Almost twenty years after joining the EU Romania and Bulgaria are now full members of the Schengen borderless area zone. With the end of 2024 the land border controls were scrapped and from 1 January 2025 passengers travelling by cars and trains between Romania and Hungary do not need anymore to show their documents at any of the 17 existing public border crossings. This changed with the end of the last year. The states of the Southeast Europe are now completely intergated into the Schengen area. Until recently the travelling passengers had to present their personal documents when crossing Bulgarian and Romanian border.
However it can not be forgotten that the control at inner borders is actually ( again ) existing in eight states of the EU/Schengen: Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, Austria, Sweden and Slovenia. Since 9 December 2024 also Holland again implemented the control at its inner borders with Belgium and Germany. As well at the Austrian border with Slovenia controls are effective since several years and they are being extended again and again for a period of six months. The newest prolongation is valid till 11 May 2025.
