Two countries officially joined the Schengen Area

According to the decision taken by the European Union (EU) Council on December 12, 2024, the two countries were de facto included in the Schengen Area as of yesterday.

According to the decision taken by the European Union (EU) Council on December 12, 2024, Bulgaria and Romania were de facto included in the Schengen Area as of yesterday.

It took time for the member states to reach an agreement on the two countries' participation in the EU's free travel zone.

The two countries, which were finally blocked by the Netherlands, Hungary and Austria, were first included in Schengen by sea and air on March 31, 2024.

After Austria withdrew its veto decision on grounds such as migration and corruption, the last obstacle to the two countries' inclusion in Schengen by land was also removed.

Thus, Bulgaria and Romania's full membership in the Schengen Area began as of January 1, 2025.

The two countries became members of the EU in 2007.

The European Commission, the EU's executive body, had made a statement in 2011 in favor of Bulgaria and Romania joining Schengen.

There are 29 countries in the Schengen Area.

The area includes EU members Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Bulgaria and Romania, as well as non-member countries Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

400 million people living in the area benefit from the right of free movement.

Citizens of non-EU countries can also travel to all countries in the area with a 90-day Schengen visa.