Romania and Bulgaria have officially joined the Schengen Area
On January 1, 2025, Romania and Bulgaria officially joined the Schengen Area.
This event marks an important step for both countries, which have been members of the European Union for over 18 years, reports Euronews.
The Ministers of Internal Affairs of Bulgaria and Romania, Atanas Ilkov and Cătălin Predoiu, at a border crossing point across the Danube, inaugurated the right to free movement within Schengen. Now, 25 million residents of these countries can travel freely within the territory inhabited by nearly 450 million EU citizens, without the need for passport control at borders.
Joining the Schengen Area became possible due to the lifting of Austria's veto, which had long opposed the entry of Sofia and Bucharest into Schengen. From January 2nd, patrolling of the border with Turkey will begin with a joint contingent of 100 police officers from EU countries, which will ensure security at the external border of the Schengen Area. This event opens up new opportunities for citizens of Romania and Bulgaria, allowing them to travel without unnecessary formalities and contributing to the development of tourism in these countries.
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