What is the Schengen area?

What are internal and external Schengen borders?

Internal borders are the frontiers the member countries share with each other. Between them, checks have been abolished, and the Commission reports that every day more than 3.5 million people cross an internal border for work, study or to visit family and friends without any additional paperwork and, in the vast majority of cases, without additional waiting times. [1]

External borders are where the area meets the rest of the world. Entry and exit checks are carried out at the external border where the person is entering, but they are performed on behalf of all Schengen States rather than for the country of arrival alone, using systems such as the Schengen Information System (SIS) and the Visa Information System (VIS). [1] The Entry-Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will soon complement those systems. [1]

For air travel that distinction shapes what happens on the ground: a flight between two member countries crosses an internal border where checks have been abolished, while a flight arriving from outside the area crosses the external border at its first point of entry, where the area-wide check takes place. [1] See airport guides and electronic travel authorisation for those systems in practice.

Which countries are in the Schengen area?

The Commission counts 29 countries in the area: 25 EU Member States and four non-EU countries, which are Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. [1] Membership has grown in stages, most recently with Bulgaria and Romania joining on 1 January 2025. [1] The project itself began in 1985 on board a vessel on a river shared by Luxembourg, Germany and France. [1]

Membership is not the same thing as EU membership: four of the 29 countries are outside the EU. [1] Nor is the area the same as the Single Market. The Commission describes it as contributing significantly to the Single Market and as a major driver of competitiveness for 32 million European businesses, through free movement of workers, goods and services and lower administrative costs at borders. [1]

How does the 90/180 short-stay rule work?

The area's common rules cover entry conditions and short-stay visas, stated as up to 90 days within a 180-day period. [1] The Commission also describes the Schengen visa as allowing a holder to travel to the area and move freely within it for up to three months within a six-month period, whether the purpose is tourism, business or work. [1]

Schengen visas are processed and issued by Schengen States in line with harmonised standards and requirements, and holders can enter the area but are subject to entry and exit checks. [1] Nationals of third countries that require a visa to enter Schengen need to apply for a Schengen visa. [1]

EU citizens have the right to enter and exit the area through any Schengen country, and undergo a limited number of checks on entry and exit, carried out with the help of automated border gates. [1] The documents a traveller must present at the border are a separate question; see passport validity and entry checks.

Which European countries are outside the area?

• Cyprus. Cyprus participates in Schengen cooperation, but the Council has not yet abolished internal border controls there and the integration process is under way. [1]
• Ireland. Ireland is exceptionally allowed by the Schengen Protocol not to apply the Schengen rules (an "opt out") and continues to enforce its own visa and border policies; it has asked to take part in some Schengen areas, including the Schengen Information System and judicial and police cooperation. [1]
• Temporary controls inside the area. Countries may temporarily reintroduce internal border controls as a measure of last resort where there is a serious threat to public policy or internal security; the country concerned must inform the Council (and so the other Schengen countries), the European Parliament, the Commission and the public. [1]
• Limits of the term. "Schengen" describes a border arrangement, not a guarantee of admission: the entry and exit checks described above apply to people crossing the external border, and visas are issued by individual Schengen States under harmonised standards. [1]

Frequently asked questions

Is the Schengen area the same as the European Union?

No. The area contains 29 countries, and four of them — Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein — are not EU countries. [1]

How many countries are in the Schengen area?

29: 25 EU Member States and four non-EU countries, following the accession of Bulgaria and Romania on 1 January 2025. [1]

Do flights between Schengen countries involve a border check?

The Commission states that checks at internal borders between the countries in the area have been abolished. [1] A flight arriving from outside the area crosses the external border, where entry and exit checks are carried out at the point of entry on behalf of all Schengen States. [1]

How long can a short stay in the Schengen area last?

The short-stay visa rules cover up to 90 days within a 180-day period, and the Commission also describes a Schengen visa as permitting movement within the area for up to three months within a six-month period. [1]

Can border checks come back inside the Schengen area?

Yes, temporarily. A country may reintroduce internal border controls as a last resort in cases of a serious threat to public policy or internal security, and must inform the Council, the European Parliament, the Commission and the public. [1]

Related pages

Glossary: all frequent flyer terms. Entry and documents: passport validity and entry checks, electronic travel authorisation. Airports: airport guides.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Airline and hotel loyalty programmes are not covered here; the page sets out the Schengen area as described by the European Commission. [1]

1. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs: Schengen area, checked 18 October 2026