that year.
Membership would allow eligible Cypriot passport holders to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of up to 90 days without obtaining a visitor visa beforehand. Travelers would instead seek authorization through ESTA.
Greece is among the 42 countries currently participating in the Visa Waiver Program. Cyprus is not on the U.S. State Department’s current list.
Washington has not announced when its broader review will be completed or when Cyprus’s application could receive a final decision. Until Cyprus is formally admitted, travelers relying on a Cypriot passport will continue to need a U.S. visa.