On March 31, Bulgaria and Romania join the Schengen area: in both member states, all Schengen rules will now apply, including for the issuance of Schengen visas, and internal air and sea border controls will be abolished. The European Commission warmly welcomes this achievement – it is a continuation of the historic decision of the Council of the EU in December 2023. The accession of the two countries makes more attractive and significantly expands the world's largest common area without internal border control, says an EC media release.
„Tomorrow is an important day: Bulgaria and Romania join the Schengen family. I welcome the abolition of internal air and sea border controls. This is a great success for both countries. And also a historic moment for the Schengen area — the largest space of free movement in the world. Together, we are building a stronger and more united Europe for all our citizens,”, said EC President Ursula von der Leyen.
Deputy Chairman of the Commission Margaritis Schinas, for his part, added that: “The accession of Romania and Bulgaria makes Schengen stronger — this “jewel in the crown” which is emblematic of our European way of life and benefits the internal market, our economies and European citizens everywhere. I warmly congratulate both parties on the hard work you have done to get this far — it is your acquisition that is long deserved. We will continue to walk together on the way forward.“
Home Affairs Commissioner Ilva Johansson recalled that from March 31, "Bulgaria and Romania will fully implement the Schengen acquis, which will make the EU stronger and safer with better protection of our external borders, will change the lives of millions of people and make travel easier. I am proud of the work done by so many people both in Romania and Bulgaria". Johansson recalled that the internal border control will be removed from tomorrow for the two Balkan countries on the air and sea borders. "The next step is the abolition of checks at internal land borders as well. The discussion in the Council will continue this year. I promise that this will be a priority for the rest of my term,”, Johansson said.