What is the Schengen Zone?

What is the Schengen Zone?


Updated January 2025

The Schengen zone is an area in Europe comprising of 29 countries. The Schengen area expanded in 2025 from 27 to 29 countries. Schengen countries have abolished passport and other types of border control at their mutual borders. This means that once a person enters the Schengen zone through a member country, they can travel freely across the zone without any further border checks. Andorra is not a member of the Schengen zone.

The Schengen zone promotes free movement of people and goods, and includes countries such as France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and many others. Of the 27 EU member states, 25 countries are members of the Schengen Area. Cyprus and Ireland are the only EU member states that are not part of the current Schengen Area

In addition to the member states of the European Union, all member states of the European Free Trade Association, namely Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, have signed association agreements with the EU and are part of the Schengen Area.

Moreover, the territories of four microstates – Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City – are de facto included in the Schengen Area due to their small size and difficulty of maintaining active border controls. This means that if you are visiting Andorra on a day tour from Barcelona, you will not need a multi-entry Schengen visa but only a single entry Schengen visa. Many countries like the USA, Singapore, Australia and others have automatic entry right to visit the Schengen zone countries.

The 29 Schengen countries are:
  1. Austria
  2. Belgium
  3. Bulgaria
  4. Croatia
  5. Czech Republic
  6. Denmark
  7. Estonia
  8. Finland
  9. France
  10. Germany
  11. Greece
  12. Hungary
  13. Iceland
  14. Italy
  15. Latvia
  16. Liechtenstein
  17. Lithuania
  18. Luxembourg
  19. Malta
  20. Netherlands
  21. Norway
  22. Poland
  23. Portugal
  24. Romania
  25. Slovakia
  26. Slovenia
  27. Spain
  28. Sweden
  29. Switzerland
Non-EU Members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland are not part of the European Union (EU) but are part of the Schengen Area.

The UK is not in the Schengen zone. The UK has an independent visa regime. If you want to enter the UK, you will need a UK visa. If you plan on visiting the UK from a Schengen country, some nationalities will need both a UK visa and Schengen visas. You can find more information about Schengen visa on the official Schengen zone webpage. You can find visa requirements here.


If you are a tourist in France or Spain, then you will already have either a visa free entry right to the Schengen zone - or you will already have a Schengen visa. A Schengen visa may be a single-entry or multiple-entry. With a single-entry visa you can enter the Schengen area only once. This is indicated on the visa sticker by "01". With a Schengen  visa allowing for two or multiple entries you may enter twice or several times during the validity of the visa.


Map Schengen area 2025


Schengen_Area_2025_29_countries

Do I need a visa to visit Andorra


Andorra is a microstate in Europe, but not in the Schengen zone or in the EU. You do not need a visa to visit Andorra. Andorra is de facto included in the Schengen Area due to their small size and difficulty of maintaining active border controls. Andorra can only be entered by road from France or Spain so some nationalities need a single entry Schengen visa to visit Andorra from Spain. 

For day tours to Andorra from Barcelona, we can recommend an award winning private tour company in Barcelona called Daytripsbarcelona.com.

Related pages


Day Tour to Andorra from Barcelona
Snow Day tour Andorra (winter only)
Day Tour to France from Barcelona

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 07 January 2025 14:39
 

Thursday, 09 January 2025


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