On 10.12.2024 the European Council ("the Council") unanimously adopted a decision under which, with effect as of 01.01.2025, for Bulgaria and Romania the checks on persons at the internal land borders.

On 10.12.2024 the European Council ("the Council") unanimously adopted a decision under which, with effect as of 01.01.2025, for Bulgaria and Romania the checks on persons at the internal land borders between the Schengen countries are abolished, thus making both countries full-fledged members of the Schengen area.

The abolition of the checks on persons at internal land borders will bring for Bulgaria enormous benefits for the trade in goods, the transport sector and tourism, as the exchange of goods and access of Bulgarian citizens to EU countries will be greatly facilitated. The full accession to the Schengen area is also a significant international and diplomatic success for the country.

Since their accession to the European Union (“EU”), Bulgaria and Romania have been implementing certain aspects of the Schengen legal framework (the Schengen acquis), including those related to external border controls, police cooperation and the use of the Schengen Information System.

Already on 30.12.2023, the Council took the first important step towards the full accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area. By virtue of the decision adopted at that time, checks on persons at internal air and sea borders were abolished as of 31.03.2024. Following this first phase, on 10.12.2024, the Council adopted the expected follow-up decision, which abolished also the checks at internal land borders.

The Schengen area is one of the main achievements of the EU. It started in 1985 as a project between five countries (France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) and has now become the largest free travel area in the world.

Schengen states do not apply border controls or carry out checks at internal EU borders, except in the event of a threat. They carry out harmonized controls at their external borders on the basis of clearly defined criteria in the Schengen acquis. The Schengen area now allows nearly 450 million European citizens to travel freely between EU Member States without going through border controls.