The Schengen Area is a region of 29 European countries that have abolished their internal borders to allow the free and unrestricted movement of people. It covers a vast area of 4,718,084 km2 and is home to over 448 million citizens.
Most EU countries are within the Schengen Area except Ireland and Cyprus which will soon be part of it. Additionally, several non-EU countries like Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein are integral members despite their non-EU status.
Fact: Schengen Area is the largest visa-free zone in the world.
The 29 Schengen countries are Austria, Bulgaria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Map of the Schengen and EU Countries
On March 31st, Bulgaria and Romania officially joined the Schengen area. This means that Schengen rules, including the issuance of Schengen visas and the elimination of controls at internal air and sea borders, will now be in effect in both countries.
Austria signed the Schengen Agreement on 28 April 1995, but it started implementing it two years later, on 1 December 1997.
Belgium was one of the five first countries to sign the Schengen agreement on 14 June 1985 and started its implementation on 26 March 1995.
Its capital, Brussels, is the European Union’s administrative centre, often called the EU’s capital city.
Bulgaria became a partial member of the Schengen Area on March 31, 2024.
The Czech Republic officially joined the Schengen Zone on 21 December 2007.
Croatia, the newest addition to the Schengen Area, officially joined on January 1, 2023. However, its journey towards integration began earlier, with Croatia implementing various aspects of the Schengen acquis since its EU accession in 2013.
The Danish government signed the Schengen agreement on December 19, 1996, and started its implementation on 25 March 2001. However, Denmark is currently one of the six Schengen countries that reintroduced border checks due to the security threats resulting from the continuous significant secondary movements.
The northern European Republic of Estonia signed the Schengen agreement on 16 April 2003 and started its implementation on 21 December 2007.
Finland signed the Schengen agreement on 19 December 1996 and started its implementation on 25 March 2001.
France was one of the five founding countries of the Schengen Zone on 14 June 1985. The agreement’s implementation started in France on 26 March 1995.
Germany is one of the five founding countries of the Schengen agreement, signed on 14 June 1985. It started its implementation ten years later, on 26 March 1995.
Greece signed the Schengen agreement on 6 November 1992 and started its implementation on 1 January 2000.
Located in Central Europe, Hungary signed the Schengen agreement on 16 April 2003 and started its implementation on 21 December 2007.
Iceland first signed the Schengen Agreement on 19 December 1996. It signed a second agreement, which replaced the first, on 18 May 1999, following the incorporation of the agreement into EU law by the Treaty of Amsterdam. Iceland finally started the implementation of the agreement on 25 March 2001.
Italy started implementing the Schengen Agreement on 26 October 1997, having previously signed it on 27 November 1990.
Latvia signed the Schengen agreement on 16 April 2003 and started its implementation on 21 December 2007, thus becoming part of the European borderless territory.
On 19 December 2011, Liechtenstein signed the Schengen Agreement, being one of the few European countries to sign in later than its neighbouring countries.
Lithuania signed the Schengen agreement on April 16, 2003, and commenced implementation on December 21, 2007. Notably, in 2017, it processed 413,966 visa applications, surpassing several European countries.
Luxembourg is one of the founding states of the Schengen Agreement. Signed on June 14, 1985, in the village of Schengen within Luxembourg, this historic location also lends its name to the agreement.
Luxembourg’s capital, Luxembourg City, is one of the European Union’s three official capitals.
Malta signed the Schengen Agreement on April 16, 2003, and commenced implementation on December 21, 2007.
The Netherlands is one of the five founding states of the Schengen agreement, signed on 14 June 1985, and a founding member of the EU, Eurozone, G10, NATO, OECD, and WTO.
Norway signed the Schengen Agreement on 19 December 1996. A second agreement, which replaced the first, was signed on 18 May 1999 following the agreement’s incorporation into EU law with the Treaty of Amsterdam. Norway started the implementation of the agreement on 25 March 2001.
Poland signed the agreement on 16 April 2003 and started its implementation in late 2007.
Portugal signed the Schengen agreement alongside its only neighbour Spain, on 25 June 1991 and started its implementation on 26 March 1995.
Romania became a partial member of the Schengen Area on March 31, 2024.
Slovakia became an independent country after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia on 1 January 1993. Ten years later, on 16 April 2003, it signed the Schengen agreement. On 21 December 2007, it started the execution of this convention.
Slovenia joined the Schengen Area on 16 April 2003 and started fully implementing the convention four years later, on 21 December 2007.
After Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Malta, Slovenia is the smallest Schengen state.
Spain signed the agreement alongside Portugal on 25 June 1991, and both of them started their implementation on 26 March 1995.
Sweden signed the agreement on 09 December 1996 and started implementing it later on 25 March 2001.
Switzerland, a non-EU country, joined the Schengen area after signing the agreement on 26 October 2004 and starting its implementation on 12 December 2008.
The following countries are special cases within the Schengen Agreement:
Here is a list of European countries that are neither members of the European Union nor participants in the Schengen Zone:
To join the Schengen Area, a European country must go through an evaluation process and be able to meet a specific set of conditions known as the Copenhagen Criteria.
A part of the Schengen zone and its members is a uniform visa, otherwise known as a Schengen visa, which most visitors need to visit any country in this area.
So, if you are planning to visit a European country on this list, you need to verify first whether you need a Schengen visa. If you do, you must go through the application process and receive a visa, and only then you travel to any of the Schengen countries.
While Schengen strives for unrestricted movement, occasional security checks by the police might occur, although these checks are not intended to be as extensive as full border controls.
The UK is not a Schengen country because it has opted to maintain its own immigration and border control policies. Therefore, if you are travelling to the UK, you will be subject to the UK’s specific visa and entry requirements, which are separate from the Schengen Area.
No, out of 45 European countries, only 29 are in the Schengen Area. Some have opted out of the agreement, and others do not currently meet the eligibility criteria to sign it.
Yes, with a valid Schengen visa, you can visit any of the 29 countries that are members of the Schengen Agreement.
No, it is not possible to travel to Ireland with a Schengen visa. Despite being a member of the European Union, Ireland has chosen to stay outside the Schengen Agreement, maintaining its independent visa and border control systems.
Although there aren’t regular border checks, it’s advisable to carry your passport or ID card in case authorities request identification.
