As of 31 March 2024, Bulgaria officially joined the Schengen Area by air and sea and from 1st of January 2025 is fully accepted, this step marks a significant milestone in Bulgaria’s European integration journey — both legally and practically. Here you can find more information on what Schengen membership means in its current phase and highlight the benefits for residents, citizens and entrepreneurs.
What Is the Schengen Area and What Did Bulgaria Join?
The Schengen Area is a zone of 27 European countries that have abolished internal border controls to facilitate the free movement of goods and people. It is one of the EU’s most powerful and symbolic achievements, built on mutual trust and common border management.
Bulgaria, together with Romania, has long awaited full membership. In December 2023, the EU Council approved the first phase of Schengen accession for both countries — covering air and maritime borders only. And as of 1st of January 2025, Bulgaria has been fully accepted in Schengen, which means the boarders with Romania and Greece and opened for free and effortless movement of people and goods across the Schengen area which has his own huge benefits, especially for our country.
Key Benefits for Residents and Citizens
Easier and Faster Travel
- No passport checks when going to or from other Schengen countries (e.g., Austria, Germany, Italy, Romania, Greece, etc.). This will spare so much time on boarder control (we know that everybody hates it J).
- Travel feels more like a “domestic flight” within Europe. If you are an EU resident, you could e eligible to travel within the area without any specific further visa. Check below the ETIAS paragraph.
- Faster border crossings at seaports — particularly relevant for tourism on the Black Sea coast which may boost the local economy there. This could create a lot of business opportunities.
With Bulgaria joining the Schengen Area, the country will also become part of the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) framework once it is fully implemented. ETIAS is a new EU-wide system that will require visa-exempt non-EU travelers — such as citizens of the U.S., UK, Canada, and others — to apply for online travel authorization before entering the Schengen Zone. While ETIAS is not a visa, it adds an extra layer of security and allows authorities to assess potential risks before entry, helping to strengthen border management and streamline legitimate travel across Europe, including to and from Bulgaria.
Visa and Residents Benefits
- Bulgaria will now issue Schengen visas, which allow holders to travel across all Schengen countries.
- Residents of third countries with Bulgarian residency permits may enjoy more predictable mobility rights.
For a third country citizens who are Bulgarian residents, Schengen membership brings a significant upgrade in day-to-day mobility and traveling across the area. With the removal of passport controls at the borders, traveling to other Schengen countries is now faster and easier. It reduces waiting times at airports, eliminates repetitive identity checks, and makes European travel feel truly borderless which is the main idea and goal. For students, freelancers, and professionals who frequently move within the EU, this means not only easier logistics, but also a stronger sense of inclusion in the European community. Additionally, residents can benefit from simplified visa procedures for family members (for example: family reunification process) and a more predictable legal framework for cross-border activities.
Benefits for Business and Trade
More Efficient Logistics and Boost to Tourism
- Cargo transportation benefits from harmonized customs and security procedures. All the goods could travel across Schengen without a mandatory boarder control. Of course, such can be done at the discretion of the authorities.
- Businesses can operate with greater predictability for shipments to/from other Schengen ports.
- Tourists from across the EU can now reach Bulgaria more easily (especially by air). Will make it an attractive destination for European travellers and tourists. This may boost the economy and the tourism sector, which opens up new potential for the hospitality and transport industries.
Stronger Integration in the EU Internal Market
- Companies in Bulgaria gain a competitive edge with reduced administrative burdens in cross-border movement. It will make Bulgarian businesses and their products and services more available. Also, foreign products will find easier and cheaper path to the Bulgarian market.
- Improved perception for investors looking at Bulgaria as a stable EU gateway. This can be strengthen even more with acceptance of the EU currency which may be upcoming in the future couple of years.
Joining Schengen is not only symbolic — it involves deep operational alignment with EU rules:
- Bulgaria now has full access to the Schengen Information System (SIS) — a critical security and migration tool, which will help the authorities to navigate all these processes even better.
- Increased cooperation with FRONTEX and other EU border control agencies – Bulgaria has an outside boarders (of which one is arguably one of the busiest in the world) with non-EU and Schengen countries which makes this cooperation crucial.
- Alignment with common visa policies, police cooperation, and asylum procedures. This makes Bulgaria more secure and with common practices as all of the other EU countries so relocating to Bulgaria may be not so tough after all.
Bulgaria’s partial Schengen membership is already a game-changer. Residents benefit from smoother travel, businesses enjoy greater efficiency, and the country strengthens its position within the EU framework. This is a clear indicator of Bulgaria’s growing legal and political alignment with core European values which will be confirmed with accepting Bulgaria in the EU zone in the following years. For professionals and entrepreneurs alike, understanding these benefits is not just informative — it’s essential for planning, compliance, and seizing new opportunities in a united Europe. If you need to know more about the opportunities this offers, please reach out on our contact form and we would be glad to explain in detail.
