From this Wednesday, January 1, 2025the Schengen area officially has two new members. Romania and Bulgaria They are already part of it after the resolution approved in 2023 with 526 votes in favor, 57 against and 42 abstentions, urged the approval of the entry of these countries.
The president of the European Commission herself, Ursula von der Leyen, has remembered and celebrated the incorporation of these two countries through her social networks, in which he has launched a message encouraging them to fully enjoy the freedoms that Schengen offers.
Today Romania and Bulgaria become full members of the Schengen area.
Congratulations to both countries.
You have shown vision, patience and determination.
You belong in Schengen.
It’s time to benefit in full from Schengen freedoms. pic.twitter.com/jHLDP1H2Zr
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 1, 2025
This is a significant advance for these countries, and according to reports from Euronews, the interim Bulgarian Prime Minister, Dimitar Glavchev, symbolically raised the border barrier at the Kulata Pass this Wednesday, which connects Bulgaria with Greece, marking the beginning of a new stage.
What advantages does belonging to the Schengen area have?
The European Parliament emphasizes the benefits of the Schengen area on its website. Travel without showing your passport, live, work, study and even retire in any of the countries that make up this area It is one of the most outstanding achievements of European integration. This right, established in the 1992 Maastricht Treaty, has allowed for the gradual abolition of internal borders since its creation in 1995. Schengen rules eliminate internal border controls and harmonize the protection of external borders.
Once inside the Schengen area, people can travel between Member States without being subject to border controls. However, national authorities can implement temporary controls at internal borders if the situation requires it, based on police and security information. In addition, Schengen includes a common short-stay visa policy for non-EU citizens and encourages police and judicial cooperation against crime.
According to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, currently, after the entry of Bulgaria and Romania, the 29 countries that are part of the Schengen area are: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.