Romania And Bulgaria Officially Enter The European Union Schegen Zone

New signs at Henri Coanda International Airport, Bucharest, Romania, Sunday (31/3/2024), show direction for people who will travel in the Schengen Zone. (Between/Cristian Cristel/Xinhua/tm)

JAKARTA - Romania and Bulgaria from Sunday (31/3/2024) joined parts of thechengen Region on sea and air routes after the two countries underwent the process of waiting for the agreement for more than a decade.

The European Union Authority confirmed that starting March 31 the number of days that could be spent in Bulgaria and Romania for citizens of Schengen countries was a maximum of 90 days in a 180-day period.

And, the number of days will be less than that for citizens of Schengen visa holders.

Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union in 2007 and for more than a decade sought to join the Munich Zone.

Austria opposes the acceptance of Bulgaria and Romania, citing concerns that the immigration affairs of these countries are not right.

In December 2023, Austria revoked its veto rights and allowed the removal of border checks for air and sea travel.

The previous Schengen visa-free zone covered 27 countries, including all EU member states except Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, and Romania.

The zone also includes non-EU countries, namely Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.