Bulgaria and Romania Join Schengen Zone as Border Checks End

As of January 1, 2025, border controls between Bulgaria, Romania, and other Schengen member states have been entirely abolished, marking a significant expansion of Europe's free movement area.

The transition began in March 2024, when both countries partially joined the Schengen Agreement by removing checks at their air and sea borders.

Now, land border controls have also been eliminated, though it's worth noting that river crossing restrictions between the two countries remained in place during the initial phase.

Austria had blocked the complete removal of border checks for nearly two years, citing concerns about illegal immigration into the European Union. The breakthrough came following a European Council decision on December 12.

With Bulgaria and Romania's complete integration, the Schengen zone now encompasses 29 countries.

Additionally, four micro-states – Andorra, Monaco, the Vatican, and San Marino – are effectively part of the zone due to their unique geographic position, being surrounded by Schengen territories and lacking independent air or sea ports.

Original Author: Rustam Muratov