Ever wondered why it's so easy to move between most countries in Europe during your big Eurotrip? That's thanks to the Schengen Area. To help minimize the hassle when traveling around the continent, this open-border area of the European Union was devised to provide unrestricted access across borders for travelers looking to move between countries with relative ease.
Below, we look at what exactly the Schengen Area is, which countries are part of the agreement, and the two countries that recently joined.
What is the Schengen Area?
The Schengen Area is the world’s largest visa-free zone. The area consists of 27 countries, all located within continental Europe, that have removed the requirement of border checks and passport control when traveling to other countries within the Schengen list. This means that travelers visiting anywhere within the Schengen Area can move freely between the borders of Schengen members without the need to show passports or other travel documentation.
According to the Schengen Visa website, there are 3.5 million people who cross internal Schengen borders daily, and nearly 1.7 million people live in one Schengen nation while working in another.
How do you pronounce “Schengen Area”?
Schengen is pronounced “SHENG-en,” where the en rhymes with men. The area is named after the 1985 Schengen Agreement and the 1990 Schengen Convention, both signed in the border town of Schengen in Luxembourg, which led to the creation of the open-border zone.
Which countries recently joined the Schengen Area?
Romania and Bulgaria will join the Schengen Area by the end of March 2024. There will be free movement for EU residents and travelers arriving in the two countries via flights or boats, meaning there will be no passport checks if you travel between the two, or between either and another country that belongs to the Schengen Area. (However, if you come in from a non-Schengen country, such as the United States, passport checks will still be required.) There has yet to be an outlined date for land borders to be included in the agreement.
Which countries are in the Schengen Area?
Here is the full updated list of the 27 Schengen member states, as anticipated by the end of March 2024, when Romania and Bulgaria are expected to join the Schengen Area. They would be the newest additions since Croatia was added in 2022.
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Czech Republic
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Is the UK part of the Schengen Area?
In 1999, the UK decided to opt out of becoming a member of the Schengen Area. It is one of only 11 countries not included in the agreement; the others are Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine.
This means that the UK has its own border control policies, and while UK residents do not need a visa for short trips to Schengen countries, there are some caveats. If UK residents are staying for longer than 90 days or are visiting for purposes other than tourism (with a few exceptions, stated on gov.uk), then a Schengen visa may be necessary.
A version of this article originally appeared in Condé Nast Traveller UK.
