Bulgaria and Romania join Schengen Zone as full members

From Wednesday, internal land border checks between Bulgaria, Romania, and the rest of the Schengen Area have been abolished. This move follows a decision made nearly three weeks ago by EU interior ministers to lift Austria’s veto on the countries' Schengen membership.

Travelers and freight truck drivers entering Bulgaria or Romania via countries such as Hungary or Greece will no longer face delays at border crossings. Specifically, document checks have been removed at six official crossing points on the Bulgaria-Greece border, while Romania’s 30-kilometer border zone will only conduct occasional, targeted inspections.

Both countries had already removed checks at airports and seaports for arrivals from other Schengen member states in March 2024. This latest development completes their integration into the Schengen framework.

With the inclusion of Bulgaria and Romania, the Schengen Area now comprises 29 countries, including 25 EU member states and non-EU members Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.

Bucharest and Sofia have been part of the European Union since 2007 but faced prolonged delays in joining Schengen due to political and logistical challenges.

The delay in Schengen accession has come at a significant cost for both nations. According to the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Bulgaria lost €834 million annually due to restricted access, while Romania incurred €2.32 billion in losses each year. Romanian transport companies alone faced additional yearly costs of €90 million due to border delays.

Austria's Interior Minister, Gerhard Karner, explained his change of stance as a response to a "significant reduction in unauthorized border crossings." Austria’s earlier veto had been a major obstacle to the countries’ Schengen membership.