02/04/2024
Things we should know about but are never even told about:
The Schengen Area is a zone of 27 European countries that have abolished their internal borders and allow free movement of people, goods, and services. The Schengen countries near the Balkans are Greece, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, and Italy. Some people cannot enter the Schengen Area because they need a valid Schengen visa, which is a short-stay visa that allows travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. The Schengen visa policy is based on the country of citizenship of the traveler, not the country of residence or the country of departure. Therefore, some people who are citizens of non-Schengen countries may need a Schengen visa to enter the Schengen Area, even if they live in a Schengen country or travel from a Schengen country. The list of countries whose citizens need a Schengen visa can be found on Google but there are 6 examples above.
Some people may also be denied entry to the Schengen Area even if they have a valid Schengen visa, for reasons such as security, public health, or insufficient documentation. The final decision to grant or refuse entry rests with the border control officers of the Schengen country of first entry⁴. Additionally, some Schengen countries may impose temporary travel restrictions or border controls due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other exceptional circumstances. Travelers should check the latest information on the travel requirements and conditions of their destination country before planning their trip.
(1) Rules for Entering the Schengen Area: First Point of Entry. https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/rules-for-entering-schengen-area-first-point-of-entry/.
(2) The EU vs. the Schengen Area: What Travelers Should Know - ETIAS. https://etias.com/articles/eu-schengen.
(3) Schengen Area: all you need to know - Wise. https://bing.com/search?q=why+some+people+cannot+enter+Schengen+area.
(4) Who Needs a Schengen Visa to Travel to Europe?. https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/who-needs-schengen-visa/.
(5) Schengen Area: all you need to know - Wise. https://wise.com/us/blog/schengen-area.
(6) Schengen area and COVID-19 travel restrictions. https://www.schengenvisas.com/schengen-area-and-covid-19-travel-restrictions/.
(7) Schengen Area - The 27 Member Countries of the Schengen Zone. https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-countries-list/.
(8) Schengen Area - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area.
(9) Balkan Countries - The Balkans, Southeast Europe - SchengenVisaInfo.com. https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/countries-in-europe/balkan-countries/.
(10) Three countries agree mini Schengen in the Balkans – Euractiv. https://www.euractiv.com/section/enlargement/news/three-countries-agree-mini-schengen-in-the-balkans/.
(11) Balkan states to form Mini Schengen Zone | etias.info. https://www.etias.info/balkan-states-mini-schengen-zone/.
place-name sign Schengen, Luxembourg
