2 more countries join the Schengen Area: Here are the countries!
Bulgaria and Romania have officially joined the European Union's visa-free travel zone, the Schengen Area.
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In accordance with the decision taken by the EU Council on December 12, 2024, Bulgaria and Romania have effectively become part of the Schengen Area as of today.
LONG-STANDING NEGOTIATIONS YIELD RESULTS
The accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen took place after years of negotiations and challenging processes. These two EU member states joined the union in 2007, but the process of becoming part of the Schengen Area had been delayed due to various obstacles. Although the European Commission had issued a positive opinion for the accession of Sofia and Bucharest to Schengen in 2011, the process could not be completed due to objections from certain member states.