It's been a rocky road to Schengen membership for both eastern European countries. View on euronews

The European Union ministers has agreed to let Bulgaria and Romania fully integrate into Europe’s ID-check free travel zone known as the Schengen area by lifting land border controls next year.

Romania and Bulgaria will become full members of the open border Schengen area from January 1 2025, EU home affairs ministers decided on Thursday. The decision to remove checks on persons at the internal land borders was made at the Home Affairs Council meeting in Brussels after Austria lifted its veto.

Romania and Bulgaria will become full members of the Schengen Area that allows free movement of 420 million people between 29 mostly European Union countries without border checks from Jan. 1, the EU said Thursday.

Romania and Bulgaria will become full members of Europe's Schengen free-travel area from next month, swelling the number of nations to 29, the EU said on Thursday.

Approval comes after Austria lifted its veto, claiming its demands on tackling illegal immigration had been met.

EU states on Thursday cleared Bulgaria and Romania to become full members of the borderless Schengen zone from the start of next year, officials said, following a 13-year wait for the two eastern European nations.

Austria is dropping its veto on Romania and Bulgaria becoming full members of Europe's Schengen free-travel area, its interior ministry said on Monday, paving the way for European Union interior ministers to approve the move at a meeting on Thursday.

Bulgaria is set to enter a new chapter in tourism with its upcoming membership in the land Schengen area, effective January 1, 2025. The role of media and the communication approach were highlighted as essential components of the Bulgarian tourism industry during the forum "BG Tourism - Winter 2024/2025.

After years of debates and opposition, Bucharest and Sofia received the greenlight to join the border-free area.

Romania and Bulgaria will gain full access to the European Union’s passport-free area next year, following a grueling, nearly two-decade push that will help boost their struggling economies.