Bulgaria and Romania became a part of the Schengen countries on 1 January 2025. It means that people can now visit both these countries freely and without problems. But it wasn’t an instant process.
In March 2024, airport and seaport checks were removed for these countries. The last step was to remove border checks on land. It was to make traveling between these countries with your visa smooth and swift.
Due to Bulgaria and Romania, the Schengen Area now includes 29 countries. It’s now easy for people to freely travel to these countries with a single Schengen Visa. Plus, those who need visa services must learn about the Schengen visa first.
Beyond Schengen Area: Countries You Should Know
Despite its reach, many countries remain outside the Schengen Area. These non-Schengen countries include:
- Ireland: This country chose not to join the Schengen visa countries. They wanted to maintain their Common Travel Area with the United Kingdom. Common travel area is another agreement allowing people to travel between these countries easily.
- Cyprus: Cyprus is still not a part of the Schengen Area even though its a European Union member. They must fix some political and technical issues before fully joining the agreement.
- United Kingdom: In the past, the UK was a part of the EU but never joined the agreement. Now that they have left the EU, complete border checks have returned for those entering this country.
- Other Countries: Several countries are still not a part of the Schengen Agreement. It includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Russia, and Belarus. So you must go through border checks before visiting these countries.
Additionally, several small states—including Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City—are not official signatories of the Schengen Agreement. However, they maintain open or loosely regulated borders with neighboring Schengen countries. Vatican City, in particular, is regarded as a de facto part of the Schengen Area because it is entirely surrounded by Italy and closely integrated with Italian border controls.
Benefits of Having a Schengen Visa
So if your visa allows you to enter the Schengen area many times, you can explore other countries outside this area with the same visa. It makes traveling much easier and provides more options. Countries that allow free entry with a Schengen visa are:
- Albania: This country allows a free visa entry for about three months within six months.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: It permits a visa-free stay for about thirty days.
- Montenegro: This country also grants visa-free entry for about thirty days.
- North Macedonia: They also have a visa-free entry for about fifteen days.
- Serbia: Permits a visa-free entry and stay for up to 90 days within a 6-month period for individuals holding a valid Schengen visa.
- Turkey: Indian citizens holding a valid Schengen visa or other eligible visas/residence permits can apply online for a Turkish e-visa, which is available for both tourism and business purposes.
- Georgia: Allows visa-free entry for about three months within six months.
- Colombia: Provides an unrestricted entry for about three months with a valid Schengen Visa.
- Mexico: Holders of a valid Schengen visa, including Indian nationals and citizens of other countries, can enter Mexico visa-free for tourism, business, or transit purposes for up to 180 days.
- Dominican Republic: A valid Schengen visa generally allows visa-free entry to the Dominican Republic for a stay of up to 30 days. This means travelers can enter and stay in the country without a separate visa, as long as their Schengen visa is valid.
List of Current Schengen Countries
Below is the latest Schengen country list. It includes twenty-nine Schengen visa countries, which are as follows:
| Belgium | Hungary | Poland |
| Bulgaria | Iceland | Portugal |
| Croatia | Italy | Romania |
| Czech Republic | Latvia | Slovakia |
| Denmark | Liechtenstein | Slovenia |
| Estonia | Lithuania | Spain |
| Finland | Luxembourg | Sweden |
| France | Malta | Switzerland |
| Germany | Netherlands |
These countries abolished internal border checks with one another. It was done to allow people to travel freely between these countries with their Schengen Visa.
Upcoming Schengen Countries List 2025
With Bulgaria and Romania now a part of the Schengen agreement, you can visit twenty-nine Schengen Visa Countries with your visa. It helped to create a free movement zone for people without any restrictions.
Cyprus, a part of the European Union, also plans to join the Schengen Area. But before they can be a part of the Schengen Agreement, the EU will check certain factors to determine whether they are ready. It includes checking if they are prepared for air borders, visas, mutual assistance, and data security.
Besides Cyprus, another country, Montenegro, also wants to join the Schengen Agreement. Even though it’s still not a part of the EU, Montenegro is trying hard to meet every requirement to be a part of the Schengen Area. The EU is currently monitoring its performance, and if Montenegro joins this agreement, it will become much easier to travel in this region.
It shows that the Schengen Area will continue to change and grow. It presents how the European Union wants people to travel freely and make stronger connections between countries that are a part of the Schengen Agreement.
Conclusion
The Schengen visa is a big deal as it makes traveling freely between European countries easier without border checks and restrictions. With the recent joining of Bulgaria and Romania, even more of Europe is open for easy travel.
Knowing which countries are a part of Schengen and which aren’t could help you plan better trips. Knowing everything about your Schengen visa countries enables you to apply better. So enjoy your time in Europe while witnessing different cultures and scenery.
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