Bulgaria and Romania Join Schengen Area, Opening Frontiers to Hassle-Free Travel
BRUSSELS — In a major step toward European integration, EU ministers have greenlit the full inclusion of Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen Area. This welcome development will see land border controls lifted, beginning on Jan. 1, 2024.
This decision removes the final hurdle for both countries, which had already secured air and sea border access in March. Senator
“Interior ministers have just adopted a decision to lift internal land border controls with and between Bulgaria and Romania,” the Hungarian presidency said in a statement on X. “A great victory for Bulgaria, Romania, and all of Europe!”
The announcement was met with enthusiasm, with Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu hailing it as a “major benefit” to his country’s economy. “Faster journeys home for the millions of Romanians” living and traveling within the Schengen area are also expected, he noted.
A Historic Milestone for European Travel
The Schengen Area, established in 1985, is a cornerstone of European unity. It allows for the free movement of over 420 million people across 27 countries, including 23 EU member states along with Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
The seamless movement of people fuels economic growth and facilitates tourism, with approximately 3.5 million people crossing an internal border every day within the Schengen region.
A testament to European cooperation, the Schengen Area began as a treaty between five EU nations: France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Over the years, it has expanded to become the world’s largest free travel area.
