Schengen Countries

The name "Schengen" originates from a small town in Luxembourg. In June 1985, seven European Union countries signed a treaty which is part of EU law to end internal border checkpoints and controls. More countries have joined the treaty over the past years. At present, there are 15 Schengen countries, all in Europe.

The 15 Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. All these countries except Norway and Iceland are European Union members.

The Schengen rules remove all internal border controls but put in place effective controls at the external borders of the EU and introduce a common visa policy. This means that you need a valid passport for travel to Ireland, the United Kingdom and the new EU member states, or an ID card if you are an EU national. Please note that although they do not belong to the EU, Norway and Iceland are part of the Schengen area.

Always carry a valid passport or ID card when traveling in the EU because you may be required to prove your identity. If public order or national security so require, checks at the internal borders may be carried out for a limited period. When crossing the external borders of the EU everyone needs a valid passport.

Make sure that any children traveling with you either have their own passport or ID card or are registered on yours.

Non-Schengen Countries

When travelling outside of the Schengen countries, even if you are a EU national, you must always carry with a valid passport and please also check the visa requirements for each country. If you are arriving to