Schengen Area: establishment, expansion and crisis management (1985–2023)

1. Schengen Agreement signed by five states

   Jun 14, 1985Labels: Schengen Agreement, Luxembourg, Founding States

   • Britannica
   • EU Commission

2. Convention implementing Schengen signed

   Jun 19, 1990Labels: Implementing Convention, Schengen States, Legal Mechanism

   • Eurofound
   • EU Commission

3. Internal border controls abolished for first members

   Mar 26, 1995Labels: Internal Borders, Founding States, Passport-free Travel

   • EU Law
   • Britannica

4. Schengen Information System (SIS) declared operational

   Mar 26, 1995Labels: Schengen Information, SIS, Security Cooperation

   • EUR Lex
   • EU Commission

5. Treaty of Amsterdam signed, integrating Schengen path

   Oct 2, 1997Labels: Treaty of, Schengen Acquis, EU Integration

   • Eurofound
   • EU Parliament

6. Schengen acquis becomes part of EU law

   May 1, 1999Labels: Schengen Acquis, Treaty of, EU Law

   • EU Parliament
   • Eurofound

7. Schengen Borders Code adopted

   Mar 15, 2006Labels: Schengen Borders, EU Regulation, Border Rules

   • EUR Lex

8. Schengen expands to nine Central and Eastern states

   Dec 21, 2007Labels: 2007 Enlargement, Central and, Schengen Expansion

   • EU2008
   • MPI

9. Controls at internal air borders lifted for 2007 entrants

   Mar 30, 2008Labels: Air Border, 2007 Entrants, Schengen Enlargement

   • EU2008

10. Germany reintroduces internal border controls during crisis

    Sep 13, 2015Labels: Germany, Internal Controls, 2015 Refugee

    • Guardian
    • Consilium

11. Codified Schengen Borders Code adopted

    Mar 9, 2016Labels: Codified Borders, Regulation 2016, Border Reintroduction

    • EUR Lex

12. COVID-19 prompts EU non-essential travel restriction

    Mar 16, 2020Labels: COVID-19 Restrictions, European Commission, External Borders

    • EU Commission

13. Croatia becomes full Schengen member

    Jan 1, 2023Labels: Croatia, Schengen Membership, Internal Borders

    • Consilium
    • GOV SI

14. Croatia lifts internal air-border controls

    Mar 26, 2023Labels: Croatia, Air Border, Schengen Completion

    • Consilium
    • GOV SI

15. EU agrees to update Schengen Borders Code rules

    Feb 6, 2024Labels: EU Borders, Council and, Border Rules

    • Consilium

16. Romania and Bulgaria join Schengen by air and sea

    Mar 31, 2024Labels: Romania, Bulgaria, Partial Schengen

    • Consilium
    • AP News

17. Land border controls lifted with Romania and Bulgaria

    Jan 1, 2025Labels: Romania, Bulgaria, Full Schengen

    • Consilium
    • AP News