Schengen Visa Holders to Get Bulgarian and Romanian Additions to European Itineraries
Travel with ease and flexibility with the Schengen visa! For holders of the Schengen visa, who have been dreaming of a European travel itinerary, two more nations have been added to their wish lists — Bulgaria and Romania. With the recent agreement of the European Union to allow these Balkan countries to adopt Schengen system rules at ports and airports, the doors have opened for a more extensive travel route through the Schengen region.

Austria Not Fully Convinced
While the approval for air and maritime travel has been granted, Austria expresses caution, citing potentials for a surge of migrants at the land borders. To ensure border control, Vienna has made a commitment to strengthen land borders with further EU funding. Sofia and Bucharest in response, are now sharing the responsibility of hosting migrants from Syria and Afghanistan.

Enhanced Economic Activity
The agreement toward the inclusion in the Schengen area is a breakthrough for both Bulgaria and Romania. An expected streamlining of commercial traffic means a reduction in wait times for trucks crossing the Danube River, coming from Greece and Turkey. Furthermore, Bulgaria Finance Minister Assen Vassilev predicts a positive effect on the Bulgarian economy once land borders open.

At its establishment in 1985, the Schengen Area was formed of 23 of the 27 EU states, upon the principles of collaboration and rapid, unhampered travel mid-way through the region. These gains are only set to grow with the current inclusion of Bulgaria and Romania. Ready, steady, explore!