Bulgaria and Romania to Become Members of Europe’s Schengen Area

Romania and Bulgaria are on track to become full members of Europe’s Schengen travel area, following Austria’s removal of its veto on their membership.

The interior ministry in Vienna confirmed their approval on Monday, clearing the path for European Union interior ministers to sign off on the decision at a meeting on Thursday.

Both countries are scheduled to officially join on January 1, 2025.

Romania and Bulgaria, both members of the EU and NATO, partially entered the Schengen zone in March, after reaching an agreement with Austria, which had previously opposed their entry due to concerns about illegal immigration.

While air and sea checks between these countries and others in the zone were lifted, negotiations with Austria regarding land entry continued throughout the year.

“We can now move forward at the EU (Justice and Home Affairs) Council,” stated Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.

Karner credited Vienna’s efforts to combat illegal immigration for the significant drop in border crossings near Hungary, a common route for illicit entries into Austria.

“Without this veto, we would not have seen this substantial reduction in illegal border crossings,” he stated, noting a decrease from 70,000 interceptions in the previous year to 4,000 during the same period this year.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu expressed that this decision would be highly beneficial for the country’s economy and would facilitate quicker travel for the millions of Romanians living across Europe.

Bucharest’s President Klaus Iohannis described it as a necessary step that would reduce border wait times, decrease logistical expenses for businesses, and enhance appeal to foreign investors.

He emphasized that Schengen membership was a long-standing goal for Romania and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to protecting and strengthening the EU’s external borders to address illegal migration.

Bulgaria’s foreign ministry hailed the move as a “historic decision” signifying the completion of EU integration for both nations.

“Fully in Schengen—where you belong,” commented Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, on X, with Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, adding that a more robust Schengen area would lead to a safer and more united Europe.

The Schengen area, known for its lack of internal border controls, allows over 400 million individuals to travel freely within the zone, with approximately 3.5 million crossing internal borders daily.

Prior to the partial admission of Bulgaria and Romania, the zone included 23 of the 27 EU member states, alongside Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.

The name Schengen comes from the Luxembourgish village where the borders of France, Germany, and Luxembourg intersected, and the treaty establishing the zone was signed in 1985.

As of January 1, 2025, the only EU countries not part of the free travel zone are Ireland and Cyprus, though Nicosia aims to join eventually.

On the other hand, Dublin currently has no plans to join due to potential complications with the UK, with whom Ireland shares a common travel area. Even before Brexit, London had chosen not to participate in Schengen.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.