What Is the Schengen Area?
The Schengen Area is a group of 29 European countries that have removed passport checks at the borders between them.
Once you are inside, you can cross from one member to another without a border check, although eight members have temporarily brought checks back on some borders (see where checks are back right now). The area covers more than 4 million square kilometres and is home to over 450 million people, according to the Council of the EU.
The area began with the Schengen Agreement, signed in 1985, and is governed today by the Schengen Borders Code, Regulation (EU) 2016/399. The Council estimates that people make about 1.25 billion journeys a year within the area, and about 3.5 million cross an internal border every day.
For a visitor from outside the EU, three things follow. One visa (if you need one) covers all 29 countries. Your 90 days are counted across the whole area, not per country. And you still need to carry your passport, because checks can happen inside the area too.
Why Is It Called Schengen?
The name comes from Schengen, a village in Luxembourg on the Moselle where Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands signed the agreement on 14 June 1985.
Which Countries Are in the Schengen Area?
As of October 2026, the Schengen Area has 29 members: 25 EU countries and 4 countries outside the EU (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland (not in the EU)
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein (not in the EU)
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway (not in the EU)
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland (not in the EU)
Two EU countries are not in the list: Ireland, which has chosen to stay out, and Cyprus, which is still waiting to join. Both are explained in the status table below.
Key Facts and Figures
| Characteristic | Details |
|---|---|
| Type of zone | Passport-free area with a common visa policy |
| Number of member countries | 29 |
| Date signed | 14 June 1985 |
| Border checks first lifted | 26 March 1995 |
| Total area | Over 4 million km² |
| Population as of 2026 | Over 450 million |
| Journeys within the area per year | About 1.25 billion |
Where Are Border Checks Back Right Now?
On 4 November 2026, eight Schengen countries have temporary controls at some or all of their internal borders. Seven have notified controls lasting into 2027.
- Austria until 15 March 2027: land and river borders with Slovakia, and land borders with the Czechia, Hungary, and Slovenia.
- Denmark until 11 November 2026 (renewed to 11 May 2027): land and sea borders with Germany.
- France until 30 April 2027: all internal borders (land, air, and sea) with Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Swiss Confederation, Spain, and Italy.
- Germany until 15 March 2027: land borders with France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and the Republic of Poland.
- Italy until 18 December 2026: land borders with Slovenia.
- Norway until 11 November 2026 (renewed to 11 May 2027): ports with ferry connections to the Schengen area.
- Poland until 30 March 2027: land borders with Germany and Lithuania.
- Sweden until 11 November 2026 (renewed to 11 May 2027): all internal borders (land, air, and sea) and land borders with Denmark.
Source: European Commission, list of notifications dated 16 October 2026. See every control in force, the full timeline and all notifications since 2006.
What this means for you. If you take a train, bus, car or ferry across one of the borders in the table, expect that police may stop the vehicle and ask for identification. Non-EU visitors should have their passport and, if they need one, their visa or residence permit on them, not in the hotel safe. Checks are usually short, but on busy routes they can add delays, so allow extra time for connections.
Our analysis: border checks have become routine
Temporary checks were rare before 2015. We counted the notifications in the Commission’s full list, grouped by the year each control period started:
| Period | Notifications | Average per year |
|---|---|---|
| 2007–2014 (8 years) | 30 | 4 |
| 2015–2019 (5 years) | 90 | 18 |
| 2020 (COVID-19) | 123 | 123 |
| 2021 – October 2026 | 260 | About 45 |
The turning point was September 2015, when Germany (from 13 September) and Austria (from 16 September) brought back checks in response to the large number of people arriving to seek asylum. Since 2021, countries have notified about ten times as many periods a year as before 2015. In 2026 the reasons given have widened from migration to sabotage, threats to energy infrastructure and the security fallout of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The rules changed in 2024 to match this reality. A country can now keep checks for up to two years against a foreseeable threat, and up to three years in exceptional cases (details below). Germany’s and Austria’s current periods run to 15 March 2027.
Cross-Border Travel and Statistics
Schengen has dramatically altered European mobility patterns and facilitated a massive increase in cross-border travel volumes (i.e., it changed European integration). Statistics illustrate this trend and scale of the system:
- Approximately 593 million people traveled to an EU country from outside the Schengen zone in 2022 via an external border crossing; this represents a dramatic recovery to pre-COVID levels of approximately 744 million people in 2019.
- Approximately 3.5 million people travel via an internal Schengen border on a daily basis for work.
- Member states received more than 12 million short-stay visa applications in 2025 and issued over 10 million visas.
- In 2025, 14.6% of applications were refused, down from 14.8% in 2024. Rates vary widely by nationality and by the country you apply to.
- As of 2022, the VIS database contains over 70 million applicant records.
- In 2024, the SIS held more than 93 million alerts and was searched about 15 billion times.
The numbers provided above indicate how Schengen is integral to the process of European integration, especially for frontier areas, where millions of commuters live in areas where they can easily travel between their home country and work place (e.g., the Franco-German border region) or shop and socialize in neighboring countries (e.g., Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania).
Studies estimate that the reduction in transaction costs due to Schengen border abolition results in large increases in gross domestic product (GDP), as well as the enhancement of labor market integration and tourism. In particular, reductions in waiting time at borders result in substantial savings in freight transportation time (i.e., 20-30%) resulting in increased efficiency in the supply chains of companies that require “just-in-time” delivery.
Which European Countries and Territories Are Not in Schengen?
Being in the EU and being in Schengen are two different things, and Europe’s map has several exceptions. The table sums up the ones visitors ask about most.
| Country or territory | In Schengen? | What it means for visitors |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland (EU) | No, by choice | Ireland keeps its own visa rules and passport checks so it can stay in the Common Travel Area with the UK. A Schengen visa is not valid for Ireland, and days in Ireland do not count towards your Schengen 90 days. |
| Cyprus (EU) | Not yet | Cyprus applies part of the Schengen rules, but checks at its borders with Schengen countries have not been lifted. It issues its own national visas, and days there do not count towards your Schengen 90 days. |
| United Kingdom | No | The UK was never a member. British citizens can visit Schengen countries without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180 and are registered in the Entry/Exit System at the border. |
| Monaco | No, but open border with France | No border checks with France. Monaco does not issue Schengen visas; if you need a visa, you apply to France. |
| San Marino and Vatican City | No, but open borders with Italy | No border checks with Italy. If you need a visa, you apply to Italy. |
| Andorra | No | You can only reach Andorra through France or Spain, and entering Andorra means leaving the Schengen zone. With a single-entry visa, you cannot come back on the same visa, so ask for a multiple-entry visa if Andorra is on your route. |
| Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland | Yes (not in the EU) | Full members: the same visa and the same 90 days apply. Customs checks can still happen at their borders with EU countries, because they are outside the EU customs union (except Liechtenstein, which is in a customs union with Switzerland). |
| Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores | Yes | Part of Spain and Portugal and fully in Schengen: your Schengen visa is valid there. |
| Ceuta and Melilla (Spain) | Yes, with extra checks | Spain checks travellers going from Ceuta and Melilla to mainland Spain. |
| French overseas territories (e.g. French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint-Martin, New Caledonia, French Polynesia) | No | None of France’s territories outside Europe is in the Schengen zone, according to France-Visas. A Schengen visa alone does not let you enter them; check the rules for the territory on France-Visas. |
| Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten (Netherlands) | No | Each has its own entry rules; a Schengen visa does not cover them. |
| Greenland and the Faroe Islands (Denmark) | No | Outside the EU and Schengen; Denmark issues separate visas where needed. |
Example: a Caribbean cruise that calls at Saint-Martin (French) and Sint Maarten (Dutch), two halves of the same island, involves two separate entry regimes, and a Schengen visa covers neither.
Cyprus: where things stand. The EU Commission describes Cyprus’s integration into the Schengen zone as ongoing, and the Council confirms that checks at its internal borders have not been lifted. The decision on when Cyprus joins lies with the Council of the EU. No date has been set.
The other European countries outside both the EU and the Schengen Area are:
- Albania
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Georgia
- Kosovo
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Russia
- Serbia
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
Is the Schengen Area the Same as the EU?
No. The two overlap but are not the same: two EU countries are outside Schengen, and four Schengen countries are outside the EU.
| In Schengen | Not in Schengen | |
|---|---|---|
| In the EU | 25 countries (all EU members except Ireland and Cyprus) | Ireland, Cyprus |
| Not in the EU | Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland | UK, the microstates, the Western Balkans, Türkiye, Ukraine and the rest of non-EU Europe |
Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are associated with Schengen through agreements with the EU. They apply Schengen law and take part in shaping it, but they do not vote on it.
How Long Can You Stay in the Schengen Area?
Non-EU visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen Area. The 90 days are shared: time in France, Italy and Austria all comes out of the same allowance. To check a stay, look back 180 days from each day you plan to be in the area and count every day you were inside, including the days you arrived and left. Our Schengen calculator does this for you.
If you need a visa, two more limits apply: you must leave before the visa expires, and you cannot stay longer than the number of days printed on it.
What Happens at the Schengen External Border?
Checks happen when you first enter the Schengen visa-free zone from outside, and when you leave it. Every non-EU traveller must show a valid passport, and those who need one must show a Schengen visa. Border officers may also ask for:
- travel medical insurance (if you hold a visa)
- proof of accommodation
- proof that you can pay for your stay
- your return or onward ticket
Officers also check that you are not the subject of an alert in the Schengen Information System. The full list is in our guide to border entry requirements, together with the questions officers usually ask.
For a smooth entry experience into the visa-free zone, we recommend reading the following articles:
Entry/Exit System (EES): in use since 2025
The Entry/Exit System (EES) started at the external borders on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, according to the European Commission. It replaces passport stamps for non-EU visitors on short stays with a digital record of each entry and exit, including fingerprints and a facial image. It applies whether or not you need a visa.
ETIAS: not in operation yet
ETIAS is the travel authorisation that visa-exempt visitors, such as Americans, Britons and Australians, will need before travelling. It is not in operation, and no start date has been confirmed.
In January 2026 the Commission said it was scheduled for the last quarter of 2026, with the exact date to follow; our reporting found that the target was later removed from the official ETIAS website. Until a date is announced, there is nothing to apply for or pay.
When Can a Country Bring Back Border Checks?
A Schengen country may temporarily reintroduce checks at its internal borders only when there is a serious threat to public policy or internal security, and only as a last resort. The rules are in Articles 25 to 28 of the Schengen Borders Code, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2024/1717. The country must notify the Commission and the other members, explaining why, which borders are affected and for how long.
Time limits for reintroduced border checks- Foreseeable threats (a summit, a known risk): checks for up to six months at a time, renewable, for a maximum of two years. The country must notify at least four weeks in advance.
- Unforeseeable threats needing immediate action: checks can start at once for up to one month, extendable to a maximum of three months.
- Major exceptional situations after two years: one further period of up to six months, which can be renewed once, so checks can last up to three years in total.
- Foreseeable threats (a summit, a known risk): checks for up to six months at a time, renewable, for a maximum of two years. The country must notify at least four weeks in advance.
- Unforeseeable threats needing immediate action: checks can start at once for up to one month, extendable to a maximum of three months.
- Major exceptional situations after two years: one further period of up to six months, which can be renewed once, so checks can last up to three years in total.
Checks must be proportionate and should limit the impact on cross-border workers, students and people living in border regions.
How the Schengen Area Grew
Border checks were first lifted on 26 March 1995 between seven countries. The area has grown in waves since then; the most recent members, Bulgaria and Romania, joined fully on 1 January 2025.
| Country | Checks lifted | In the EU? |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain | 26 March 1995 | Yes |
| Italy | 26 October 1997 | Yes |
| Austria | 1 December 1997 | Yes |
| Greece | 26 March 2000 | Yes |
| Denmark, Finland, Sweden | 25 March 2001 | Yes |
| Iceland, Norway | 25 March 2001 | No |
| Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia | 21 December 2007 (land and sea borders first) | Yes |
| Switzerland | 12 December 2008 (land borders first) | No |
| Liechtenstein | 19 December 2011 | No |
| Croatia | 1 January 2023 | Yes |
| Bulgaria, Romania | Air and sea borders 31 March 2024; land borders 1 January 2025 | Yes |
The five Nordic countries joined together on 25 March 2001, as reported by the EU Delegation to Norway, so that the Nordic Passport Union could continue alongside Schengen.
To join, a country must show that it can protect the external border, issue visas to common standards, work with other police forces and connect to the shared databases. Experts from the Commission and member countries check this on the ground under the Schengen evaluation mechanism, Council Regulation (EU) 2022/922, and the Council then decides. The history, legal framework and evaluation process are covered in our guide to the Schengen Agreement.
FAQ
Yes, carry it. There is usually no border check, but airlines, ferry companies and police can ask for identification, and eight countries currently run checks at some internal borders. Non-EU visitors should carry their passport and, if needed, their visa or residence permit.
No. The UK never joined Schengen and left the EU in 2020. British citizens can visit Schengen countries without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period and are registered in the EES at the border.
Although the Schengen zone represents the world’s largest and most integrated passport-free zone, other regions have attempted to create such areas, however, none have achieved the same level of integration as that found within Schengen.
Common Travel Area (CTA) – U.K. & Ireland (1923): The Common Travel Area predates Schengen and allows for free travel between the United Kingdom, Ireland, Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands without the need for a passport check. The CTA operates by way of informal agreements, not formal treaty agreements and IT systems; thus it is not comparable to Schengen’s sophisticated border management systems and does not apply to visa policies (i.e., the U.K. and Ireland have vastly different visa policies).
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Citizens of the six GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE) are supposed to be able to cross internal borders using national ID cards. However, there has been no consistency in the application of these rules, frequent systematic passport checks occur at many borders and it does not cover third-country nationals. As well, there is no common visa policy in place, like Schengen has for third-country nationals.
Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay): Mercosur has implemented a system allowing its citizens to move freely across borders using national ID cards. However, unlike Schengen which has abolished systematic passport checks, many crossing points still require passport checks. Also, Mercosur has not developed integrated systems of information sharing for border control or common visa policies for third-country nationals.
East African Community (EAC): Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda have agreed to implement free movement of people. Although they have made some progress, systematic passport checks still exist at most borders. Additionally, the EAC lacks an integrated IT system for managing borders.
Schengen is distinguished from all other passport-free zones not only because of the lack of systematic passport checks but also due to the existence of the sophisticated systems of compensation that make the free movement of persons possible.
These compensation systems include: SIS (Schengen Information System); VIS (Visa Information System); EES (European Entry/Exit System); ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System); common visa policies; common border control standards; coordinated police cooperation; and evaluation mechanisms based on law, to ensure consistent enforcement.
No other regional arrangement provides this level of integration and technological development.
There is no formal removal process provided in the laws that govern the Schengen Area; the Schengen treaties do not have a provision for forcing a member state out of the area, regardless of how seriously the member state may violate Schengen regulations.
The lack of an expulsion process in the treaties is reflective of the overall legal framework; as Schengen regulations are part of the EU law for EU member states and association agreements for Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, none of these frameworks include provisions for the expulsion of a member state.
There are however a number of indirect mechanisms by which a member state can be forced to withdraw from the Schengen Area through the application of similar measures:
The ability to impose temporary border controls by other member states: If one member state does not provide adequate border controls, then other member states can impose temporary border controls at their borders with that country, pursuant to Article 29 of the Schengen Borders Code. Although described as temporary, border controls imposed in this manner may be repeatedly renewed; for example, if Country A’s border controls are inadequate, neighboring Countries B, C and D may each apply temporary border controls with Country A for extended periods of time, thereby isolating Country A within the Schengen Area.
A delay of accession to Schengen for new member states: As noted above, new member states seeking to join the area (i.e., countries that have joined the EU but not yet implemented all elements of the Schengen Agreement) can have their accession to Schengen indefinitely delayed; for example, Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in 2007 but waited until 2024 to join Schengen in part, and 2025 in full.
Termination of association agreements: Similar to the situation with new member states, existing non-EU Schengen member states (i.e., those who are not EU member states but participate in the Schengen Area due to association agreements) can have their association agreement terminated by either party; although termination of an association agreement would be highly unlikely to occur, particularly between long-standing partners such as Norway and the EU.
Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union provides for the suspension of certain rights of a member state of the EU where that member state has committed serious and persistent violations of EU values. In theory, this could potentially include suspension of a member state’s right to participate in Schengen; however, given the extreme nature of this measure, it has never been applied and would require unanimous consent among member states except for the member state whose rights are being suspended.
The rules described on this page come from a small set of EU laws that every Schengen country applies in the same way. Knowing where each rule is written helps explain why it works as it does, and lets you check the original text yourself.
Founding Agreements and Treaty Basis
The Schengen Area began with the Schengen Agreement, signed on 14 June 1985, and the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 19 June 1990, which put it into practice from 26 March 1995. The Treaty of Amsterdam brought these agreements into EU law in 1999 through the protocol on the Schengen acquis, now Protocol No 19 to the EU Treaties. The same protocol gives Ireland its opt-out.
Primary Regulation: the Schengen Borders Code
The day-to-day rules are in Regulation (EU) 2016/399, the Schengen Borders Code, most recently reformed by Regulation (EU) 2024/1717, in force since 10 July 2024.
Key Articles Relevant to This Page
- Article 6(1) sets the entry conditions for non-EU visitors and the 90-days-in-any-180-day limit on short stays explained in the section on how long you can stay.
- Article 22 establishes the core principle of the area: internal borders may be crossed at any point without a border check, whatever your nationality.
- Article 23 allows police checks inside the territory, including near internal borders, as long as they do not amount to border checks. This is why you should still carry your passport or ID card.
- Articles 25 to 28, as amended in 2024, govern the temporary reintroduction of internal border controls described in the section on where checks are back: up to six months at a time and two years in total for foreseeable threats (Article 25a(5)), up to three months for unforeseeable threats (Article 25a(3)), and a maximum of three years in major exceptional situations (Article 25a(6)).
Related Rules From the Schengen Convention
- Article 18 limits national long-stay (D) visas to a validity of one year, after which a residence permit is needed, and Article 21 lets holders of a D visa or residence permit from one Schengen country travel to the others for short stays. Both were amended by Regulation (EU) No 265/2010.
- Article 20(2) allows Schengen countries to keep older bilateral visa waiver agreements, which can permit longer stays in one country; the Commission publishes the list of these agreements.
How Countries Join and Are Monitored
- Before checks are lifted, a country must pass the Schengen evaluation, now governed by Council Regulation (EU) 2022/922, which replaced Regulation (EU) No 1053/2013. The same mechanism evaluates existing members.
- The Council then decides on full membership. The most recent decisions are Council Decision (EU) 2022/2451 of 8 December 2022 for Croatia, Council Decision (EU) 2024/210 of 30 December 2023 for Bulgaria and Romania (air and sea borders from 31 March 2024), and Council Decision (EU) 2024/3212 of 12 December 2024, which lifted their land border checks from 1 January 2025.
Related EU Systems and Regulations
- The Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, sets the common rules for short-stay visas, including Article 5, which decides which country examines your application.
- Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 lists the countries whose citizens need a visa and those who do not.
- The Entry/Exit System (EES), set up by Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, has recorded the entries and exits of non-EU visitors digitally since 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026.
- The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), set up by Regulation (EU) 2018/1240, will require visa-exempt visitors to apply online before travelling. It is not yet in operation.
- The Schengen Information System (SIS) is the shared database of alerts on people and objects that border guards and police check, including entry bans.
Official Information
The European Commission publishes the current list of temporarily reintroduced border controls, and both the Commission and the Council of the EU keep overview pages on the Schengen Area, which we used for the figures on membership, area, population and journeys.
Data Protection
Personal data collected at the border, including the fingerprints and facial images recorded in the EES, is processed under EU data protection law, in particular Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), alongside the specific rules in each system’s regulation. You have the right to access your data, ask for corrections, and complain to the data protection authority of the Schengen country concerned.
📅 Last updated: 2026-11-04 — based on official EU regulations/policy.