Is European Union and Schengen Area the same?
This is one of the most common questions that people have about Europe. The answer to this question is no. Although both entities belong to Europe, they are completely different. While European Union is a political and economic entity, Schengen is the largest free movement area in the world. While you would find several of the European countries in both the groups, some of the countries in the European Union are not part of the Schengen area, whereas not only countries in the Schengen area are part of the European Union. Here you would get all the information about European Union and Schengen area.
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union that traces its origin to the years after World War II. After the big war, the European countries wanted an establishment or entity to maintain peace amongst them. This led to the foundation of the Council of Europe in 1949, which included 10 countries. Later in 1959, Germany and France came together to begin the European Coal and Steel Community, which also included Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy. Membership to this entity was extended to other countries, and thus the European Economic Community (EEC) was created in 1957. In the coming years, more countries joined this union, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Spain, Greece, and Portugal. In 1992, new policies were developed, leading to the establishment of the European Union during the Maastricht Treaty.
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area is a European zone that has abolished internal border rules amongst themselves. This is the largest free movement area in the entire world. The Schengen agreement was first signed in 1984 with just France and Germany. In 1985, three more countries i.e. Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg joined the group. This agreement was signed in a small village in South Luxembourg named Schengen.
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Schengen Visa
Citizens of the Schengen area countries are free to move around other Schengen areas without a visa. Moreover, some countries like USA, Canada, UK, etc. are eligible for visa waiver to visit the Schengen areas. However, if you belong to a country that is not eligible for visa waiver, you would have to get a Schengen visa to visit any of these countries. The best part is you only need a single visa to visit these 26 countries, and you would have to undergo border check and control only at the entry port, i.e. the first country you are visiting in the Schengen area. Apart from the 26 countries, the Schengen visa gives you the chance to visit 3 microstates like Vatican City, Monaco, and San Marino. Apart from the countries of the Schengen area, a multiple-entry Schengen visa allows you to visit a few non-Schengen countries for a short period of time (2 weeks). These countries include:- Albania
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Colombia
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Georgia
- Gibraltar
- Kosovo
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Romania
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Serbia
- Turkey
Suggested Read: Things to Keep in Mind when Travelling to a Schengen Country