All articles tagged with #schengen area
Spain and Gibraltar officially remove border checks, ending decades of tension and creating a passport-free crossing aligned with the Schengen area. The move, signed in Brussels and celebrated in La Línea, will ease movement for about 15,500 cross-border workers and 40,000 residents, with Pedro Sánchez calling it the fall of the 'last wall' in continental Europe and a new era of shared prosperity.
A coalition of 11 states—nine EU members plus Iceland and Norway—led by Sweden, urged the EU to tighten Russian visa rules ahead of the summer season, arguing uneven implementation of EU guidelines weakens leverage against Moscow and could threaten Schengen security. The letter calls for binding visa restrictions, better monitoring, regular aggregated statistics, and a mechanism to identify former Russian combatants, citing rising visa numbers in France, Italy and Spain. Opponents say visa totals reflect processing differences among larger member states, and no formal decision was reached at a Luxembourg meeting, with ministers only discussing restarting the debate.
The EU has begun a six-month rollout of the Entry/Exit System (EES), a digital border control system requiring non-EU travelers to register their personal details, including biometric data, to enhance border security and manage migration more effectively, replacing traditional passport stamping across external borders.
Starting October 2025, Americans traveling to most European countries within the Schengen Area will be required to have their fingerprints and photos scanned upon entry and exit as part of a new EU biometric system, replacing passport stamps to enhance security and track border crossings. Refusal to comply will result in denied entry, and the system will store data for several years. The initiative aims to improve border control amid increased migration and security concerns.
Bulgaria and Romania have partially joined the Schengen area, allowing free movement by air and sea, but not land borders due to Austria's concerns over irregular migration. The move has practical and symbolic significance, but truck drivers and businesses in both countries are frustrated by long border waits and financial losses. Both countries aim to complete negotiations for land border integration by 2024, with efforts to manage irregular migration through regional police initiatives and increased support from the EU's border agency.
Bulgaria and Romania are set to join the Schengen area for maritime and air passengers as of March 2024, following a unanimous decision by the European Council. This expansion will lift controls at air and sea borders, with discussions on land border controls to continue. The inclusion of these two countries is seen as a strengthening of the EU and a historic moment for Bulgarian and Romanian citizens, who will enjoy easier freedom of movement within the Schengen zone, the world's largest area of free movement.
Slovenia has introduced border checks with Hungary and Croatia for at least 10 days, following Italy's similar move due to increased violence in the Middle East. The decision reflects growing security concerns in Europe amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The EU is discussing how to manage the impact of the war on the bloc, with the issue of internal border checks being a challenge for the Schengen area. Other countries, including Denmark, Sweden, and France, are also implementing border checks within the Schengen area.
Central European countries, including Czechia and Austria, have introduced border controls with Slovakia following Poland's decision to do so. While Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala cited the number of migrants as the reason, Czech Interior Minister Vít Rakušan stated that the number of illegal migrants coming from Slovakia to Czechia is significantly lower than in the previous year. The measures have been coordinated among the countries involved, but the Slovak government warns that such actions could lead to a cascade effect and calls for a European solution to migration. Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki plans to veto the approval of the EU's new migration policy at the upcoming European Council.
Starting in 2024, Americans and Brits will be required to apply for European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) authorization and pay a fee of 7 euros to visit Europe. ETIAS is a visa-waiver program that will allow travelers from 63 countries outside the Schengen Area to enter the region for up to 90 days within a 180-day period without a full visa. The application process is expected to be quick and most applicants will be approved within an hour. ETIAS will be required for visits to countries such as Spain, France, Italy, and Switzerland. The program aims to enhance border security and track visitor information for business and tourism purposes.
The European Union's new travel authorization system, ETIAS, will require travelers from many countries, including the US, to apply for authorization before visiting European destinations. The authorization, valid for three years, is aimed at tracking authorized visitors and preventing security risks, irregular migration, and public health threats. ETIAS is not a visa but a database that checks applicants against EU information systems. The application process is expected to be quick and cost 7 euros. While 95% of applications are estimated to be approved, final entry decisions will still be made by border guards.
French presidential candidate Nicolas Dupont-Aignan believes that France should leave the Schengen Area in order to address the issue of repeated riots, which he attributes to a large number of migrants who have failed to integrate into French society. While he opposes a "Frexit" and believes in France's place within the European Union, Dupont-Aignan advocates for more autonomy for member states and also suggests that France should leave NATO. President Emmanuel Macron has also criticized the functioning of the Schengen zone and called for its reform, but no changes have been made during France's EU Presidency.
EU lawmakers have approved visa-free travel for citizens of Kosovo, allowing them to travel in the Schengen passport-free area for up to 90 days every six months. Kosovo is the last country in the Western Balkans region to have such travel arrangements with the EU. The visa exemption will come into force in 2024, as soon as the EU's new electronic travel system is in place. This move is seen as an important foundation for the future and ever-closer cooperation between the EU and Kosovo.
The European Parliament has approved the removal of visa requirements for Kosovo citizens to enter the Schengen area, allowing them to travel freely to the EU's passport-free zone by the start of 2024. Kosovo passport holders will be able to travel to the EU without visas for 90 days in any 180-day period. The exemption from visa requirements will apply from the start date for the operation of the new European Travel Information and Authorisation System, ETIAS. Kosovo was the only country in the Western Balkans with a visa regime with the EU, although it met all the requirements to secure visa-free travel in 2018.