Exploring Poland And Austria's Schengen Area Membership

The Schengen Area is a group of European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their mutual borders. It functions as a single jurisdiction under a common visa policy for international travel purposes. As of 2025, the Schengen Area consists of 29 countries, including four which are not members of the European Union (EU). Of the 27 EU member states, 25 are members of the Schengen Area. The two EU countries that are not part of the Schengen Area are Cyprus and Ireland.

Austria and Poland are both part of the Schengen Area and have acceded to the Schengen Agreement.

Poland and Austria are part of the Schengen Zone

Poland and Austria are indeed part of the Schengen Zone. The Schengen Area is a group of 29 European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their mutual borders. It functions as a single jurisdiction under a common visa policy for international travel purposes. The Schengen Zone includes all EU member states except Ireland and Cyprus, as well as four European Free Trade Association members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

The Schengen Zone was established by the Schengen Agreement, signed on June 14, 1985, in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg. The agreement was intended to turn the signatory countries into a common travel area by reducing border checks. This agreement was supplemented by the Schengen Convention on June 19, 1990, which proposed the complete abolition of internal border controls and the introduction of a common visa policy. The Schengen Area was created on March 26, 1995, and has since grown to include a total of 29 countries.

As members of the Schengen Zone, Poland and Austria have abolished internal border controls, allowing free movement between each other and other Schengen countries. External border controls are still imposed on travelers entering and exiting the Schengen Area. The Schengen Zone has a population of more than 450 million people and an area of about 4,595,000 square kilometers. It allows for the free movement of people and goods, facilitating trade and tourism.

Holders of Schengen visas can spend up to 90 days within a given 180-day period in the Schengen Area, provided their visa is valid. This applies to both short-stay visas and long-stay visas. Nationals of certain countries, such as EU countries, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and the United States, are exempt from the visa requirement for stays of up to 90 days. However, citizens of other countries, such as China, India, and Russia, need to apply for a Schengen visa prior to their travel.

The Schengen Agreement was signed in 1985

The Schengen Agreement was signed on June 14, 1985, in the small village of Schengen in Luxembourg, on the border with Germany and France. The agreement was signed initially by only five EU countries: France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. It remains one of the world's biggest areas that have ended border control between member countries.

The Schengen Agreement laid the foundation for the introduction of the Schengen Visa, a single visa that allows travellers to move freely within the Schengen Area, simplifying travel. The agreement emphasised the importance of free movement and collaboration on border matters.

The Schengen Agreement was supplemented by the Schengen Convention, signed in 1990, which translated the principles of the 1985 Agreement into practical measures. The convention detailed how Schengen countries would remove internal border checks while reinforcing security at their external borders. It set the rules and procedures for visa policies, police cooperation, and data sharing among member states.

The Schengen Area is a key part of European unity, allowing people to move freely across countries and affecting how they live, work, and travel. It is designed to be the bedrock of the European Union and of the single market as a whole. The area includes 29 countries and covers over 4 million square kilometres with a population of almost 420 million people.

The Schengen Agreement and the Schengen Convention are named after the village of Schengen, where they were signed. The agreement was signed with the aim of loosening border controls between participating European nations, allowing members to travel freely among each other. The Schengen Area is the largest border agreement of its kind, essentially abolishing border controls between member countries.

The Schengen Zone has 29 countries

The Schengen Zone is a passport-free zone that encompasses 29 European countries. It has a population of more than 450 million people and an area of about 4,595,000 km2 (1,774,000 sq mi). The Schengen Zone came into existence with the signing of the Schengen Agreement on June 14, 1985, in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg. The Schengen Agreement was signed by five members of the ten-member European Economic Community (EEC) – Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. The Agreement aimed to turn these five nations into a common travel area by reducing border checks between them.

On June 19, 1990, the Schengen Convention was signed by the same five nations. The Convention proposed to completely abolish internal border controls and introduce a common visa policy. The Schengen Area was created on March 26, 1995, when the Schengen Convention came into effect. Since then, dozens of European nations have joined the Schengen Agreement and, therefore, the Schengen Zone.

As of mid-2024, the Schengen Zone includes 25 of the 27 members of the European Union (EU) and all four members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The two EU countries that are not part of the Schengen Zone are Cyprus and Ireland. The Schengen Zone also includes the Spanish overseas territories of the Canary Islands and the Portuguese islands of Madeira and the Azores.

The four EFTA members that are part of the Schengen Zone are:

• Norway
• Iceland
• Switzerland
• Liechtenstein

Additionally, the territories of four microstates – Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican City – are de facto included in the Schengen Zone due to their small size and the difficulty of maintaining active border controls.

The UK is not part of the Schengen Zone

The Common Travel Area (CTA), which the UK, the Crown Dependencies, and the Republic of Ireland have operated since 1923, allows for passport-free travel and freedom of movement between these countries. Ireland has always looked more favourably on joining the Schengen Area but has not done so to maintain its open border with Northern Ireland.

The Schengen Zone has minimal internal border controls

• Crossing the EU's external borders, including the types of visas needed.
• Harmonisation of the conditions of entry and rules on short-stay visas (up to 90 days).
• Cross-border police cooperation, including rights of cross-border surveillance and hot pursuit.
• Stronger judicial cooperation through a faster extradition system and the transfer of enforcement of criminal judgments.
• The Schengen Information System (SIS).
• Documents needed for travelling in Europe.

The Schengen Borders Code requires participating states to remove all obstacles to free traffic flow at internal borders. Thus, road, rail and air passengers no longer have their identity checked by border guards when travelling between Schengen countries, although security controls by carriers are still permissible.

Any person, irrespective of their nationality, may cross the internal borders without being subjected to border checks. However, the competent national authorities can carry out police checks at internal borders and in border areas, provided that such checks are not equivalent to border checks. The Schengen Borders Code sets out a non-exhaustive list of criteria for assessing whether police checks are equivalent to border controls, including:

• The police checks do not have border control as an objective.
• The checks are based on general police information and experience.
• The checks are carried out in a manner clearly distinct from systematic border checks on persons at the external borders.
• The checks are carried out on the basis of spot-checks.

The police carry out checks under the national law of the Schengen country and can include identity checks.

The Schengen Zone's minimal internal border controls are a key part of its commitment to freedom of movement for its citizens.

Frequently asked questions