Bulgaria, Romania take first steps into Europe’s passport-free zone

Bulgaria and Romania joined Europe’s Schengen area of free movement on Sunday (31 Marc), opening up travel by air and sea without border checks after a 13-year wait.

A veto by Austria however means the new status will not apply to land routes, after Vienna expressed concerns over a potential influx of asylum seekers.

Traffic on the Danube river is not included either, as it is considered land route.

Despite the partial membership, the lifting of controls at the two countries’ air and sea borders is of significant symbolic value.