On January 1, 2025, Romania and Bulgaria became full members of the Schengen area after the lifting of the checks on people at internal land borders. Internal air and sea border controls between Bulgaria and Romania and the Schengen area countries had already been lifted as of March 31, 2024.
The Schengen Agreement, signed in 1985, guarantees free movement to more than 450 million EU citizens, along with non-EU citizens living in or visiting the EU as tourists, students or for business purposes (anyone legally present in the EU). Schengen states cooperate closely on security and migration through a common visa policy, joint police operations and real-time exchanges of information between law enforcement agencies, and harmonized procedures for repatriating those who have no legal right to stay in the Schengen area. (photo: EU Commission)