The Cyprus government submitted on Thursday a bill to the House of Representatives plenary, aiming at meeting the necessary preconditions for the Republic of Cyprus to join the United States' Visa Waiver Programme.

The bill which was approved by the Cabinet on June 19, authorized the Minister of Justice and Public Order to present it to the House of Representatives for enactment.

The primary objective of this bill is to ratify the agreement, in accordance with Article 169.2 of the Constitution, between Cyprus and US governments on travel information cooperation. This agreement was signed in Washington D.C., on June 17, 2024.

The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between the two countries in evaluating, reviewing, and exchanging travel information. It also aims to develop risk assessments to identify specific individuals traveling internationally, who may pose a security threat to either of the involved nations.

At present, Cyprus, Romania, and Bulgaria are the only EU member states whose nationals still need a visa to enter the US.