What Schengen means for you

Once in another country, travellers are aliens, and the laws of that country apply to them. This means that they have to carry proof of identity, such as a valid travel document (a passport or European Identity Card).

Visitors to the Schengen Area from certain countries also require a Schengen visa or a residence permit issued by a Schengen country.

• Which countries are members of the Schengen Area?
• How long may I travel freely within the Schengen Area?
• What travel documents do I require for identification?
  

Which countries are members of the Schengen Area?

The Schengen countries, which have abolished “internal” border controls between them, are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

As of 1 May 2004, ten new member states joined the European Union: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Cyprus, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. On 1 January 2007, Bulgaria and Rumania also joined the European Union. The current external Schengen-border will remain unchanged for the moment. A Schengen visa is not valid for the new member states. The new member states will issue national visas until further notice and no Schengen visas.

How long may I travel freely within the Schengen Area?

Whether they require a visa or not, nationals of non-EU countries may travel freely in the Schengen Area for a maximum of three months. This has long been the customary limit on short stays in the individual Schengen countries. Now that they have abolished internal border controls, it applies to the entire Schengen Area.

Visitors still require a visa or residence permit to stay longer than three months. Granting these authorisations is still a matter for the individual Schengen countries.

What travel documents do I require for identification?

A passport, normally valid throughout the world, or a European Identity Card, valid in more than 27 European countries.