Seventeen years after Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union, they have been given the green light to become members of its border-free Schengen travel zone. The decision by fellow EU member states means that from 1 January 2025,

The European Union ministers has agreed to let Bulgaria and Romania fully integrate into Europe’s ID-check free travel zone known as the Schengen area by lifting land border controls next year.

Romania and Bulgaria will gain full access to the European Union’s passport-free area next year, following a grueling, nearly two-decade push that will help boost their struggling economies.

European Union interior ministers decided on Thursday to drop internal border checks to Bulgaria and Romania from January 1, the Hungarian EU presidency said on X. The move allows the two Eastern European countries to become full members of the visa-free Schengen Area,

European Union interior ministers have decided to allow the two eastern European countries accession to the Schengen free movement area. Austria, the final hold out against the move, declined to veto the decision.

The Netherlands has officially given the green light to the full admission of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area following a vote in the Dutch Parliament to endorse the government's recent decision in this regard,

Romania and Bulgaria, both EU and NATO members, partly joined Schengen in March, after an agreement with Austria which initially opposed their joining on the grounds they needed to do more to prevent illegal immigration.