SchengenZone

Schengen Zone, or the Schengen Area, is a group of European countries that have largely abolished internal border controls, allowing passport-free movement across their mutual borders. The area currently comprises 27 states: 23 EU member states (including Croatia) and four non-EU states—Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Romania are EU members but are not part of the Schengen Area.

The Schengen framework began with the Schengen Agreement of 1985 and the Schengen Convention of 1990, which established the abolition of border checks and the coordination of visa and asylum policies. Its rules have since been incorporated into EU law, creating a single external border policy and a harmonized visa regime. The area relies on shared systems such as the Schengen Information System II (SIS II) and the Visa Information System (VIS) to support border control, policing, and asylum processing.

Internal borders are open for people and vehicles traveling between member states, though temporary reintroduction of border checks can occur for security, public policy, or health reasons. The external borders are managed collectively under the Schengen Borders Code and related agreements to maintain security while enabling freedom of movement.

Visas issued for short stays, typically a Schengen Visa, permit travel within the area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. In the future, the area plans to implement ETIAS, a pre-travel authorization system for visa-exempt travelers, to strengthen pre-screening at the external borders.