Bulgaria, Romania to be full Schengen members starting Jan. 1

SOFIA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) member states have decided to remove checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania from Jan. 1, 2025, the Council of the EU said in a press release on Thursday.

"It is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania as full Schengen members," said Sandor Pinter, Hungarian minister for home affairs, as cited by the