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One of Europe’s greatest achievements, the Schengen Area allows travelers to travel across the continent, usually without having to undergo identity checks: from Germany to France, then to Italy, and east to Croatia, it’s almost like traveling in your own country.
It has greatly facilitated European integration and made international travel hassle-free for those holidaying in Europe, but it is not without its drawbacks.
Currently, travelers are not allowed to stay in Schengen for more than 90 days out of a 180-day period.
This means that any time spent in the zone, even if spread across several countries, will count towards the 90-day limit. Now, two more countries are present:
Bulgaria and Romania are welcomed into Schengen
After years of waiting on the sidelines, Bulgaria and Romania will formally join Schengen in March 2024.
Although they have been members of the European Union since 2007, they are not allowed into the border-free zone due to security concerns.
Now the issues raised by other Schengen countries, especially Austria and the Netherlands, which have firmly opposed their accession, appear to have finally been addressed and resolved. It is expected that the blockade will be lifted next year.
You might be wondering what impact that has you like a American travels through Europe.
If you are traveling in Europe for a long period of time, especially if you are a digital nomad who relies on the so-called Schengen visa runs, this may affect you deep.
As for short-term tourists, you are also concerned as Americans who do not fully understand the concept of Schengen and its implications are being caught on the wrong side of the law time and time again and being hit with huge fines, or even risk a ban on return to Europe.
Let’s unpack this.
How does this affect you as an American?
As you should know by now, Schengen is a common travel area that includes (so far) 27 European countries where border controls have been abolished.
Unlike the United States and Canada, or the United States and Mexico, where cross-border travel routinely involves passport checks and strict interrogations, There is no such thing on the other side most from Europeas most internal control points have been removed.
Despite being members of the European Union, Bulgaria and Romania had been left out of Schengen indefinitely due to Europe’s migration crisis and fears that they would not be able to stem the influx of refugees coming from the eastern flank.
After all, they are closest to Turkiye, a popular transit route for refugees from the Middle East, and once in Schengen, other European countries in the area would no longer be able to monitor persons entering their territory.
As a result, There has always been passport control travel from these two neighboring countries and other EU/Schengen states, as in order to take off to Schengen, Bulgaria and Romania need unanimous approval from all 27 current members.
After an extensive debate recently, Austria (the main opponent of Schengen expansion) agreed to let them in partially. In other words: a ‘Air Schengen‘ will be created, in particular removing existing controls on air travel.
Persons traveling overland from Bulgaria or Romania to other Schengen States will still be subject to passport control, but not those traveling airsidewhich applies to a majority of passengers.
The measure is expected to reduce waiting times at airports dramaticAs tourists from the Schengen area land in Bulgaria or Romania, or vice versa, they currently have to wait in line to speak to a customs agent, undergo a short interview and then be stamped into the country.
However, it’s not all good news.
As Schengen Member States, however partially, Bulgaria and Romania will apply the Schengen Treaty acquis.
In simpler terms: spend time in these two countries affects your permitted length of stay in other EU/Schengen states.
This was not the case before.
Americans will technically have less time to explore Europe
As current non-Schengen countries, Bulgaria and Romania allowed tourists to stay in each country for 90 days, regardless of the time spent in other EU/Schengen countries.
This was a popular ‘loophole’ for slow travelers and digital nomads in Europe, who would typically use up the 90 days they have in Schengen and then travel on to Bulgaria or Romania for another 90 days until the 180-day period would expire. expire. and they could return to the border-free zone.
From March 2024, once aviation controls are abolished, In theory this will no longer be possible.
Here’s an example: If you fly nonstop from JFK to Bucharest next summer, and you spend 30 days traveling through Romania’s beautiful, castle-studded Transylvanian hinterland, you’ll only have 60 days left to spend in the whole of Schengen later in the next six months.
Likewise, if you land in Spain for the first time and spend 47 days in the country, you will only have 43 days to travel in other Schengen members, at least until a brand new 180-day period begins.
With the accession of Bulgaria and Romania you will essentially have fewer time to discover Europeas is the case with every new country that joins Schengen, inevitably increasing the size of the passport-free zone.
The current Schengen member states are the following:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
From March 2024, Bulgaria and Romania will join that list.
We reiterate that as an American tourist you can only be present for 90 days in the Schengen Zone, including all countries mentioned above, and the two additional countries that will join.
This can be used ‘in one go’, continuously or spread over 180 days.
Needless to say, digital nomads and long-term visitors to Europe will too no longer in Bulgaria and Romania can wait until their 180 day period has expired, as they could do before, because they at will apply the rules of the Schengen area.
Going over 90 days could result in eye-watering fines, or even a years-long ban on visits to all countries in the Schengen area (most of Europe).
Not all of Europe is in Schengen… Not yet
This doesn’t mean you can’t spend more than 90 days at a time in Europe: there are still many countries on the continent that are not part of the European Union or its Schengen Area.
These include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, where Americans can stay for 90 days each, and as much as one continuous year in Albania.
Further afield visits to Eurasian countries such as Turkiye or Georgia do not affect future Schengen stays.
EU member states Ireland and Cyprus are also not in Schengen, and they offer Americans a 90-day stay regardless of previous visits to Schengen.
Likewise, the United Kingdom is a viable option as U.S. passport holders can spend 180 days on British soil regardless of time spent in other European countries.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
