Official: Bulgaria becomes full Schengen Area member on January 1, 2025

Bulgaria and Romania will become full members of the Schengen area on 1 January 2025.

At its regular meeting today, the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU (in the format of Ministers of Interior) unanimously adopted a Decision to lift internal land border controls for Bulgaria and Romania as of 1 January 2025. The long-awaited decision was the latest step in the successful integration of the two countries into the Schengen area.

Last year, on 30 December, the EU Council adopted a decision on the full implementation of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania, as a result of which controls on passengers at air and sea borders were abolished as of 31 March this year. In 2011, the Council confirmed in its conclusions on the completion of the Schengen evaluations that Bulgaria and Romania had met all the requirements to fully implement the Schengen acquis.

The Schengen area without internal border controls is one of the most valued achievements of European integration by EU citizens. Started as an intergovernmental project between five Member States in 1985 - Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands - it has gradually expanded to become the largest area of free movement in the world. In addition to facilitating the free movement of people without internal border controls, the Schengen area has been of considerable benefit to the European economy.

DEAL: Interior ministers have just adopted a decision to lift internal land border controls with and between Bulgaria and Romania from 1 January 2025. A great victory for Bulgaria, Romania, and all of Europe!#HU24EU
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- Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2024 (@HU24EU) December 12, 2024