Two more countries joined the Schengen area. These are Bulgaria and Romania. Find out how the rules for travellers will change and what Ukrainians need to know

An insurance policy is a guarantee of your safety and peaceful stay outside Ukraine

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On 1 January 2025, Bulgaria and Romania will finally join the Schengen area. In this regard, EU member states will cancel checks at internal land borders with these two countries.

Romania and Bulgaria started the process of integration into the Schengen area in 2005, two years before their official accession to the European Union. They applied to join Schengen in 2011. However, their path to the cherished goal was not easy: for many years, the countries faced bureaucratic obstacles and resistance from some neighbours.

Throughout this period, Romanians and Bulgarians were subject to rules similar to the visa-free regime. They could visit Schengen countries without visas, but were required to pass border controls.

What changes can we expect now?

1 Cancellation of border controls. With the accession to the Schengen area, it will no longer be necessary to pass passport control when crossing the borders between Romania, Bulgaria and other Schengen member states. Travellers will be able to move freely between these countries as if they were within a single space.

2. Simplification of car travel. This is especially convenient for motorists: there will be no more queues at border checkpoints. The only exceptions are checks when entering from countries outside the Schengen area (for example, Turkey).

To ensure that a car trip abroad is safe and without violating the laws of the destination countries, we recommend taking out international insurance ‘Green Card’, which is mandatory in almost all countries of the European Union.

3. Access with one visa. Nowadays, a Schengen visa issued by any member state allows you to visit Romania and Bulgaria without the need to obtain additional permits. For Ukrainian citizens who already actively use Schengen visas, travelling to these countries will become even easier.

What travellers need to know

Despite the simplification, standard border controls remain in place when entering from non-Schengen countries. In particular, travellers must comply with visa and migration rules, including the requirements for biometric passports.

In addition, do not forget that travel insurance remains an integral part of any trip abroad. To feel completely safe during your trip, we recommend taking out travel insurance right now.

As for other requirements, for example, the transportation of luggage across internal borders will now comply with the general Schengen rules.

For Ukrainians

Since 2017, citizens of Ukraine have been able to enter the EU without a visa. Visa-free travel should last no more than 90 days within six months.

Important! The visa-free regime applies to the European Union, not the Schengen area. These are 2 different concepts.

The Schengen area is the territory of certain European countries that have agreed to abolish internal borders. This zone includes both EU member states and some other countries that do not belong to this economic and political union.

You can cross the border with countries with which Ukraine has a visa-free regime (Romania and Bulgaria are among them) with one of the following documents:

- Biometric passport of a citizen of Ukraine for travelling abroad.

- Diplomatic passport of Ukraine.

- Biometric service passport of Ukraine.

Remember. The rules for travelling in the Schengen area in 2024 have changed somewhat, as some countries have tightened border controls.