Romania and Bulgaria Officially Join the Schengen Area | WPN World People News

After 13 years of waiting, Romania and Bulgaria from Eastern Europe officially became members of the Schengen Area on January 1, 2025. The number of countries in the border-free zone has now increased to 29.

Romania and Bulgaria became European Union (EU) member states in 2007. In March of last year, the two countries partially joined the Schengen Area, lifting border checks at ports and airports. Although Austria has long complained about the ineffective defense of the Schengen Area's external borders, which led to the forced accommodation of too many undocumented migrants, an agreement on a "border protection plan" was finally reached between Austria, Romania, and Bulgaria. After this agreement, Austria withdrew its veto in December 2024, allowing Romania and Bulgaria to smoothly become Schengen Area members on the first day of 2025.

The Schengen Area, established in 1985, includes 25 of the 27 EU member states, as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, totaling 29 countries with a population of over 400 million.