Romania and Bulgaria All set to become a full member of the Schengen area by January 2025. This development comes after years of limited inclusion. According to previous reports, border controls for air and sea travel were lifted, while the two Balkan countries that joined the EU in 2007 were granted partial membership in the Schengen area in March 2023.

However, due to concerns over illegal migration, there were restrictions on land borders.

Hungarian Interior Minister Sándor Pinter says both romania And bulgaria are now “one step closer” to joining Schengen as a full member.

As of now, the Schengen Area includes 29 European countries – 25 of which are EU states – including Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg. Are included. , Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

The new development means that travelers holding a Schengen visa will now be able to visit two more countries: Romania and Bulgaria. This will allow visitors to enter these new Schengen members without any additional border checks. The accession of Romania and Bulgaria is expected to improve travel opportunities across Europe

Travel News Get the latest news live on Times Now with breaking news and top headlines from around the world.