As of today, Bulgaria is part of the Schengen area by air and water

As of today, Bulgaria is a member of the Schengen area by air and water. Air and sea border checks are being dropped after a process that lasted more than a decade, Dir.bg reported.

The reason for the partial accession is the veto imposed by Austria - the only EU member state that expressed objections, driven by fears of an influx of asylum seekers, reminds France Press, quoted by BTA. However, this milestone has a strong symbolic meaning, the agency notes.

With the entry of Bulgaria and Romania, the Schengen area, created in 1985, will now have 29 members - 25 of the 27 EU member states and its neighbors - Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The Schengen area allows more than 400 million people to travel between member countries without border controls.

The Council of the EU will have to adopt a decision to determine the date from which the control of the internal land borders between Bulgaria, Romania and the other countries of the Schengen area will be abolished, notes the Romanian agency Agerpress. The European Commission will continue to provide the Council Presidency with all the necessary support to ensure that the decision on land borders can be taken in 2024, the European Commission Representation in Romania said.

What travelers in Bulgaria using Sofia Airport should know.

If you are leaving

When traveling to a Schengen country, you check in your luggage if you have any. After that, there is only a security check, as well as customs control for countries outside the European Union - Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. This is also done for passengers traveling to third countries via a Schengen member state. Passengers then proceed to the departure gate without going through passport control.

If the destination is a country outside the Schengen area, the travel procedure remains the same as it has been up to now - baggage registration, security check, customs control and passport control.

If you are arriving

If a passenger lands at Sofia Airport from a Schengen member country, he can go directly to claim baggage, if he has any registered baggage, without going through passport control.

It remains to go through customs control for passengers arriving from countries outside the European Union - Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, as well as for passengers arriving from third countries via a Schengen member state.

If you are arriving from a destination outside the Schengen area, the procedure for border inspection and customs inspection before receiving checked baggage remains the same as it has been up to now.

Without the written consent of the parents of a minor or minor child

The Border Police General Directorate will not require the provision of written consent from the parents upon leaving the country of minors and minors of Bulgarian citizens at internal air and sea borders traveling to Schengen countries. If there is a parent who does not wish their child to travel with the other parent, there is a procedure by the relevant district court to issue an order that the child does not travel abroad.

Identity document required

The requirement to carry an identity document remains mandatory.