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GLOSSARY

Schengen area definition

Published by a LexisNexis EU Law expert

What does Schengen area mean?

The Schengen area is the territory within Europe in which the free movement of people is ensured.

The Schengen area is founded on the Schengen Agreement of 1985. The purpose of the agreement is to enable the free movement of the persons between the countries that are a part to it. To that end the border checks are eliminated, and also common border control and visa policies are introduced. The area currently consists of twenty-six European countries; twenty-two EU member states and four non-EU states. However, there are countries which are not parties to the Schengen Agreement, but take part in some aspects of the Agreement, such as UK and Ireland. The Schengen acquis has been incorporated into the European Union legal order with the adoption of the Schengen Protocol attached to the Amsterdam Treaty. The Schengen Area (EU) includes: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary , Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia,Slovakia, Spain and Sweden. The Schengen Area (Non-EU) includes: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

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Applying for an EEA family permit [Archived]

Applying for an EEA family permit [Archived] ARCHIVED: this Practice Note is no longer maintained as it covers the implementation of EU free movement law in the UK prior to IP completion day, on which date domestic legislation implementing EU free movement law was revoked, subject to certain savings and modifications. For further details, including of the relevant savings and the position of CJEU case law, see Practice Note: What does IP completion day mean for Immigration?. The Practice Note has been retained in archived form for historical interest, because EU law as previously implemented in the UK remains relevant in certain limited situations. For historical versions of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016, SI 2016/1052, including immediately prior to revocation, see Legislation.gov.uk. For the ongoing development of EU free movement law in EU Member States, see: Immigration, employment & share incentives (EU Law)—overview. Non-EEA national direct family members of an EEA national have the right under EU free movement law to accompany or join the...

Schengen Borders Code

Schengen Borders Code The abolition of border controls within the Schengen Area is one of the main achievements of the EU, and it characterises and forms an integral part of the European model of society and the European way of life. However, serious events (eg the Covid-19 pandemic, increase in illegal migration) have brought up the weaknesses and gaps in the Schengen borders management system. In order to tackle the migration issues that the Member States are facing and to secure borderless travel within the Schengen Area, important amendments have been introduced in 2024. This Practice Note focuses on Regulation (EU) 2016/399 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (codification), the Schengen Borders Code, which lays down rules governing the movement of persons to and from the area without internal border control, as well as between Member States that participate in the Schengen Area. It also encompasses the amendments made in 2024, highlighting the key items of the current Schengen Borders Code...

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European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee proposes flexible Entry-Exit System rollout plan

The European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE) voted on 23 April 2025 to amend the European Commission's Entry-Exit System implementation proposal. The amendments give member states discretion to choose between gradual or immediate system rollout. For gradual implementation, the Committee proposed extending initial compliance deadlines, requiring 10% of border crossings to be registered by day 30 rather than day one, and reducing the 90-day target from 50% to 35% of crossings.