Since March 31, Bulgaria and Romania have partially entered the Schengen zone. Thus, passport control within the Schengen area is abolished for citizens of these states, but only for those who cross the border by air and sea. Road checks remain.
Thus, citizens from these EU countries will no longer need to present a passport or visa at internal air and sea borders. The checks will remain at land checkpoints – Austria insisted on this because of concerns that Bulgaria and Romania are not coping with the influx of illegal migrants.
In this regard, Bucharest and Sofia plan to strengthen controls at external borders and have pledged to process applications for staying asylum seekers on their territories.
Romania’s Interior Ministry (MIA) said control at the border will be strengthened.
“Police actions will not be aimed at controlling border crossings, but in particular at combating cross-border crime, illegal migration and checking the validity of the right to stay in the Schengen area,” the ministry said.
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Condiții de călătorie ale minorilor, în contextul aderării României la Spațiul Schengen, valabile începând cu 31 martie 2024 #Schengen pic.twitter.com/Zy4l9dNWRI
— MAI România – Ministry of Internal Affairs Romania (@MAIRomania) March 28, 2024
The Schengen area was created in 1985. Before Bulgaria and Romania’s partial accession, the visa-free zone included 23 of the 27 EU member states, and Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.