ACI EUROPE celebrates lifting of air and sea borders for Romania and Bulgaria as they begin accession to the Schengen Area

On 31 March, ACI EUROPE celebrated Romania and Bulgaria becoming the latest members of the Schengen Area, resulting in the lifting of air and sea borders between these countries and most of the European Union.

The Schengen area is comprised of all EU member states (except Ireland and Cyprus), as well as non-EU member states Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Lichtenstein. As one of the most tangible achievements of European integration, citizens are able to move within this area without being subject to border checks, bolstering social cohesion and deepening European integration.

The accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen Area will allow for millions of citizens to enjoy shorter queues whilst travelling and less administrative burden when doing so. It is a key development in improving the connectivity of the two countries to the rest of Europe, providing a boost to the travel and tourism industry. Bulgaria and Romania have recovered remarkably well from the COVID-19 crisis, posting dynamic growth well above pre-pandemic volumes (Jan 2024 vs Jan 2019: EU -3%, Bulgaria +7%, Romania +4.3%)  – but also have a lower propensity to fly compared to the EU average (EU 1.69, Bulgaria 0.87, Romania 0.60). Becoming Schengen members will encourage greater and more frequent connections to and from Bulgaria and Romania, leading to greater EU-wide air travel recovery as a whole.

At a later date, land borders will also be lifted for the two countries.

ACI EUROPE and ETC celebrate entry of Bulgaria and Romania into Schengen area starting with air and sea borders

Information on the Schengen Area