Romania and Bulgaria fully join open border Schengen area
Romania and Bulgaria will become full members of the open border Schengen area on January 1st, 2025.
As of the new year, the Schengen area, the largest free travel area in the world, will thus cover 4.5 million square kilometres and a population of 450 million across 29 countries.
It took 13 years for Romania and Bulgaria to be able to join. The decision was made by EU Home Affairs ministers in December 2024 overcoming concerns previously raised by the Netherlands and Austria about corruption and border management.
Thirteen years waiting
The Schengen area was introduced in 1985, when five countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Netherlands) removed internal border controls. It has since expanded to include all EU member states minus Cyprus and Ireland, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Romania and Bulgaria applied to join the Schengen area when they became part of the European Union in 2007. The European Commission, which evaluates that countries meet the necessary requirements, approved their accession in 2011. The decision, however, requires the agreement of all EU member states, and several opposed their entry.
The Netherlands waived its veto on Romania’s accession in 2022, but kept it for Bulgaria until 2023.
In December 2023, the European Council agreed a partial accession so that Bulgaria and Romania could remove air and sea border checks with other Schengen countries from 31 March 2024, while keeping controls at land borders.
Austria lifted its long-standing veto following a “border protection package” negotiated under the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council in November 2024. This paved the way for the elimination of internal land border checks between Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania on 1st January 2025.
On the basis of the package agreed with neighbouring countries, Dutch asylum minister Marjolein Faber also gave her consent, despite the opposition of her own party, the nationalist Party of Freedom (PVV).
“Historic moment”
“This not only strengthens the Schengen area but it will further strengthen the internal market, increase travel, trade and tourism. A robust Schengen area reinforces the EU’s unity and makes the EU stronger at a global scale,” a Commissions statement after the decision said.
“Today is a day of joy for all Bulgarians, Romanians and our entire Union. Both Member States will fully join the world’s largest free movement area. This is important for all of us, European citizens and businesses,” commented Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Hungary’s Minister of Home Affairs, Sándor Pintér, called the decision “a historic moment” that “will benefit not only Bulgarian and Romanian citizens, but also the EU as a whole”.
What happens on January 1st
As of 1st January 2025, Romania is set to start closing more than 30 border crossing points, reports Romania Insider.
As agreed with neighbouring states, however, both Romania and Bulgaria will continue random checks at internal land borders for another six months to “prevent potential security threats arising from changes in migration patterns”.
Since 31 March 2024, Romania and Bulgaria issue Schengen visas and count days spent on their territory by short-term visitors from visa-free countries towards the maximum stay of 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.
Romania and Bulgaria will also adopt the new digital border system, when it will be introduced, and require short-term non-EU visitors that do not need a visa to apply for a travel authorisation (ETIAS) at the cost of €7 euros.
“Granting full Schengen status to Bulgaria and Romania will also benefit the EU single market, as any limitations on freedom of movement within the EU adversely affect EU competitiveness and hamper its economic growth,” says a report by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), an EU consultative body.
Studies cited by the EESC put the cost of the partial accession to the Schengen area at over €834 million for Bulgaria and €2.32 billion in lost annual revenues for Romania.
In a recent intervention at the European Parliament, Bulgarian MEP Kristian Vigenin said it was time to end the “discriminatory treatment” of the citizens of the two countries. “But Bulgaria and Romania fully in Schengen also means a significant reduction in the delivery time of goods and in transport costs, which will strengthen the sustainability and competitiveness of European business,” he added.
Schengen countries can reintroduce border controls in case of “serious threats to public policy and internal security”. Border checks are currently in place in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia and Sweden.
Claudia Delpero, Europe Street News © all rights reserved
Photo by Bogdan Lapadus on Unsplash
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