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Schengen Area

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  Schengen Area
  Legally bound to join

The Schengen Area is an area that includes 27 European countries. All of those countries have signed the Schengen Agreement in Schengen, Luxembourg in 1985.

The Schengen area removes passport control between its member countries. This means travelers who go from one Schengen country to another do not clear immigration checks anymore. Passengers go through immigration checks if they enter or exit the Schengen Area.

The current members of the Schengen Area are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Because Switzerland is not part of the European Economic Area, customs control in Switzerland still exists.

At this moment, 400 million people live in the area. The territory covers 4,312,099 square kilometres.

On 14 June 1985 the Schengen Agreement was signed. This happened on the boat Princess Marie-Astrid in the middle of the river Moselle. On that place, the borders of France, Germany and Luxembourg meet. Five countries signed the Agreement: Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands and West Germany. It was signed, but that didn't mean it was already implemented.

In 26 March 1995, all European Union members (except the United Kingdom and Ireland) signed the Agreement. Norway and Iceland also signed the Agreement.

On 1 May 2004, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia joined the EU. They signed the Schengen agreement on that same day. They implemented the Schengen Agreement on 21 December 2007.

Switzerland joined the Schengen Area on 12 December 2008. Liechtenstein joined it on 19 December 2011. Croatia joined it on 1 January 2023.

Twenty-seven countries belong to the Schengen Area. All these countries are members of the European Union, except Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Flag State Area
(km²)
Population[1]
Signed or
opted in
Date of first
implementation
Austria Austria 83,871 8,414,638 28 April 1995 1 December 1997
Belgium Belgium 30,528 11,007,020 14 June 1985 26 March 1995
Croatia Croatia 56,594 4,060,135 9 December 2011 1 January 2023
Czech Republic Czech Republic 78,866 10,535,811 1 May 2004 21 December 2007b
Denmark Denmark
       (excluding Greenlandd and the Faroe Islandsd)
43,094 5,564,219 19 December 1996 25 March 2001
Estonia Estonia 45,226 1,340,194 1 May 2004 21 December 2007b
Finland Finland 338,145 5,391,700 19 December 1996 25 March 2001
France France
       (excluding overseas departments and territories)
674,843 65,821,885 14 June 1985 26 March 1995
Germany Germany 357,050 81,799,600 14 June 1985 26 March 1995c
Greece Greece 131,990 10,787,690 6 November 1992 26 March 2000
Hungary Hungary 93,030 9,979,000 1 May 2004 21 December 2007b
Iceland Icelanda 103,000 318,452 19 December 1996 25 March 2001
Italy Italy 301,318 60,681,514 27 November 1990 26 October 1997
Latvia Latvia 64,589 2,245,357 1 May 2004 21 December 2007b
Liechtenstein Liechtensteina 160 36,010 28 February 2008 19 December 2011
Lithuania Lithuania 65,303 3,207,060 1 May 2004 21 December 2007b
Luxembourg Luxembourg 2,586 511,840 14 June 1985 26 March 1995
Malta Malta 316 417,608 1 May 2004 21 December 2007b
Netherlands Netherlands
       (excluding Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands)
41,526 16,703,700 14 June 1985 26 March 1995
Norway Norwaya
       (excluding SvalbardMayen e)
385,155 4,993,300 19 December 1996 25 March 2001
Poland Poland 312,683 38,186,860 1 May 2004 21 December 2007b
Portugal Portugal 92,391 10,647,763 25 June 1992 26 March 1995
Slovakia Slovakia 49,037 5,440,078 1 May 2004 21 December 2007b
Slovenia Slovenia 20,273 2,048,951 1 May 2004 21 December 2007b
Spain Spain
       (excluding Ceuta and Melillaf)
506,030 46,030,109 25 June 1992 26 March 1995
Sweden Sweden 449,964 9,415,570 19 December 1996 25 March 2001
Switzerland Switzerlanda 41,285 7,866,500 26 October 2004 12 December 2008

a. ^ EFTA states outside the EU that are associated with the Schengen activities of the EU,[2] and where the Schengen rules apply.
b. ^ For overland borders and seaports; since 30 March 2008 also for airports.[3]
c. ^ East Germany became part of the Federal Republic of Germany, joining Schengen, on 3 October 1990. Before this it remained outside the agreement. Despite some media reports, Heligoland is not outside Schengen; it is only outside the European Union Value Added Tax Area.
d. ^ Greenland and the Faroe Islands are not included in the Schengen area, although there might be relaxed checks in the Faroe Islands for flights from Scandinavia, thanks to the Nordic Passport Union, although a passport is still recommended.[4] A Schengen visa issued by a Schengen state will not allow the holder access to either territories, only a Danish visa stamped with either "Valid for the Faroe Islands" or "Valid for Greenland", or both.[5]
e. ^ However, Jan Mayen is part of the Schengen Area.[6]
f. ^ The full Schengen acquis applies to all Spanish territories, but there are border checks on departure from Ceuta and Melilla to Spain or other Schengen countries, because of specific arrangements for visa exemptions for Moroccan nationals resident in the provinces of Tetuan and Nador.[7]

Schengen Visa

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Some nationalities need visas to visit the Schengen Area. They only need one Schengen visa for all countries. But they must apply at the embassy of their main destination. The main destination is where a traveller wants to spend the longest time. The visa officer can issue a visa for only one trip or many trips. The officer also decides how long the visa is valid for. The traveller needs to exit before the Schengen visa expires.

Travellers who do not need a Schengen visa can stay for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.

  1. "Eurostat Population Estimate". Eurostat. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  2. This terminology is, for example, used in the Final Act of the Agreement concluded by the Council of the European Union and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway concerning the latters' association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis (OJ L 176,10 July 1999, p. 36).
  3. "The final step of Schengen enlargement–controls at internal air borders to be abolished in late March". Slovenia's EU Presidency. 25 March 2008.
  4. "At the Gate - FAE - Vága Floghavn". Floghavn.fo. Retrieved 2011-09-15.
  5. "General Information on Schengen Short-Term Visas". Royal Danish Embassy in London. 4 June 2009. Archived from the original on 19 April 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  6. Article 14 of the Final Act of the Agreement concluded by the Council of the European Union and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway concerning the latters' association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis (OJ L 176, 10/07/1999 P. 36) excludes Svalbard from the application of the Schengen rules. As no similar exception was made respecting Jan Mayen, it is part of the Schengen Area.
  7. Declaration No. 1. on Ceuta and Melilla attached to the Final Act of the Accession Treaty of the Kingdom of Spain to the Schengen Agreement (OJ L 239, 22.9.2000, p. 69 Archived 2011-05-20 at the Wayback Machine)