Romania and Bulgaria will officially become full members of the Schengen Area starting January 1, 2025, completing a long-awaited process that began in 2011.
This milestone was reached early on Thursday after the Interior Ministers of the European Union unanimously agreed to accept the official inclusion of Bucharest and Sofia into the Schengen zone.
As a result, citizens of Romania and Bulgaria will be able to travel to 29 Schengen Area countries without border controls or passports starting January 1, 2025. However, random checks are expected to continue until July 1, 2025.
For travel, citizens will be able to use their national ID cards as identification.
The decision was made possible after Austria, the most vocal opponent, lifted its veto last month during a meeting in Budapest.
“This is a significant victory for Bulgaria, Romania, and all of Europe,” said the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council, which had made the completion of Schengen membership a key priority.
With Romania and Bulgaria now included, the Schengen borders extend to the Balkans. Meanwhile, Albania has been linked to the Schengen Area since the agreement’s inception due to its border with Greece.
