Austria Ends Veto, Paving Way for Bulgaria and Romania's Full Schengen Membership

The two countries are set to join the Schengen Area fully on January 1, 2025, eliminating land border checks after Austria's policy shift.

Austria has announced it will drop its veto, allowing Bulgaria and Romania to fully join the Schengen Area starting January 1, 2025.
The decision follows a significant decrease in irregular border crossings, attributed to strengthened external border controls and cooperation agreements.
Currently, air and sea border checks for travel to both countries have already been removed, but land border controls remain in place until the full integration date.
The Schengen expansion is expected to boost economic ties, ease travel, and enhance police cooperation across the EU, according to the European Commission.
While Bulgaria's Schengen membership will ease travel, its adoption of the Euro is not expected until at least January 2026 due to inflation concerns.