Glossary: Europe from A to Z
Date: 16/04/2024
What is the difference between the EEC and the European Union? Which countries are part of the Schengen area but not of the EU? Which countries use the Euro? What is visa travel insurance? What are the EES, ETIAS, ETA…? In this A to Z glossary we will answer all your questions concerning Europe, helping you prepare for your future travels for business or pleasure.
A
Albania
Albania is a relatively small (28,700 km²) country located in the Balkan Peninsula with a population of a little over 3 million inhabitants. It shares its borders with Montenegro, North Macedonia and Greece. Its northern coasts are washed by the Adriatic Sea and its southern coasts by the Ionian Sea.
- Capital city: Tirana
- EU member? No but Albania has officially been an EU candidate since 2014.
- Schengen country? No
- Schengen visa required? Even though Albania is not part of the Schengen area, Schengen citizens, or third-country nationals with a Schengen visa, can travel to Albania without any other additional formalities than their passport
- Part of the Euro zone? No. The national currency is the Lek.
Did you know? In Albania, the meaning of nodding or shaking your head is reversed! If you want to agree, you must shake your head from one side to the other. But if you disagree, you must nod!
Andorra
The Principality of Andorra is a micro-state located in the East of the Pyrenees Mountains, nestled between France and Spain. It is one of the smallest European sovereign states with its 468 km² surface area and fewer than 80,000 inhabitants.
- Capital city: Andorra la Vella
- EU member? No
- Schengen country? No
- Schengen visa required? No. Travellers who do need a visa to enter the Schengen area must apply for a multiple-entry visa to visit Andorra. Indeed, travelling from France to Andorra implies exiting the Schengen area. When travellers return to France or move on to visit Spain for example, it means they are re-entering the Schengen area. Therefore a multiple-entry visa is required. To find out more on Andorra’s entry requirements, visit the website of the tourism office of Andorra
- Part of the Euro zone? No but Andorra has used the Euro since its creation on January 1st 1999 and has even minted its own coins since July 1st 2013
Did you know? Two co-princes are at the head of Andorra: the Spanish bishop of Urgel and the French president, currently Emmanuel Macron.
Austria
Austria is a mountainous country located in central Europe. 9.1 million people inhabit its 82,519 km² surface area. It shares its borders with many other countries: Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
- Capital city: Vienna EU member? Yes, since January 1st 1995
- Schengen country? Yes, since December 1st 1997
- Schengen visa required? Yes. Third-country nationals subject to visa requirement need a Schengen visa to travel to Austria
- Part of the Euro zone? Yes, since January 1st 1999
Did you know? Austria is the birthplace of many “celebrities”: Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss, Gustav Mahler for classical music, Sigmund Freud for psychoanalysis, Romy Schneider and Arnold Schwarzenegger for the movie industry, Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt for painting…
B
Belgium
Belgium is one of the founding countries of the EEC, the ancestor of the European Union. The North Sea washes its northern coasts and France, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg are its bordering neighbours. Its capital, Brussels, shelters several European and international institutions including the European Commission.
- Capital city: Brussels EU member? Yes, since January 1st 1958 (founding country)
- Schengen country? Yes, since March 26 1995 (founding country)
- Schengen visa required? Yes. Third-country nationals subject to visa requirement need a Schengen visa to travel to Belgium
- Part of the Euro zone? Yes, since January 1st 1999 (founding country)
Did you know? In Belgium, voting is compulsory. Anyone skipping the polls risks sanctions
Brexit
On January 31st 2020, the United Kingdom left the EU, resulting in what is now commonly called Brexit. During the June 23rd 2016 referendum, 51.9% of British people voted in favour of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.
This separation, after a 60 year old union, required a transition period and the instauration of new rules between the EU and the UK in many areas. On December 30th 2020, a trade and cooperation agreement was signed. It came into effect on April 28th 2022. It concerns, among other things, the free movement of goods, competition, social security, transport, safety, etc.
For travellers, the main point is that the free-movement of people is no longer possible and border controls have been re-established. For short-stays, no visa is required for EU nationals but starting 2024, they will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation.
Furthermore, EU nationals wishing to settle in the United Kingdom must, depending on their situation, apply for a visa and vice versa.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria is a 110, 944 km² Balkan country with a little over 6.8 million inhabitants, bounded by the Black Sea in the East and sharing its borders with Greece, Turkey, Romania, Serbia and Northern Macedonia.
- Capital city: Sofia
- EU member? Yes, since January 1st 2007
- Schengen country? Partially. Since March 31st 2024, air and sea entry points are no longer controlled but land border controls remain
- Schengen visa required? No. A third-country national wishing to visit Bulgaria must still apply for a visa with Bulgarian authorities. But the country will soon align its visa granting process with other Schengen states, particularly concerning short-stay visas
- Part of the Euro zone? No. The Bulgarian currency is the Lev
Did you know? The Bulgarian Izlel je Delyo Hajdutin, performed by Valya Balkanska, is one of the 27 songs featured on the record sent to space in 1977 on board the Voyager probes with the purpose of introducing Earth and its inhabitants to potential extraterrestrial civilisations.
C
Cyprus
Cyprus is a 9, 2551 km² island in the East of the Mediterranean Sea. Its particularity is to be divided between a southern independent part (61% of its surface area) and a northern part annexed by Turkey. Its population includes 1.3 million inhabitants. The northern part of the island is not officially recognised by the UN or the EU.
- Capital city: Nicosia
- EU member? Yes, since May 1st 2004
- Schengen country? No. But Cyprus has applied to be part of the Schengen area
- Schengen visa required? Even though Cyprus is not part of the Schengen area and consequently doesn’t deliver Schengen visas, Schengen nationals or third-country nationals with a Schengen visa, can visit Cyprus without additional formalities other than the presentation of their passport
- Part of the Euro zone? Yes, since January 1st 2008
Did you know? The Hala Sultan Tekke mosque is one of the three most revered Muslim sites in the World. It is where Umm-Haram, a relative of the Prophet, fell from her horse and died during the first Arab conquest of Cyprus in the 7th century.
D
E
EEC
The European Economic Community (the EEC) was created in 1957 by Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands with the idea of “building Europe” by establishing privileged relations between countries and avoiding the conflicts which had led to World War I and WWII.
It became the European Union on November 1st 1993 and has, over the years, expanded: 1973 (the UK, Denmark and Ireland), 1981 (Greece) and 1986 (Spain, Portugal). The most important expansion took place in 2007 when it welcomed 15 new countries.
The main goal of the EEC was to strengthen the bonds between European people. Common actions leading to economic and social progress would eliminate the barriers which used to divide Europe. The first step was a single European market with the removal of customs duty between countries and the implementation of free movement of goods between member states.
Members also decided to develop common policies concerning agriculture (the CAP), transport and external trade.
They then sought to implement free movement of people in the European area, to eliminate internal borders and to inaugurate a common external policy, leading to the creation of the Schengen area.
Last but not least, a fundamental stage of European unification, dating back to 1999 but started at the time of the EEC, the establishment of the Euro as the common currency between 11 countries later joined by 9 others.
F
G
The fourth largest country of the EU (353, 300 km2) and the most populated (84.4 million inhabitants), Germany is one of the founding countries of the EEC, the ancestor of the EU. The country was officially born in its current configuration on October 3rd 1990, after the unification of the German Federal Republic and the German Democratic Republic, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in November 1989.
- Capital city: Berlin EU member? Yes, since January 1st 1958 (founding country)
- Schengen country? Yes, since March 26th 1995 (founding country)
- Schengen visa required? Yes. Third-country nationals subject to visa requirement need a Schengen visa to travel to Germany
- Part of the Euro zone? Yes, since January 1st 1999 (founding country)
Did you know? Germany is the second country in the World with the most Olympic medallists, just after the United States (since the Modern Games were invented in 1896).
H
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Q
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T
U
V
Visa Travel Insurance
The conditions and requirements for Schengen Visa Travel Insurance are set by the European Union Visa code. Travel insurance is mandatory for all travellers applying for a short-stay visa (maximum 90 days over a 180 day period) also known as a Schengen visa. No visa will be delivered if the applicant hasn’t subscribed to travel insurance.
Article 15 of the Schengen Visa Code specifies the criteria which need to be met by the mandatory travel insurance:
- It must cover all emergency medical care, hospitalisation and death
- It must cover the costs of medical repatriation
- The minimum expense coverage must be €30,000
- It must be valid for the entire duration of the stay
- It must be valid in all 27 Schengen states When subscribing to travel insurance, make sure all these requirements are met.
Good to know: The 3 options available with AXA Schengen travel insurance meet all the criteria and are certified by all consular authorities.