Travelling to the EU and Schengen area (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between the EU and the Schengen zone? ›

What is the difference between the EU and Schengen? The EU is a political and economic union with its own parliament - political structures - and governance whereas the Schengen Agreement is a treaty that allows for the free movement of people between participating countries.

The Schengen area comprises 29 European countries. There is normally no passport control on the borders between these countries. If you have a valid visa or residence permit in one of these countries, you can also visit the other Schengen countries.

There is no general requirement that you must enter the Schengen Area through the country that issued your visa. Your main destination may be different than your first destination. To prevent complications, stick to your itinerary as best you can.

Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom are EU states that are not, or not yet, part of the Schengen area. This means that a flight from one of these states to a Schengen state is regarded as an external flight and is subject to border checks.

However, there are possible disadvantages to the Schengen Agreement. First, the system is based on a treaty between sovereign states. Any changes to it would therefore require the unanimous agreement of all Schengen members, an arrangement that could prove to be inflexible.

Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland have all acceded to the Schengen Agreement and are ...

All Schengen countries and Cyprus use the same format for their stamps and stamps are not issued when traveling from one Schengen country to another, except for land border crossings to, from, and between Romania and Bulgaria.

As a general rule you may cross any Schengen border with visa issued by any Schengen country.

You might have to go through customs during a layover, especially if your layover is in the Schengen Area (which consists of most countries in the EU). For example, if your final destination is Paris, France, but you have a layover in Madrid, Spain, you will actually go through customs in Spain, not France.

Unless stated differently on the visa stamp, short-stay visas are valid for all the 27 States in the Schengen area i.e. the following countries (in alphabetical order): Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, ...

Can I change my itinerary after getting a Schengen visa? ›

Yes you can change your hotel arrangements if this is necessary after obtaining your Schengen Visa - but your itinerary should remain similar.

Yes, according to the Schengen Agreement rules, the Schengen visa is generally valid for all Schengen area countries. However, please note that you need to apply at the Consulate of the country of your primary stay or the country of the first entry.

Countries in the Schengen area may reinstate temporary internal or external border control without notice. U.S. citizens should carry their U.S. passport book at all times when entering or leaving the Schengen area. They should also bring it when traveling between Schengen countries.

EU VS Schengen

The European Union is an economic and political union of several European countries. The Schengen Area is a travel zone of several European countries where citizens can travel freely without a passport or a visa. Established in 1993.

The name “Schengen” comes from the small winemaking town and commune of Schengen in far southeastern Luxembourg, where France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands signed the Schengen Agreement.

ETIAS is an electronic system linked to the traveller's passport which allows him or her to enter and travel within the European Union but not necessarily the Schengen area if the passport holder is not an EU citizen. A Schengen Visa is entered manually into the passport and allows travel within the 27 member states.

Schengen is the name of a small village in Luxembourg, on the border with Germany and France, where the Schengen Agreement and the Schengen Convention were signed in 1985 and in 1990 respectively.

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malta, Norway, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romenia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Schengen started in 1985 with just six countries. The UK opted out of the initiative, having much less interest in scrapping border controls because of its island geography.