Cyprus moves towards a law for airsoft

The House Legal Affairs Committee in Cyprus has asked the Ministry of Justice and Public Order to send a bill regulating airsoft to the Council of Ministers within 15 days. The newspaper Politis reported the request on 11 February 2026. The issue has been under discussion since 2014.

What MPs asked for

The committee's chair, Nikos Tornaritis, an MP for the DISY party, made the request and described the matter as a simple issue. MP Prodromos Alambritis is one of the sponsors of the proposal.

The government bill would amend the Firearms and Non Firearms Law and would come with its own regulations. It will go to public consultation. The Law Office will examine the bill, and the Bar Association has said it has no objection.

What the police want

The police said they agree in principle with regulating and registering airsoft. They raised several points for the rules to cover: how replicas are owned and carried, technical specifications, pellet diameter and power limits, marking and identification numbers like those used for paintball, and compulsory protective equipment.

Giorgos Pashias, the legal representative of the Cyprus Airsoft Association, told the committee that the association has between 130 and 150 registered members. He said between 700 and 1,000 people take part in the sport more widely, and that some avoid registering because the law is unclear.

The association handed the committee a memo with examples of how other European countries regulate airsoft. It said it was unfair that paintball is regulated in Cyprus while airsoft is not.

Angelos Pitsillides, president of the Pancyprian Association of Gunsmiths, said airsoft could fall under the non firearms part of the law. He added that the current framework dates from the colonial era and needs modernising.

What happens next

If the ministry meets the 15 day request, the bill goes to the Council of Ministers and then to public consultation. Players in Cyprus will want to see where power limits are set and how registration will work. A clear law would let clubs and sites run games openly, which is what the association has been asking for.

We will follow the bill as it moves through consultation and report the final rules.