National Passenger Information Unit
Establishment
- The Passenger Information Unit (PIU) was established under Law 141(I)/2018 and has been fully operational since November 2019.
- It operates independently from the national law enforcement authorities.
- It reports directly to the Minister of Justice and Public Order.
- The Unit is staffed by members from the competent authorities:
- the Police
- the Customs Department
- the Anti-Money Laundering Unit
- and the Cyprus Intelligence Service
Responsibilities
- Collects PNR data (Passenger Name Record) from air carriers
- Stores, processes, and analyses this data
- Shares the data or analysis results with:
- relevant national authorities,
- other EU Member States’ PIUs,
- and Europol
The data is used only to help prevent, investigate or prosecute terrorism and serious crimes.
What is PNR Data?
- PNR data includes information given by passengers to airlines when:
- booking a flight or
- checking in
- It usually includes:
- travel itinerary (routes, flight times),
- and booking details (name, seat number, contact info, etc.)
Data Protection
- A Data Protection Officer (DPO) monitors how PNR data is handled.
- If any violation of data privacy laws is found, the matter is sent to the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection (National Supervisory Authority).
Your Rights
- Your rights as a citizen are protected under Law 44(I)/2019 (learn more about your rights by accessing the legal library with all relevant legislation regarding PNR Data and our Unit).
- You can request access to your PNR data, ask for corrections, or raise concerns.
Submit a Request
- If you wish to submit a request for access, deletion, correction, or restriction of your personal data, please complete the relevant form and send it to the following email address: dpo-piucy@piu.mjpo.gov.cy.
- In the case of a person under the age of eighteen (18) for whom a request is intended to be submitted, please ensure that the appropriate consent form is duly completed by the parent or guardian and sent to the following email address: dpo-piucy@piu.mjpo.gov.cy