Schengenarea

The Schengen Area is a zone in which most internal border checks have been abolished for travel between its member countries. It enables the free movement of people across national borders, with a common set of rules for asylum, visas, and border management. External borders remain controlled, and border checks at the perimeter are conducted to protect security and manage migration.

As of 2025, the Schengen Area comprises 27 states: 23 European Union member states and four non-EU states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland). Not all EU members participate in Schengen; Ireland maintains its own border regime and some EU states (Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Romania) are not yet part of the area. Croatia joined Schengen in 2023. The area is administered through a framework derived from the Schengen Agreement and subsequent EU Schengen Borders Code, with participation by national authorities under EU coordination.

Key features include the removal of internal border controls between member states, a unified approach to the Schengen visa policy for short stays, and shared external border management. Security and data-sharing systems, such as the Schengen Information System (SIS), support cooperation among police and border-guard authorities. The EU’s Frontex agency coordinates broader border security and return operations, while plans for ETIAS seek to pre-screen visa-exempt travelers before entering the area.

History and purpose: The Schengen Agreement, signed in 1985, established the framework for abolishing internal borders. It evolved into a functioning area in the 1990s and expanded through the inclusion of non-EU states and several EU members. The core aim is to facilitate free movement while maintaining effective border protection and security cooperation.