Schengen Country List – World’s Largest Free Zone

In this article, we are going to look at the complete names of countries that form the Schengen country list.

In 1985, France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands signed an agreement to abolish borders among its member states.

The Schengen country area is a list of 26 countries referred to as the world’s largest free zone. The name came from a town, Schengen, in Luxembourg where the original agreement was made. 22 out of these 26 countries in the Schengen area are European countries, while the remaining 4 countries (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein) are part of the European Free Trade Association.

What is the Schengen Agreement?

The Schengen Agreement is a treaty that led to the abolishment of internal border checks and the creation of Europe’s Schengen Area. The original treaty was signed on 14th June 1985 by 5 out of the ten members of the former European Economic Community and was later enacted after a decade. All European countries, except the U.K and Ireland, joined over the coming years.

Furthermore, some countries outside the EU were able to join for the fact that they are part of the European Free Trade Association. These countries include Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein.

Because Britain has left the EU, there are low chances that it will join Schengen in the foreseeable future.

Schengen Country List

The Schengen country area consists of 16 countries that cover almost all parts of mainland Europe. The complete list is given below.

S. No Country Date of Joining
1. Austria April 28, 1995
2. Portugal 25th April 1991.
3. Germany 14th June 1985
4. Czech Republic 16th April 2003.
5. Poland 16th April 2003
6. Italy 27th November 1990
7. Luxembourg 14th June 1985
8. Estonia 16th April 2003.
9. Latvia 16th April 2003
10. Spain 25th June 1991
11. Lithuania 16th April 2003
12. Finland 19th December 1996
13. Iceland 18th May 1999
14. Slovenia 16th April 2003
15. Slovakia 16th April 2003
16. Denmark 19th December 1996
17. Hungary 16th April 2003
18. Malta 16th April 2003
19. Switzerland 26th October 2004
20. Belgium 14th June 1985
21. France 14th June 1985
22. Liechtenstein 28th February 2008
23. Greece 6th November 1992
24. Norway It signed the Schengen agreement on 19th December 1996, followed by a second agreement on 18th May 1999.
25. Sweden 9th December 1996
     
26. Netherlands 14th June 1985

 

Features of Schengen Visa Countries

Some of the features of the Schengen region include the following:

  1. Citizens of member countries within the Schengen area can cross internal borders within the zone without any checks.
  2. The police and the judiciary in these countries work together to fight crime.
  3. The Schengen Information System is a unique database that shares information about individuals with good character, criminals, drug lords, etc.
  4. Border checks are done for 30 days maximum.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called Schengen?

The name Schengen was derived from the name of the town where the original Schengen agreements were signed in 1985. The town is located in Luxembourg. In addition, the Schengen Agreement was first signed by Germany, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Is UK a Schengen country?

The United Kingdom has never been part of the Schengen Agreement. However, the UK was subject to European Union law until Brexit. As it is, there is no sign that the UK will join the Schengen countries in the nearest future.

Which EU country is not in Schengen?

The Schengen area countries comprise most European Union (EU) countries. The only EU country that opted out of the Schengen agreement is Ireland.

Eddy Jones

I am a passionate writer, Father of 3 and i love travelling. Asides from travelling being a type of education, it also gives me the types of experiences to enable me write about Visa requirements for intending travellers. Follow all my posts on VisaCountries.com i wish you successful travel experience.

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