Latest news with #Cypriots
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Much-loved European holiday island to join Schengen Area next year and why it's bad news for Brits
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CYPRUS has revealed plans to join the Schengen Area - but it won't be good news for British holidaymakers. The popular island that sees around 1.3 million Brits visiting each year has announced it hopes to join the zone in 2026 meaning that holiday rules will change. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The President of Cyprus revealed the countries plans to join the Schengen Area Credit: Alamy 4 The island is popular with Brits - but the change will impact potential holidays The Schengen Area consists of 29 European countries that have abolished border controls for other EU countries. These include 25 EU member states, as well as four non-EU countries; Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Essentially, the Schengen Area is a passport-free travel zone, which allows people to move between participating countries without border checks. But there are strict rules that Cyprus will have to adhere to when they join. And for Brits, that means a limited time to stay there. The rules state that a total stay in the Schengen Area must be no more than 90 days in every 180 days. It does not matter how many countries you visit as the 180 day period keeps rolling. Currently, a visit Cyprus does not count towards your 90 day limit. So any time you spend in the Schengen Area does not affect the number of days you can spend in Cyprus - but this will change when they join. President Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus recently announced that the island will "enter the Schengen Zone in 2026.' He added: 'A huge effort is being made, we will complete all the technicalities we need." All the free activities Cyprus has to offer 4 Millions of Brits head to Cyprus every year for a holiday Credit: Alamy Cyprus joined the EU in 2004 but unlike other countries, did not join the Schengen Area at the same time. This means that Cypriots face border checks and visa issues when travelling to surrounding EU countries. For Cyprus, joining the Schengen Area will mean locals can access the country with more ease and without extra border checks. For Cypriots, the move will be beneficial for trade as it allows goods to flow more easily between countries without custom checks at internal borders. The timing will coincide with the launch of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). The new system is being introduced as part of enhanced security measures for travellers. The new system that will require non-EU travellers to get approval beforehand. For Brits, you will need one of these to go into any of the Schengen Area nations. Currently, the only EU states that aren't members of the Schengen Area are Ireland and Cyprus. Here's more on the ETIAS rules and how to prepare for when they come into play. And the European destination that is warmest in May with 26C highs and 'wine villages'. Here's A List Of Non-Schengen Countries United Kingdom Ireland Albania Armenia Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Cyprus Georgia Kosovo Moldova Montenegro North Macedonia Russia Serbia Turkey Ukraine
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Much-loved European holiday island to join Schengen Area next year and why it's bad news for Brits
CYPRUS has revealed plans to join the Schengen Area - but it won't be good news for British holidaymakers. The popular island that sees around 1.3 million Brits visiting each year has announced it hopes to join the zone in 2026 meaning that holiday rules will change. Advertisement 4 The President of Cyprus revealed the countries plans to join the Schengen Area Credit: Alamy 4 The island is popular with Brits - but the change will impact potential holidays The These include 25 EU member states, as well as four non-EU countries; Iceland, Essentially, the Schengen Area is a passport-free travel zone, which allows people to move between participating countries without border checks. But there are strict rules that Advertisement Read More on Cyprus The rules state that a total stay in the It does not matter how many countries you visit as the 180 day period keeps rolling. Currently, a visit So any time you spend in the Schengen Area does not affect the number of days you can spend in Advertisement Most read in News Travel President Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus recently announced that the island will "enter the Schengen Zone in 2026.' He added: 'A huge effort is being made, we will complete all the technicalities we need." All the free activities Cyprus has to offer 4 Millions of Brits head to Cyprus every year for a holiday Credit: Alamy Advertisement This means that Cypriots face border checks and visa issues when travelling to surrounding EU countries. For Cyprus, joining the Schengen Area will mean locals can access the country with more ease and without extra border checks. For Cypriots, the move will be beneficial for trade as it allows goods to flow more easily between countries without custom checks at internal borders. The timing will coincide with the launch of the Advertisement The new syste m is being introduced as part of enhanced security measures for travellers . The new system that will require non-EU travellers to get approval beforehand. For Brits, you will need one of these to go into any of the Schengen Area nations. Currently, the only EU states that aren't members of the Schengen Area are Ireland and Cyprus. Advertisement Here's more on the And the Here's A List Of Non-Schengen Countries United Kingdom Ireland Albania Armenia Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Cyprus Georgia Kosovo Moldova Montenegro North Macedonia Russia Serbia Turkey Ukraine 4 Cyprus is one of the last countries in the EU to join the Schengen Area Credit: Alamy
Egypt Independent
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Egypt's ambassador lauds historical, cultural ties binding Egyptian, Cypriot peoples
Egypt's Ambassador to Cyprus Mohamed Zaazou commended the historical and cultural bonds between the peoples of both countries. During a ceremony attended by members of the federation of Cypriots with Egyptian roots in Nicosia on Friday, Zaazou also hailed the growing distinguished relations between Egypt and Cyprus at various levels. In his remarks at the ceremony, Zaazou emphasized his commitment to work with the Cypriot government and the federation to promote and expand joint cooperation. The ceremony, during which the Egyptian diplomat honored two longtime leaders of the federation, was held as part of the Egyptian embassy's efforts to reinvigorate the 'Reviving Roots-Nostos' Initiative, launched by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2017. The presidential initiative is aimed at strengthening cultural ties between both countries, supporting efforts to preserve their rich historical heritage and common cultural Mediterranean features, and contributing to fostering mutual understanding between their peoples.
Egypt Today
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Today
Egypt's amb. lauds historical, cultural ties binding Egyptian, Cypriot peoples
Egypt and Cyprus flag pins CAIRO - 3 May 2025: Egypt's Ambassador to Cyprus Mohamed Zaazou commended the historical and cultural bonds between the peoples of both countries. During a ceremony attended by members of the federation of Cypriots with Egyptian roots in Nicosia on Friday, Zaazou also hailed the growing distinguished relations between Egypt and Cyprus at various levels. In his remarks at the ceremony, Zaazou emphasized his commitment to work with the Cypriot government and the federation to promote and expand joint cooperation. The ceremony, during which the Egyptian diplomat honored two longtime leaders of the federation, was held as part of the Egyptian embassy's efforts to reinvigorate the "Reviving Roots-Nostos" Initiative, launched by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in 2017. The presidential initiative is aimed at strengthening cultural ties between both countries, supporting efforts to preserve their rich historical heritage and common cultural Mediterranean features, and contributing to fostering mutual understanding between their peoples.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Bitterly divided Nicosia has become one of Europe's most exciting city breaks
However much you've read about Europe's last divided capital, it's still a surreal experience sitting in Nicosia's Giagia Victoria cafe. Keeping you company as you sip treacly Cypriot coffee and chomp syrupy semolina and custard cake are oil drums, sandbags and razor wire. Beyond them is a no-man's land of crumbling buildings peppered with bullet holes, frozen in time since the Turkish invasion of 1974. Downtrodden for decades, the southern side of the capital of Cyprus has been experiencing a rebirth in recent years. Stylish new hotels have opened, including The Landmark, Marriott's first property on the island, and Amyth of Nicosia, a bijou boutique offering housed in a historic villa. So have dozens of easy-on-the-pocket culinary venues and hip nightlife haunts. There's never been a better time to visit this energetic city. Just a few feet wide in some places, but six miles across in others, the buffer zone is the obvious starting point for any tour of Nicosia. 'After the Turkish invasion in 1974, Cyprus was divided in two. We didn't have access to the northern half of the country until the first checkpoint opened near the historic Ledra Palace in 2003,' city guide Nemo explained, as he pointed out bullet holes in the façade of what was once the city's most glamorous hotel. Graffiti is everywhere around the crossing point. Christos Kakoulis's (aka CRS) powerful depiction of a girl and a boy uniting the two sides with a kiss, and the message 'Your Wall Cannot Divide Us', stencilled nearby, are potent reminders of the city's open wound, while larger murals are often used to disguise the battered urban landscapes. We passed what was once Nicosia's main shopping street, now an eerie wasteland guarded by a ruined watchtower topped with the flags of the opposing countries. Peering through barbed wire I saw pots, pans and furniture that were abandoned when inhabitants fled. Nemo told me that many people, who lost everything they owned during the invasion, lived in tents and temporary accommodation for years afterwards. Slotting neatly into the gaps between devastated buildings, so-called 'green line cafes', with their packed tables and radios blaring traditional music, are part of the city's renaissance, and a symbol of resistance. 'For us Cypriots, coffee – and where we choose to drink it – is a lifestyle choice. By populating this once abandoned area with cafes we are saying 'Den ksexno' – don't forget,' one café owner said, quoting the popular slogan coined to encapsulate the tragic events of 1974. From fair-trade coffee in the Home for Cooperation Café (+357 22 44 57 40) to live music in the Mousiko Kafenion (+357 22 660123), even in the early afternoon the area buzzed with life. 'It's our version of fiddling while Rome burns,' Nemo joked. Heading deeper into the warren of narrow alleys we spent an absorbing hour in the Laiki Geitonia district, where craft shops, Indy boutiques and art galleries – including artist's collective Phaneromenis 70 (+357 22 663320), which was created to support and showcase Cypriot artists, reside in a heady hotchpotch of repurposed Byzantine and Venetian buildings. With a cluster of hip new restaurants like Sentio (+357 22 322324) and Ethimo (+357 22 494449), there's plenty of choice when it comes to fine dining, but I was keen to try the local street food. On Nemo's advice, that evening I headed for Estiatorio Tis Evroullas (+357 22 665346), a popular student hangout tucked into one of the city's covered arcades, or stoas. Sat at a wobbly wooden table I ordered half a dozen meze snacks – hummus swimming in olive oil, slices of grilled halloumi, chunks of wine-marinated Cypriot sausage – along with a carafe of local wine, and still had change from €20. Over the next few days I discovered other sights. In hot spring sunshine, I climbed Shacolas Tower (+357 22 674139), a 1960s high-rise repurposed to house a museum showcasing Nicosia before the divide, along with an 11th-floor observatory with panoramic views over the mosques and churches of this bipolar city to the Pentadaktylos Mountains beyond. I popped into the Cyprus Postal Museum (+357 22 304711), with its quirky collection of stamps and other items tracing the history of the island's service from the 15th century onwards. I also spent several absorbing hours browsing the personal collection of Rita and Costas Severis at the CVAR (+357 22 300994). 'I started collecting everything to do with Cyprus: paintings, antiques, costumes and other memorabilia,' Rita Severis told me. 'Everything was kept in our house at first – we had things everywhere. Costas would say to me: 'I can't find my suits!' I needed the wardrobe for the collection, so I'd moved his suits to the bottom drawer.' On my final afternoon I crossed over into northern Cyprus beneath a large red banner reading 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus FOREVER'. If southern Nicosia seems determined to look to the future, northern Nicosia, known to Turkish Cypriots as Lefkosa, with its shuttered tavernas, potholed streets and souvenir shops full of tat, is firmly stuck in the past. 'In Lefkosa, only the Russians have any money,' I heard someone mutter in the queue for the checkpoint. Back in southern Nicosia, as the sun descended over the razor wire, I followed students to Haratzi (+357 99538070), a vintage-themed green line café, founded in 1933, complete with pinball machines and walls lined with old posters. There are some 35,000 students studying at half a dozen universities in southern Nicosia, a city with around 256,000 inhabitants. Inevitably they've contributed to the city's rebirth. Later, in cosy snug The Lost & Found Drinkery (+357 22319230), I ordered a brandy sour, the cocktail invented in Cyprus in the 1930s for Egypt's King Farouk, and chatted with design student Helena from Vienna. 'Nicosia is like Athens and Istanbul rolled into one,' she said as we sipped our drinks. 'It reminds me of Tel Aviv, too – only a lot less expensive,' she laughed. Fly from London Gatwick to Larnaca (fares from £26 with Wizzair). Intercity buses run regularly from the airport to city centre (tickets cost £3.50). Double rooms at Amyth cost from £290 per night, including breakfast. For a budget option, double rooms at Gate Twenty Two hotel cost from £97 per night, including breakfast. Get Your Guide has half-day Last Divided City Tours that cover the buffer zone and northern Nicosia, or full-day tours to Famagusta and the ghost town of Varosha in northern Cyprus with excellent guide Cemal, from €79. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. 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