Since March 31, Bulgaria and Romania have become members of the Schengen Zone, but so far, the new rules only apply to airports and seaports.
Passengers departing from airports in Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen countries no longer undergo passport control. The same rule applies to return flights, as reported by Avianews.
This means that passengers go through all procedures as if they were flying on a domestic flight. Upon departure, they only undergo security control, and upon arrival, they can collect their luggage and proceed freely to the city.
The cancellation of passport control has led to the need to reorganize Bulgarian and Romanian airports. Whereas previously, most passengers underwent passport control, now a significant portion of travelers are exempt from this procedure.
According to Austria’s proposal, both countries have received “air Schengen” status. However, Vienna continues to veto the accession of Bulgaria and Romania’s land borders to the Schengen Zone, citing issues with illegal migration.
The Schengen Zone comprises 29 European states. A distinctive feature of the agreement is joint border control at the external borders of participating states and the absence of control at the borders between these countries. The latest country to join Schengen was Croatia in 2022.
