Romania, Bulgaria fully join EU's borderless Schengen zone

Summary

Romania and Bulgaria fully joined the EU's Schengen free-travel zone on January 1, 2025, ending land border controls with other member states.

While air and sea border checks were removed in March 2024, Austria's veto had delayed the lifting of land checks until last month.

The Schengen zone now includes 25 EU nations and four non-EU countries, allowing passport-free travel, with Ireland and Cyprus remaining outside the area.