Romania and Bulgaria have been included in Schengen by sea and air since March 31, 2024
The Council of the European Union (EU) has announced that from March 31, 2024, citizens of Romania and Bulgaria will be able to travel to EU countries, Norway and Switzerland by sea and air without a passport.
According to Euronews, citizens of Romania and Bulgaria will continue to be subject to passport control when crossing roads to EU countries.
The EU Commission said that negotiations on passport-free travel of Romanian and Bulgarian citizens by road to EU countries will continue in 2024 and that a decision on this issue will be made “within a reasonable time.”
The Schengen area currently covers 26 countries, 22 of which are EU countries, and about 420 million European citizens.
Joining the Schengen area requires the application of common rules, proper management of external borders, exchange of security information and effective police cooperation.