How countries join the Schengen Zone: requirements and process

Joining the Schengen Zone isn’t a formality that European countries just get to do. An interested country can fulfill the requirements, tick all of the boxes, and still not be inducted into the Zone. This is because in order for a European country to become a Schengen country, it isn’t just about meeting the criteria. There are some politics involved. For example, both Bulgaria and Romania fulfilled the requirements years before they were actually deemed full-fledged members (which happened in 2025). 

This guide walks through how a country actually joins, what the requirements are that it has to meet, the evaluation it has to pass, and the unavoidable unanimous vote. It also covers which countries are in the Zone today, who could be next in line, and how the borders that becoming a member unlocks are kept highly secure. 

You may have heard of Schengen visas - a shared visa policy is a big change a country has to undergo in order to become a member.

What is the Schengen Area, and how does it work?

While you can learn more about it in our Schengen Area Guide, the Schengen Zone is a border-free travel area made up of 29 European countries. When traveling from member country to member country, you don’t have to pass through border control (only on entry and exit). 

This Zone was created in 1985 and, today, covers more than 1.5 million square miles and allows 450+ million people to move about freely. There are specific entry rules for travelers heading to the Schengen Area. 

The origins of Schengen, from 1985 to today

On June 14th, 1985, five countries (France, Belgium, West Germany, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) all signed the founding agreement in a Luxembourg village called Schengen. This is, obviously, how the Zone got its name. Since then, the Zone has grown from its 5 founding members to 29 European members!

The Schengen Area and the EU are not the same thing. You can learn more in this guide: Schengen Area vs. EU

How the Schengen Area works in practice

The idea is pretty simple. In most of the world, you have to pass through border control and do a passport check when you move from one country to another. The Schengen Area acts more like States do in the US. When you pass from California to Arizona, for example, you do not need to go through any passport checks. This is how the Schengen Area works. For participating countries, you can easily move from one country to another, almost as if moving from US State to US State. 

More than 3.5 million people cross internal Schengen borders every single day, by car, train, bus, plane, boat, even by bike or on foot.

How do countries join the Schengen Area? The official process

In order to join, a country must be in Europe, first and foremost. Second, they must either be in the European Union or be willing to adopt European laws and updates, and the Schengen acquis. It isn’t just about being willing to adopt them; they also have to prove that they have, and that they can sufficiently meet any EU standards or benchmarks. 

There are shared systems that need to be adopted, evaluations that need to be had, and all of the existing members have to agree for them to be inducted. It isn’t as simple as a country wanting to be a Schengen member. There are a lot of steps to be done. 

Essentially, there are a few steps to becoming a member: 

• Agreeing to adopt the required European Union criteria, rules, laws, regulations, and updates. 
• The actual adoption process. The country has to upgrade its external border control, connect to the Schengen Information System and the Visa Information System, align its visa policy, strengthen police cooperation and data protection, and more. 
• Pass the Schengen evaluation. The Commission and other Schengen members evaluate the country under mechanisms set by Regulation (EU) 2022/922. They look at how well the country has adopted and met the criteria, and where there might be any gaps.
• Once all of the criteria have been met, the Council has to vote the country in. This vote must be unanimous, meaning every existing member (there are 29 today) must agree. 
• A date of accession is set, and once it comes, the internal checks are abolished, and the country is a full member. 

At the end of the day, there isn’t just a checklist that gets completed, and then the country is in. This is a part that some guides look over. A country can pass all of the technical requirements, but it doesn’t guarantee its entry into the Zone. Because the Council needs to decide unanimously, any single member can block a country’s ascension, even if they technically meet all of the requirements. 

The requirements to join the Schengen Zone

There are several requirements that countries need to meet before they can join. They need to prove effective external border controls and show that they can technologically connect to the Schengen Information System (and do it). They also need to adopt a common visa policy, one thing that the Area is well-known for. A country-hopeful also needs to show that their police forces are willing and ready to cooperate, and that they are able to protect personal data in a highly secure way. All of these requirements, and more, have to be met. 

Connecting to the Schengen Information System (SIS)

The SIS is the shared database that the entire Schengen Area uses. It’s where information is stored, including alerts on wanted or missing people, stolen vehicles, or even lost documents. Candidate countries have to link their own systems to SIS and prove that the information can flow securely, consistently, and reliably. Cyprus, for example, completed its SIS connection in July 2023, which is a crucial step in its journey to full membership. 

A common visa policy

For travelers who want to visit any given Schengen country (France, Norway, Germany, Estonia, you name it), they can apply for something called a Schengen visa. Schengen visa requirements are standardized, whether you’re applying to go to France, Norway, or any of the other members. 

Countries that wish to join the Zone have to adopt this visa policy. This means that they would allow visa-free access to citizens of nearly 60 countries, as well as change their short-stay visa requirements to those of the Schengen Area.

Some travelers are visa-exempt. You can learn more in our guide: Do I Need a Schengen Visa?

Police and border cooperation

Keeping internal borders open and secure is a big job, and it requires a lot of cooperation between forces. Candidates have to show that not only are they willing to cooperate, they’re also capable of sharing intelligence and coordinating across borders in order to react quickly to international crime. Any “weak link” or questionable point of entry has the potential to threaten the security of the entire Zone, so it’s taken very seriously – and it should be. 

Protection of personal data

Schengen systems hold a lot of traveler data. This is especially true now that the Entry/Exit System has been fully integrated. Countries that want to join have to have data-protection practices that meet EU standards. This is so the sensitive information being passed through SIS (and other systems) is treated carefully, thoughtfully, in a highly secure and monitored manner. 

Independent evaluation and unanimous approval

Experts vet the applying country thoroughly, evaluating it against these requirements and others. If the verdict is positive, only then do member countries join together and vote. The vote, as said before, has to be unanimous. If it is, a date is set for the country to become a full member. 

Which countries are currently in the Schengen Zone?

There are currently 29 countries in the Schengen Area. These 29 countries include 25 EU countries and four non-EU countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland). The most recent countries to join were Bulgaria and Romania. Both met full-member status on January 1st, 2025.

Recent additions to the Schengen Area

After several pretty quiet years, the Zone expanded a fair bit in the past few. Croatia became a full member on January 1st, 2023. It was actually the first new member in more than a decade. Bulgaria and Romania became full members on January 1st, 2025. 

EU countries that aren’t members

There are two EU states that aren’t in the Zone. Ireland has intentionally decided to opt out. Cyprus, on the other hand, is working towards membership. It is still in the criteria adoption and evaluation process, and a vote has not yet taken place. If Cyprus joins, there will be 30 Schengen countries. 

FAQ: joining the Schengen Zone