After World War II, European countries came together to create a more stable and unified international community within the European continent. This was achieved throughout the years thanks to a series of peace and trade agreements.
The results are an area of freedom of movement and
After World War II, European countries came together to create a more stable and unified international community within the European continent. This was achieved throughout the years thanks to a series of peace and trade agreements.
The results are an area of freedom of movement and trade (the Schengen zone) and a political and economic international coalition with a common Parliament and shared laws and currency (the European Union or EU).
The good news for international tourists is that foreigners can enjoy some of the same privileges that apply to European citizens: for example, thanks to the new ETIAS (European Travel Information and authorization System) visa waiver, eligible citizens can travel freely within the Schengen area with just one travel authorization.
Italy has joined both the Schengen area and the EU. But although it may sometimes seem confusing to citizens of other continents (and even to Europeans themselves) the Schengen area and the European Union are not the same. Not all EU countries are part of the Schengen area and some nations within the Schengen territory did not sign up to join the Union.
This page is intended to clear up any doubts regarding the two European institutions. Here you’ll learn about:
- The history and purpose of the Schengen Area
- The history and purpose of the European Union
- The lists of countries within the Schengen zone and the EU respectively
- How to get a visa for the Schengen territory.
What Is the Schengen Area?
The Schengen Agreement was signed in 1958 in a small village near Luxembourg. The village is called Schengen and the name remained to refer to both the agreement and the international partnership that developed in the following decades.
The original signers were 5 European countries — (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. The agreement saw for the first time the dissolution of internal borders.
Although the concept has been more clearly defined and came to embrace many aspects of European life, at the core of today’s Schengen area still lies the principle of freedom of movement within Europe.
But what does freedom of movement mean for the Schengen countries? The below are the most important effects of the agreement:
- There are no checks at internal borders within the area (this means the borders between Schengen states).
- The signatory countries join forces and apply the same protocols for running controls at the external borders (this means the borders between Schengen countries and non-Schengen nations).
- Both EU citizens and non-EU citizens who entered the area legally can move freely within the Schengen area and will only have to go through document checks when crossing an external border or in case of special circumstances regarding European safety.
If you are a non-EU citizens wishing to travel to the Schengen zone legally, you will have to check the visa requirements for Europe and obtain a permit befo