After years of lengthy negotiations, Romania and Bulgaria officially joined the Schengen Area on Wednesday, January 1, as they held ceremonies at their borders to celebrate becoming part of this passport-free travel zone.
At the start of the new year, Bulgarian acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev symbolically removed the border barriers at the Kulata crossing between Bulgaria and Greece, as reported by Euronews.
The Interior Ministers of Bulgaria and Romania also met at the Ruse and Giurgiu border crossings between the two countries, marking the opening of the borders.
Additionally, a brief ceremony was held at a border crossing between Hungary and Romania, where the Chief of the Hungarian National Police met with the Romanian Border Police Inspector General.
For the 25 million people in Bulgaria and Romania, this means they can now travel to countries such as France, Spain, and Norway by car without needing a passport. Vehicles can also pass through without controls. However, border authorities will conduct random checks on travelers, especially targeting large vehicles, in the first six months to prevent criminal activities.
In March 2024, both countries partially joined the Schengen Area, allowing travel only for passengers arriving by air or sea.
Having joined the European Union 17 years ago, negotiations for joining the Schengen Area began in 2011 and concluded after 13 years of dialogue.
According to the European Commission, the Schengen Area now includes 25 out of the 27 EU member states, as well as neighboring non-EU Schengen member countries Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, with a total population of approximately 420 million, making it the largest free travel area globally.
Border laws within the Schengen Area occasionally spark friction among member countries, especially concerning sensitive issues like security and migration.
In September 2024, Germany decided to temporarily reintroduce controls at all land borders as one of the measures to combat illegal immigration.
Schengen member countries have the right to temporarily reintroduce border controls at internal borders when facing serious threats to public order or internal security.
Currently, out of all EU member states, only two countries have yet to join the Schengen Area: Ireland, due to its Common Travel Area agreement with the UK, and Cyprus, as it has not yet lifted entry restrictions with other Schengen countries.