Schengen area: everything you need to know about this zone of free movement in Europe.

Travel insurance is compulsory to obtain a Schengen visa

Written by the AXA Schengen Team
Publish : 01/10/2024

Most of us have heard of or even travelled through the Schengen area. However, little is known of what this European zone actually is. Who would have thought that a small village in Luxembourg would be the birthplace of a zone, unique in the World, in which over 400 million people can travel from one country to another without any kind of border control?

From its development to the current challenges it must face, its rules and exceptions, let’s discover all there is to know about this vast area where freedom of movement is the golden rule.

Contents

Where is the Schengen area?
Which countries are part of the Schengen area?
Which countries and European territories are not part of the Schengen area?
How did the Schengen area come to be?
Why is it called the Schengen area?
What is the purpose of the Schengen area?
Why is the free movement of people positive?
How is this borderless European area protected?
FAQ

Where is the Schengen area?

The Schengen area stretches over a large part of the European continent, covering over 4 million km².

It is the home of over 420 million people living in its 29 member states (figures for 2024).

Which countries are part of the Schengen area?

Since March 31^st, 2024, 29 countries are part of the Schengen area.

25 states are also part of the European Union (EU): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
4 countries are part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA): Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Bonus info:

Even though the European microstates- Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican- haven’t signed the Schengen agreement, they are part of this free movement area thanks to their common borders with France and Italy.
Spanish and Portuguese overseas territories (the Canary Islands, the Azores and Madeira) are also part of the Schengen area.
The admission of Bulgaria and Romania in the Schengen area took place in two stages. On March 31^st, 2024, air and sea border controls were lifted. However, land border control has been maintained until the European Council decides otherwise.

Which European countries are not part of the Schengen area?

Don’t be fooled! Contrary to popular belief, not all Schengen countries are part of the European Union and not all EU countries are part of the Schengen area.

EU countries which are not part of the Schengen area

Currently two European Union countries are not part of the Schengen club:

Cyprus
Ireland

Why not?

Cyprus has not yet joined the Schengen area. The island, divided in two between the Republic of Cyprus (EU member) and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, hasn’t yet met the necessary requirements to be admitted, including the complete implementation of the Schengen Information System (SIS).

As for Ireland, the country has chosen not to join the Schengen area, preferring to manage its own border control. With the approval of the EU Council, the country partially applies the Schengen acquis but hasn’t lifted its internal border control.

Do you know which other European countries are not part of the Schengen area?

Is the United Kingdom part of the Schengen area?

The United Kingdom has never been part of the Schengen area even when it was part of the European Union. After Brexit, which officially took place on January 31^st, 2020, the UK left the EU, without any consequence on its Schengen situation.

Did you know?

For those dreaming of travelling to the UK hassle-free, beware! New rules will soon be applied.
Out with the simplicity of the past and in with new formalities for entering the UK, including the ETA, required to visit Agatha Christie’s homeland.

Are the French DROM-COM part of the Schengen area?

The DROM- COM (the French Overseas Departments, Regions and Collectivities) or to put it simply the French overseas territories include Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion, Mayotte, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Saint-Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the French Southern and Antarctic Lands and the Wallis and Futuna Islands.
They are located outside of European territory. Consequently, they are not part of the Schengen area.

This is also the case of other remote lands or islands attached to other Schengen member states:

Greenland and the Faeroe islands (constituent countries of Denmark),
Svalbard (Norway)
Aruba + the Netherlands Antilles: Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten, the southern part of the island of Saint Martin.

To travel to these destinations, specific visas are required and are delivered by the country they are attached to.

How was the Schengen area created?

The creation of this unique European area did not happen overnight!

It all started 40 years ago, on June 14^th, 1985, when 5 states, member of the European Economic Community (EEC) - France, the Federal Republic of Germany (the country was still split into the FRG and the GDR), and the three Benelux countries (Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands)- signed the Schengen agreement.

The purpose of the Agreement is to:

lift common border control between the said countries,
allow the free movement of people,
reinforce police, customs and judicial cooperation between the signing states.

The implications of this Agreement are detailed in an implementation convention. Signed in 1990, it specifies how this new zone will function with an executive committee in charge of supervising the application of the treaty.

The technical terms and conditions of the Schengen Agreement only came into force on March 26, 1995.

Progressively, other European countries signed the Agreement and joined the Schengen area.

Do you want to learn a bit more about the history of the Schengen area?

Why is it called the Schengen area?

Schengen is the name of a village in Luxembourg where the Agreement was signed in 1985. This location was not chosen randomly!

Situated at the tripoint of Germany, France and Luxembourg, a very symbolic location as it connects the borders between Germany and France, Germany and Luxembourg, France and Luxembourg.

Furthermore, the treaty was ratified on a boat, the M.S. Marie-Astrid, anchored on the Moselle, a river which flows through the three signing countries.

Did you know?

1- The Schengen Agreements could have been called differently!

The story goes that Edith Cresson, the French Minister of European Affairs at the time (May 1988- October 1990), asked Robert Goebbels, the Luxembourg signatory of the Schengen Agreement, why a location with such an unpronounceable name had been chosen. Goebbels jokingly answered that they had considered signing in Oberschlindermanderscheid, another Luxembourg village, but had decided otherwise!

2- If you want to learn more on how the Schengen Agreement transformed Europe and particularly free movement within the zone, the Schengen European Museum will answer all your questions!

After a year of renovation work, it will reopen its doors in June 2025 to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the treaty with a fun and interactive tour.

What is the purpose of the Schengen area?

A fundamental pillar of European construction, the Schengen area serves several important purposes:

Free movement of people.
Economic and social benefits.
Reinforced security within the EU.
Policy standardisation between member states.

The creation of the Schengen area has been very beneficial for its citizens as well as for the economy of the member States: greater freedom of movement, increased economic dynamism, reinforced social cohesion and joint effort for the construction of a united Europe.

What are the benefits of the free movement of persons within the Schengen area?

Since the Schengen agreement came into force in 1995, the abolition of internal border control within the area has allowed the free movement of people. This means that any individual (EU, Schengen state or third-country national), once they have entered the territory of one of the Schengen states, can cross the borders of the other countries without any control.

Free movement of persons: what are the benefits?

1. Easier movement from country to country

Bye Bye endless lines at border control!
European nationals can settle, study, work and start their own business in another member state and enjoy the same rights as local citizens.
Third-country nationals living or travelling in the EU can travel within the Schengen area, whether for tourism, study or work, without border control.

2. Economic dynamism

Free movement within the Schengen area stimulates tourism, cultural exchanges and financial investments.
It favours professional mobility, thus contributing to the creation of new job opportunities.

3. Social cohesion

Free movement strengthens the ties between European citizens, creating a feeling of belonging to a community.
It encourages cultural exchanges and contributes to common enrichment.

A few figures

3.5 million people cross internal borders within the Schengen area on a daily basis.
Every year, Europeans undertake 1.25 billion trips within the Schengen area.
Almost 1.7 million people live in a Schengen state while working in another. (source European Council)

How is this borderless European area protected?

While internal border controls have been lifted, external border controls have been reinforced in order to guarantee further safety within the Schengen area as well as to fight illegal immigration.

This increased surveillance of external borders relies on several institutions and measures decided by the member States:

A common policy concerning short-stay visas (90 days maximum over a 180 day period).

Depending on their nationality, many third-country nationals must apply for a Schengen visa to be allowed entrance and movement in the Schengen area.

Visa applicants must meet certain requirements, including having subscribed to compulsory travel insurance which must also respect certain criteria in order to be accepted by consular authorities.

The implementation of an entry/exit system (EES) starting November 10, 2024: it records the data concerning entries, exits as well as denied entries of third-country nationals crossing or trying to cross the external borders of the Schengen area.
The implementation in 2025 of ETIAS (the European Travel Information and Authorization System) for third-country nationals not requiring a Schengen visa.

This electronic travel authorisation must be obtained before any trip to Europe and will require the payment of an application fee. It allows prior detection of criminals, terrorists or individuals representing a safety risk and thus preventing their entry on European soil.

Joined forces to fight criminality thanks to police and judicial cooperation between participating States.
The Schengen Information System (SIS) allows data sharing between member states concerning missing people or objects.
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (aka Frontex) guarantees strict surveillance of EU external borders.
In 2021, 6,500 people were part of the permanent contingent, this number should reach 10, 000 in 2027.
The update of the Schengen Borders Code (adopted in May 2024). According to the Council of the European Union “The reform is instrumental in making the Schengen area more resilient to present and future crises at its external borders. It makes also sure that people living and travelling in the EU can fully enjoy the benefits of borderless travel.”

Can a Schengen country re-introduce its internal border control?

Yes. The Schengen Borders Code states that a Schengen country can temporarily re-introduce its internal border control in case of serious threat to public order, safety or health.

These measures however must be exceptional and limited in time.

The European Commission, the Schengen states and the European Parliament must be notified of this reintroduction.

Has this already happened?

Yes, for example:

following the 2015 terrorist attacks,
following the 2015 European migrant crisis,
during the 2020-2021 Covid pandemic,
in September 2024, when Germany tightened its land border control to reinforce interior safety and fight illegal immigration.

Here’s everything you need to know aboutborder control in the Schengen area

FAQ

Is the Principality of Andorra part of the Schengen area?

Andorra is not part of the Schengen area. This European microstate, landlocked between France and Spain, has chosen to maintain its own border control. Consequently, travellers must present a valid passport or ID card to enter the territory, even if they are EU citizens.

Which is the last country to have joined the Schengen area?

Croatia is the last country to have fully joined the Schengen area on January 1^st, 2023. More recently, on March 31^st, 2024, Bulgaria and Romania partly joined the Schengen area by lifting air and sea border control, while, for the time being, maintaining land border control.

Is the euro the common currency of all Schengen countries?

The euro (EUR- €) is not the currency of all Schengen countries. Even though many countries of the area, such as Germany and France, use it, others, such as Sweden and Poland, have chosen to keep their own currency.

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