EU states on Thursday cleared Bulgaria and Romania to become full members of the borderless Schengen zone from the start of next year following a more than 13-year wait for the two eastern European nations.

Romania and Bulgaria will become full members of the Schengen Area that allows free movement of 420 million people between 29 mostly European Union countries without border checks from Jan. 1, the EU said Thursday.

European Union member states have decided to eliminate checks on individuals at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania starting on January 1, 2025. Since joining the EU, both countries have been applying parts of the Schengen legal framework (the Schengen acquis),