BERLIN – The council of EU governments announced on Saturday that citizens from Romania and Bulgaria will be exempt from passport requirements for air or sea travel to most European Union countries, as well as Norway, and Switzerland.
The travel relaxation will be in effect from March 31, 2024, and marks the expansion of the Schengen area, the EU’s border-free travel zone, now encompassing 25 out of the 27 EU nations.
Notably, the Schengen area extends to non-EU members Norway and Switzerland. However, this expansion excludes EU member countries Ireland and Cyprus, mandating EU citizens to continue presenting passports for entry to these two countries.
It is to be mentioned that the movement through land still needs passports though discussions are underway in this regard to seek relaxation for land entry also.
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu confirmed the development and said from March next year, Romanians will enjoy the benefits of the Schengen area by air and sea.
Romania and Bulgaria had been making efforts in this regard for quite a long period of time but due to opposition notably from Austria, the efforts did not bear fruits; Vienna was skeptical of the countries handling illegal immigration.
Recently, Gerhard Karner, the Austrian Interior Minister, disclosed a shift in Vienna’s approach, proposing passport-free air travel for citizens from these countries contingent upon enhanced border security measures.
According to a statement from Romania’s interior ministry, a political consensus was eventually reached among Romanian, Austrian, and Bulgarian authorities regarding a partial entry into the Schengen zone on December 23. The ministry highlighted that the application of Schengen rules to Romania’s land borders would be intricately linked with measures to fortify border control and adhere to the Dublin Agreement.
Austria’s opposition to Romania and Bulgaria’s Schengen zone inclusion triggered concerns regarding the much-famed unity of the European Union though Vienna was pressing the point due to mounting pressure to adopt a stricter immigration policy.
Both Romania and Bulgaria are members of the European Union (EU). Romania became a member of the EU on January 1, 2007, while Bulgaria also joined the EU on the same date.
