Last updated: 9 August 2026 · Reviewed by Małgorzata Zep, lawyer and travel industry specialist
Schengen is the name of the border-free travel zone covering 29 European countries. Inside it, there are no routine passport checks when you cross from one member country to another. The name comes from Schengen, a village in Luxembourg, where the original agreement was signed on 14 June 1985.
If you hold a non-EU passport, the practical consequence is this: one Schengen visa lets you travel across all 29 countries instead of applying to each separately. But the zone is not the same thing as the European Union — and getting that wrong is what causes refused boarding and rejected applications.
| Countries in the Schengen Area | 29 |
| EU states that participate | 25 of 27 |
| EU states outside Schengen | Ireland (opted out), Cyprus (accession pending) |
| Non-EU members | Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein |
| Newest members | Bulgaria and Romania — full members since 1 January 2025 |
| Free movement applies to | Over 450 million people |
| Short-stay limit for visitors | 90 days in any 180-day period |
| Standard visa fee | €90 for adults, €45 for children aged 6–11 (since 11 June 2024) |
Sources: European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs; European Commission, Schengen visa fee; European Parliament Research Service.
The 29 Schengen countries in 2026
The list below is current as of August 2026. Bulgaria and Romania are full members — they joined on 1 January 2025, after air and sea border checks were already lifted in March 2024. Any guide still calling them “not yet part of Schengen” is out of date.
EU countries in Schengen (25)
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
Non-EU countries in Schengen (4)
Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland. These are members of the European Free Trade Association and joined Schengen through separate association agreements.
EU countries NOT in Schengen (2)
| Ireland | Negotiated an opt-out and keeps its own border checks. Ireland is in the Common Travel Area with the UK instead. You need a separate Irish visa. |
| Cyprus | Legally committed to join, but the evaluation procedure is still ongoing. A Schengen visa does not admit you to Cyprus. |
European countries outside Schengen entirely
The United Kingdom left the EU and was never in Schengen. Also outside: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Some allow visa-free entry for certain nationalities, but your Schengen visa does not cover them, and time spent there does not count toward your 90/180 allowance.
Schengen Area, Schengen visa, Schengen Agreement — three different things
These three terms get used interchangeably online. They are not the same, and the difference matters when you are filling in an application.
| Schengen Agreement | The 1985 treaty that started the project, supplemented by the 1990 Schengen Convention which added the operational rules — shared visa policy, police cooperation, and the Schengen Information System. Absorbed into EU law in 1997 by the Treaty of Amsterdam. |
| Schengen Area | The 29 countries that currently apply those rules and have removed checks at their shared borders. |
| Schengen visa | The short-stay (Type C) permit a non-EU traveller obtains to enter the zone. Valid for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, across all 29 countries. |
The most common misunderstanding: Schengen is not the EU. Four Schengen countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) are not EU members at all, and two EU members (Ireland, Cyprus) are outside Schengen. A visa is tied to the Schengen zone, not to EU membership.
Schengen visa vs “EU visa” — there is no such thing as an EU visa
Many travellers assume a Schengen visa and an “EU visa” are the same document. There is no EU-wide visa. The Schengen visa is tied to the Schengen Area, not to European Union membership — which is why it does not admit you to Ireland or Cyprus, both EU members.
| Schengen visa (Type C) | Short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, valid across all 29 Schengen countries. Issued by the consulate of your main destination. |
| National visa (Type D) | Long stays over 90 days — work, study, family reunification. Issued by one country under its own rules, and it governs residence in that country. |
| Airport transit visa (Type A) | Required of certain nationalities merely to pass through the international transit area of a Schengen airport, without entering the zone. |
| “EU visa” | Does not exist. Ireland and Cyprus each run their own visa systems and require separate applications. |
Who needs a Schengen visa
Requirements depend on nationality. Citizens of India, China, Türkiye, Russia, South Africa, Nigeria, the Philippines and most other non-EU countries must obtain a visa before travelling. Citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan and around 60 other countries may enter visa-free for short stays — though from the last quarter of 2026 they will need an ETIAS travel authorisation instead (see below).
Holding a residence permit from a Schengen country also allows visa-free travel within the zone for short stays. Always confirm your own nationality’s status with the consulate of your destination before booking.
What Schengen means in practice for your trip
You apply to one country, but you can visit all 29
You must lodge your application with the country that is your main destination — where you will spend the most nights. If your nights are split evenly, apply to the country you enter first. Applying to the “easiest” embassy instead of the correct one is a standard ground for refusal.
The 90/180 rule is a rolling count, not a calendar reset
You may stay a maximum of 90 days within any rolling 180-day window. The window does not reset on 1 January or on the date your visa was issued. On any given day, border officers count backwards 180 days and add up the days you were inside the zone. Days spent in Ireland, Cyprus or non-Schengen countries do not count.
Internal borders can come back temporarily
Member states are allowed to reintroduce checks at internal borders in response to serious threats. This happens regularly: as of May 2025, 11 Schengen states had checks in place at some internal borders. Carry your passport even on an internal flight or train — “no borders” does not mean “no ID required”.
Travel medical insurance is mandatory for visa applicants
Every Schengen visa application requires proof of travel medical insurance with minimum coverage of €30,000, valid in all Schengen states for the entire stay, including repatriation and emergency medical treatment. Missing or non-compliant insurance is one of the most frequent reasons applications are rejected.
EES and ETIAS — what changed at the border in 2025 and 2026
Two new EU systems have changed how non-EU travellers cross Schengen borders. Neither replaces the visa, and they are frequently confused with each other.
| EES (Entry/Exit System) | Registers every non-EU traveller — visa holders and visa-free alike — at the external border. Passport stamps are replaced by a digital record of face and fingerprints. Started 12 October 2025, fully operational across all Schengen countries since 10 April 2026. No fee, nothing to apply for; it happens at the border. |
| ETIAS | A travel authorisation that visa-free nationals must obtain online before departure — for 30 countries (the 29 Schengen states plus Cyprus). Scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026; the exact date is to be confirmed by the EU. Schengen visa holders do not need ETIAS. |
Practical consequence of the EES: because entries and exits are now recorded digitally, the 90/180 count is calculated automatically and precisely. Overstaying by even a few days is far more likely to be detected than it was under manual passport stamping.
Source: European Commission — Main differences between the EES and ETIAS.
What the Schengen Agreement changed in practice
For residents of Schengen countries
No passport checks when crossing internal borders by road, rail or air. The right to live in one member state and work or study in another — an arrangement used daily by well over a million cross-border commuters. For businesses, the removal of internal border formalities cut transport costs and delays for goods moving across the zone.
For visitors from outside the zone
One application, one fee, one visa covering 29 countries — instead of a separate permit for each. This is the single biggest practical advantage of the Schengen system for travellers from India, China, the Philippines and elsewhere.
What still gets checked
Removing routine border checks does not mean no controls at all. At the external border — your first point of entry into the zone — officers verify your passport, visa, purpose of travel, funds, accommodation and insurance, and now register you in the EES. Inside the zone, police may still carry out identity checks, and member states can reintroduce internal border controls temporarily: as of May 2025, 11 Schengen states had such checks in place.
Entering the zone is also not guaranteed by holding a valid visa. A visa authorises you to travel to the border and request entry; the border officer makes the final decision.
Where the name comes from
On 14 June 1985, five countries — Belgium, France, West Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands — signed an agreement to remove checks at their shared borders. It was signed aboard the boat Princesse Marie-Astrid on the River Moselle, near the Luxembourg village of Schengen, chosen because it sits at the point where Luxembourg, Germany and France meet.
The 1985 agreement set the intention; the 1990 Schengen Convention supplied the machinery — a common visa policy, cross-border police cooperation, and shared databases — so that removing internal checks did not weaken external security. Checks were actually abolished in 1995. In 1997 the Treaty of Amsterdam folded the whole framework into EU law.
From five founding states, the zone has grown to 29 countries.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries are in the Schengen Area?
29. That is 25 of the 27 EU member states, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Bulgaria and Romania became full members on 1 January 2025.
Is Schengen the same as the EU?
No. Four Schengen countries are not in the EU, and two EU countries (Ireland and Cyprus) are not in Schengen.
Does a Schengen visa let me visit Ireland or Cyprus?
No. Both require their own visa, even though they are EU members.
Are Romania and Bulgaria in Schengen now?
Yes. Both became full members on 1 January 2025, when checks at internal land borders were lifted. Air and sea checks had already been removed in March 2024.
How much does a Schengen visa cost?
€90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 11. Children under 6 apply free of charge. These rates have applied since 11 June 2024 and are identical at every Schengen consulate. Visa application centres such as VFS or TLS charge their own service fee on top.
Is there such a thing as an EU visa?
No. There is no single EU-wide visa. The Schengen visa covers the 29 Schengen countries; Ireland and Cyprus run separate visa systems.
Do I need ETIAS if I have a Schengen visa?
No. ETIAS applies only to travellers who are visa-free. If you hold a Schengen visa, you do not need it.
How long can I stay on a Schengen visa?
Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. It is not a calendar-year allowance.
Is the UK part of Schengen?
No, and it never was. The UK requires a separate visa and its own entry rules apply.
Do I still need my passport when travelling inside Schengen?
Yes. Routine checks are removed, but countries may reintroduce them temporarily, and airlines and hotels will ask for identification regardless.
This guide reflects EU rules in force on 9 August 2026. Visa requirements change — always confirm current details with the consulate handling your application.
