Romania and Bulgaria have officially become full members of the Schengen Area, eliminating land border controls within the European Union.
The change came into effect at midnight on Wednesday, celebrated at several border crossings. “Welcome to Schengen, Bulgaria and Romania!” the European Parliament announced on X.
From now on, there will be no more checks when traveling by land between Bulgaria or Romania and any other Schengen country. At midnight, the interior ministers of both nations symbolically lifted a barrier at the Danube Bridge, also known as the Friendship Bridge, connecting the two countries and vital for international trade. Celebrations included fireworks near the Bulgarian town of Ruse.
While both countries had already joined the Schengen zone for air and sea travel in March, land border control discussions persisted until Austria lifted its veto last month, motivated by concerns over irregular migration.
The European Commission has praised the Schengen expansion, noting it strengthens the EU both internally and globally. The Schengen Area now includes 25 out of the 27 EU countries, excluding Cyprus and Ireland, plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
This area facilitates free movement for over 425 million EU citizens and non-EU nationals living or visiting the bloc, allowing them to travel, work, and live without additional formalities.
Despite being the largest free movement zone in the world, the Schengen scheme has faced challenges, with member states occasionally reintroducing border controls, like Germany did in September to manage migration flows. Members can temporarily reinstate border checks for serious threats to public policy or internal security.
