Liechtenstein

Bulgaria has joined the Schengen area for free travel, but initially only by air and sea routes. This entails the elimination of border controls for air travel among member countries of the agreement. Here are some key questions and answers for travelers regarding this development:

What is Schengen?

After 13 years of waiting, Bulgaria and Romania are to partially join the Europe's vast Schengen area of free movement on Sunday, opening up travel by air and sea without border checks.

But land border controls will remain in place due to Austria's opposition to the eastern European countries becoming full members of the Schengen zone for fear of an influx of asylum seekers.

A recent study funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway under the EEA Financial Mechanism reveals that a staggering one in four Bulgarians has encountered violence.

After more than a decade of anticipation, Bulgaria, together with Romania, has finally gained entry into the Schengen area. However, the initial approval, effective from March 2024, is limited to air and sea routes exclusively. This development signifies the end of passport checks for flights connecting Bulgaria to the broader European landscape, promising smoother travel processes.

Romania and Bulgaria have reached an agreement with Austria to join the European Schengen area of free movement by sea and air in March 2024, the Romanian government said Wednesday.

"After 13 years, Romania is finally going to join Schengen! We have a political agreement on this," Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu wrote on Facebook.

Bulgaria has met the conditions to join Europe's passport-free Schengen area by strengthening its borders and efforts to combat illegal migration, the Netherlands said Friday, as Sofia took one step closer to joining.

Cypriot banks rank second to last among European banks in terms of paying interest on total household deposits, according to data released on Wednesday by the European Banking Authority (EBA), as part of its annual risk assessment of the European banking system.

In contrast, Cypriot banks are in second place among European banks in terms of return on equity.

People applying for visas to visit Europe's Schengen area will soon do so via an online platform, under a change adopted by EU foreign ministers.

The shift towards digitalization of the visa process will also do away with the need for applicants to get a sticker in their passport, meaning no more appointments at consulates or service providers' offices.

The European Union is ushering in a new era for Schengen visas, making the process fully digital. This move eliminates the need for physical stickers in passports, streamlining the application process, as reported by AFP.

In a landmark development, the European Union (EU) has ushered in a new era of financial transactions with the introduction of instant Euro transfers that take just 10 seconds. This transformative change is the result of an agreement between EU member states and the European Parliament, underpinned by a proposal made by the European Commission a year ago.