Romania and Bulgaria are set to become full members of the Schengen area as early as January 2025.
According to Hungarian officials, Romania and Bulgaria are set to become full members of the Schengen area by January 2025. This follows years of partial inclusion, in which the two Balkan nations joined the European Union in 2007 but only had limited access to the Schengen area until March 2023.
While air and sea border checks were removed, land borders remained limited due to concerns about illegal immigration, mainly from Austria, which blocked their full access to the zone. However, after recent talks between the interior ministers of Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania in Budapest, Austria withdrew its opposition, clearing the way for a final decision by EU interior ministers in December 2024.
Hungarian Interior Minister Sándor Pinter confirmed that Romania and Bulgaria are now “one step closer” to full membership, with the deployment of at least 100 border guards on the Bulgaria-Turkey border a major milestone.
The development marks a major turning point in Schengen enlargement, with EU officials including Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcoming the progress. They emphasized that Romania and Bulgaria now “fully belong” to the Schengen area, with Johansson noting that this is a step towards greater freedom for citizens of both nations.
For travelers with a Schengen visa, the full inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria would expand the zone, allowing seamless access to two more countries without additional border checks. This integration will facilitate travel across Europe, increasing tourism and trade in the region.
With the joining of Romania and Bulgaria, the Schengen area—currently comprising 23 EU member states plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein—will become more accessible to travelers starting in January 2025.