After 13 years, Bulgaria and Romania are finally full members of the Schengen Area on Jan. 1, meaning citizens of these countries are already exempt from checks when crossing land borders with any European Union country.
The European Parliament proudly announced the new members of the Schengen Area on X yesterday, noting that border controls on air and sea flights between Bulgaria and Romania had ceased back in March 2024. The Austrians and the Dutch had previously opposed full membership, meaning Romanians and Bulgarians could visit Schengen countries without visas, but they still had to go through border control.
In March this year, the EC launched pilot projects with both countries to improve the management of their external borders, strengthen cooperation with neighbors, and ensure fast asylum procedures, reports Do Rceczy.
Following this, in April 2024, both countries started issuing Schengen visas type C, which allow third-country nationals to stay in the rest of the Schengen Area without a visa for 90 days within a 180-day period for various purposes including tourism, business, visits to relatives and friends, official visits, and athletic competitions.
