Bulgaria and Romania will fully join the Schengen area on 1 January, after years of a trial period of “partial accession.”
Today, the Council of the European Union formally agreed to the abolition of land borders between the two countries and the rest of the EU, free of border controls. Checks on persons at internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania will be abolished as of January.
Hungarian Interior Minister Sándor Pinter:
This is a historic moment – to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania as full members of the Schengen area. The abolition of checks on persons at internal land borders with and between these Member States was one of the top priorities of the Hungarian Presidency, and today we have made this a reality. This step will benefit not only the citizens of Bulgaria and Romania, but also the EU as a whole.
