Romania and Bulgaria could become part of your Schengen travel itinerary by Jan 2025

Romania and Bulgaria are set to become full members of the Schengen Area by as early as January 2025, according to officials in Hungarian. The development marks the culmination of years of partial inclusion, as the two Balkan nations, which joined the European Union in 2007, had only gained limited access to the Schengen Area in March 2023.

Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU’s executive commission, said in a post on Twitter that the last few remaining hurdles would be removed and Romania and Bulgaria would “belong fully to the Schengen area”.

Bulgaria and Romania belong fully to the Schengen area.

Removing internal controls at land borders is the last hurdle.

I welcome the positive outcome of informal discussions in Budapest today.

@EUCouncil formal decision is next.

Let 2025 see Schengen become stronger. pic.twitter.com/zHJrg9HzFw

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) November 22, 2024

While air and maritime border controls were lifted, land borders remained subject to restrictions due to concerns about illegal migration, particularly from Austria, which had previously blocked their entry into the zone.

Also read: 10 primary reasons why your Schengen visa application can get rejected

However, following recent talks in Budapest between the interior ministers of Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania, Austria has now removed its opposition. The move sets the stage for a final decision on full membership to be made by EU interior ministers in December 2024.

Hungarian Interior Minister Sándor Pintér confirmed that Romania and Bulgaria are “one step closer” to full membership. A key aspect of this progress will be the deployment of at least 100 border guards along the Bulgaria-Turkey border.

This breakthrough represents a major step in the Schengen expansion process. EU leaders, including Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, have celebrated the development, stating that Romania and Bulgaria now “fully belong” to the Schengen Area. Johansson expressed her approval of the progress, calling it a significant move toward granting both countries’ citizens full freedom of movement.