According to a statement by Romanian Minister Marcel Ciolacu on 27th December 2023, Romania and Bulgaria will officially join the Schengen free zone in March 2024. This political agreement has been warmly welcomed by citizens of both countries, given that it took more than a decade for them to gain entry into the Schengen area.
In 2022, Austria hindered Romania and Bulgaria’s inclusion citing inadequate facilities and infrastructure. As per the latest data from the BBC, the Schengen area currently encompasses 27 countries, enabling 400 million people living within these nations to freely travel throughout the Schengen free zone.
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On 28th December 2023, Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov also verified this information. He stated that the prolonged negotiations had ultimately yielded favourable outcomes as restrictions within land and sea areas would be lifted come March 2024.
Earlier, the Austrian government vehemently objected to Bulgaria and Romania joining the Schengen free zone due to apprehensions regarding illegal immigration. According to Austrian officials, inadequately guarded Schengen borders resulted in several instances of unregulated illegal immigration, leading to their opposition.
The 30 Member Countries of the Schengen Area in 2024
Here’s a listing of the current 27 countries comprising the Schengen Area, along with an additional three countries slated to join in 2024:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Romania (Soon)
- Bulgaria (Soon)
- Cyprus (Soon)
Essential Things to Know About Schengen Free Zone
The Schengen Borders Agreement unites multiple European countries, enabling the elimination of internal border controls among them. This fosters a borderless zone called the Schengen Area, where passport checks for travel within these participating countries are removed. Numerous European nations aspire to join the Schengen Free Zone due to its array of benefits.
- Borderless Travel: 400 million people can move freely among 27 Schengen countries.
- Daily Movement: 3.5 million cross borders daily for work, study, or to see family.
- Living Across Borders: 1.7 million live in one Schengen country but work in another.
- Boosting Tourism: Europeans take 1.25 billion trips yearly in the Schengen area, promoting tourism and sharing cultures.
- Economic Foundation: Schengen supports the EU and single market, benefiting citizens and businesses in member states.
