What will change for tourists after Bulgaria and Romania join Schengen

Very soon, on March 31, Bulgaria and Romania will enter the Schengen zone. In 2024, border controls for the two countries will be simplified. What will change for travelers?

euronews remindsthat the Schengen area allows 400 million travelers to move freely between its member countries. Both Bulgaria and Romania entered into EU in 2007, but were not part of the no-border zone. Will you now need a passport to enter these two countries?

It will become much easier for travelers to visit them. In December, the interior ministries of both countries announced the abolition of some border checks. Those arriving by air or sea from other Schengen countries will no longer have to present their passports, meaning passengers on flights, cruises and ferries will not be subject to checks.

But if you are traveling to Bulgaria and Romania by bus, train or car, you will have to carry an ID card with you, as rules for crossing land borders have not yet been established due to a veto imposed by Austria. The European Council website states:

“A new decision must be taken to set a date for the abolition of land border controls.”

Every year, 1.25 billion trips are made within the Schengen area, and 3.5 million people cross the borders of participating countries every day. Not counting Romania and Bulgaria, the Schengen area includes 27 states: 23 EU members and 4 European Free Trade Association states – Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

The Schengen area was created in 1995 after an agreement was signed between the five member countries of the European Economic Community: Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Other agreements followed until an expansion took place in 2007, bringing nine more countries into the free movement zone.

Travelers who do not have EU citizenship must remember that their stay in Bulgaria and Romania counts towards their stay in the Schengen area – it cannot exceed 90 days in six months.

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