History of the Schengen Agreement

At first the Schengen Agreement was signed by five European countries in 1985. They wanted to create a zone for the free movement of people, goods and services. 

Governments’ spending on border control immediately decreased, commodity exchange accelerated, and business ties between the five countries strengthened. Neighbouring states liked the experience.

Today, the Schengen Area includes 29 countries. The region’s internal borders are crossed by 3.5 million people daily. Here’s how the Schengen history began, which countries signed the agreement and what regulations were established.

First steps towards the Schengen Agreement

The Schengen Area premise was introduced after the end of World War II. In 1957, six European countries — Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands ― signed the Treaty of Rome, establishing the European Economic Community, or EEC.

The main goal of the EEC was to create a free trade zone and a customs, economic and monetary union of states. Over 30 years, six more European countries signed the treaty, but they closed in creating a unified zone only in the mid-80s of the 20th century.

On June 14th, 1985, five EEC countries — Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands — signed the abolition of internal border control agreements. It took place on a vessel anchored at the Moselle River in Luxembourg’s village of Schengen.

For 10 years, the countries could not agree on abolishing border controls. In 1990, they adopted the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement. It detailed the rules for crossing states’ internal and external borders, the conditions for issuing visas and the movement of third-country foreigners.

The Agreement entered into force on March 26th, 1995, on the territory of seven states. Spain and Portugal joined the first five.

In 1999, the Schengen Agreement, the Convention on its implementation, and other documents that set out the conditions for the Schengen Area’s existence were codified into the legislation of the European Union.  

Which countries have signed the Schengen Agreement

From 1995 to 2011, the borders of the Schengen Area were repeatedly changed. In 1997, two more countries signed the Schengen Agreement: Austria and Greece. 

Gradually, the region has grown: in 2023, the Schengen Area includes 29 European states. They all signed an agreement on abolishing visas and customs checks at the internal borders. 

The territories of the Schengen Area and the European Union do not coincide. The agreement was signed by four countries that are not union members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. And four member countries of the EU — Ireland and Cyprus — are not yet part of the Schengen Area.

Timeline of the Schengen Agreement signing

Cyprus is a Schengen Area candidate. As of 2025, Cyprus is in a transition period: it applies the Schengen law and allow entry with both a national and a Schengen visa. The date of the signing is unknown, and the Council of the European Union will decide on this.

The Schengen agreements are also followed by dwarf European states that are not officially members of the Schengen Area: San Marino, Vatican City, Monaco and Andorra. Tourists can visit these countries with a Schengen visa but can’t enter the Schengen Area from them.

Why did the countries sign the Schengen Agreement?

The Schengen Agreement simplifies passport and visa controls at the borders of the member countries. Citizens of those countries do not need to obtain visas or pass border checks when travelling within the region.

The member countries are committed to the general rules of the Schengen legislation:

• cancel visas at internal borders;
• unify visa types, as well as entry and exit rules for foreign citizens;
• establish an information exchange between police forces and the courts.

Any Schengen country can temporarily resume internal border control checks if there is a serious threat to public policy or internal security. For example, Portugal and Germany restored passport and visa controls during the FIFA World Cup.

The Schengen countries have a visa information system, or VIS, a single database of Schengen visa holders and applicants. The system collects information about visas and visa denials from all countries in the area. Consulates of states, police, border services, and Interpol have access to the system.

Citizens of other countries get visas to travel within the Schengen Area. The exception is citizens of countries that have signed a mutual visa-waiver agreement.

The visa is valid for up to 5 years, but the maximum stay in the Schengen Area is 90 days every 180 days.

Schengen visas can be single-entry or multiple-entry. Single-entry visa types are the following:

1. Type A, valid for 2 days in the airport transit area;
2. Type D, valid for up to a year in the issuing country.

Multiple-entry Schengen Type C visas

New rules for entering the Schengen Area

Starting in late 2023, tourists with the right to travel without a visa to the Schengen Area must undergo a European Travel Information and Authorization System or ETIAS check. After checking, tourists will receive a special entry permit.

Citizens of 59 countries will need an ETIAS permit. Transit passengers are also required to pass the check. A permit allows visiting all the Schengen states, but holders must start their travels from the country indicated first in the application.

The application can only be completed online by specifying personal information, education, home address, place of work, and citizenship information. You must submit your application at least 96 hours before the trip.

ETIAS determines possible grounds for denial by checking the information specified by the applicant with the connected databases. The applicant will receive permission in 10—15 minutes if there are no matches. Otherwise, the application is sent to specialists who will recheck the applicant’s data and make a final decision. 

The visa-free travel permit is valid for 3 years or until the passport expires. The cost of verification is €7. For children under 18 and people over 70, the check is free of charge.

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