Bulgaria Joins Schengen for Land Travel: Border Controls Adjusted with Greece and Romania

At the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2025, Bulgaria officially joined the Schengen Area for land travel, marking a significant milestone in the country’s integration into the European free travel zone.

This development immediately ended border checks on Bulgaria’s land border with Greece. However, border controls with Romania will persist temporarily, albeit in a reduced capacity, as per an agreement signed in Budapest involving Hungary, Austria, Bulgaria, and Romania. These controls will remain in place until June 30, 2025, and will be conducted selectively based on a risk analysis method.

On the Greek border, all checkpoints, including Kulata, Ilinden, Zlagograd, Makaza, Ivaylovgrad, and Kapitan Petko Voivoda, are now closed for routine checks. Authorities removed signage and locked border booths as free travel was implemented. An unfinished crossing at Rudozem will remain incomplete, with only the access road to Greece operational.

The situation differs on the Bulgarian-Romanian border. Until mid-2025, crossings at Ruse, Vidin, Oryahovo, Somovit-Nikopol, Svishtov, Silistra, Kardam, Krushari, and Durankulak will remain active, albeit with limited controls. Vehicles traveling between the two countries will mostly pass freely, with only a fraction subjected to checks aimed at preventing illegal migration. Passenger cars and heavy goods vehicles will still pay bridge fees on the Bulgarian side before crossing into Romania, where selective checks will occur.

Compensatory measures to maintain border security will be introduced along Bulgaria’s new Schengen borders with Greece and Romania. These measures, covering a 30-kilometer area, will focus on vehicles traveling on routes associated with human trafficking and illegal migration. Such measures are standard across Schengen member states.

The Bulgarian-Turkish border, now designated as an external Schengen boundary, has also been bolstered with additional security. A joint contingent from Frontex, the EU’s border protection agency, will be deployed, comprising 100 personnel from Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania. Greece has also expressed interest in contributing to the effort. This increased security is a response to heightened migratory pressure from the Middle East and Africa, with migrants often attempting to cross into Bulgaria via Turkey.

No changes will occur at Bulgaria’s borders with Serbia and North Macedonia, which remain outside the Schengen Area.