Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union’s passport-free Schengen zone on Wednesday, marking the end of land border controls with other member states after Austria lifted its longstanding veto.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev called the expansion a “historic event” during remarks from the southwestern town of Kulata on Bulgaria’s border with Greece.
Romanian Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu and his Bulgarian counterpart Atanas Ilkov marked the occasion at a New Year’s Eve ceremony at the Giurgiu-Russe border crossing, where barriers were raised. A similar ceremony took place at the Nadlac-Csanadpalota crossing between Romania and Hungary.
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The two countries, which joined the EU in 2007, had met Schengen entry requirements since 2010, but faced opposition from several member states concerned about unsustainable migration and pressure on welfare systems in wealthier EU regions.
Austria, which had vetoed their accession since 2022, dropped its opposition in December. While air and sea border controls were lifted in March 2024, the removal of land border checks was only approved after Austria’s change in position.
The expansion comes as some Schengen members, including Germany and the Netherlands, have temporarily reintroduced border checks. The Netherlands implemented controls for travellers entering from Germany and Belgium in early December.
The Schengen area now includes all EU member states except Cyprus and Ireland, alongside non-EU members Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
