Media: Romanians, Bulgarians allowed to travel to EU without passports from end of March 2024
Starting from March 31st, 2024, citizens of the European Union member states – Romania and Bulgaria – will no longer need a passport to travel by air or sea to most other EU countries, as well as to Norway and Switzerland, Reuters reports with reference to a statement made at the EU Council
The decision expands the Schengen area to 25 of the twenty-seven EU countries, which also includes Norway and Switzerland that are not members. At the same time, Ireland and Cyprus, which are members of the European Union, are not excluded, and EU citizens still need to have a passport to enter these states.
Romanians and Bulgarians will continue to undergo passport control when crossing land borders with their EU neighbours, but negotiations on their abolition will continue in 2024, and a decision on this issue will be made ‘within a reasonable time’, the European Commission said in a statement.
