It took thirteen years before the two countries were finally integrated into theSchengen area: on January 1, 2025, Romania and Bulgaria joined the ranks of the Schengen area, bringing the number of European states to 29.
As a reminder, the Schengen Area has enabled theopening of borders between signatory European countries: signed on June 19, 1990, the convention allows the free movement of people within the territory. As of January 1, 2025, two Eastern European countries will join the list of Schengen Area members, a major step forward for the latter, following the lifting of controls at the seaports and airports of these two countries last March, according to 20 Minutes.
Already members of the European Union since 2007, Bulgaria and Romania celebrated this new step forward at midnight on December 31, 2024, with ceremonies at various crossing points. The two countries thus join the highly prized circle of states that are both members of the European Union and the Schengen Area: of the 29 European states that make up the Area, only 25 are E.U. members.
