What Does The Schengen Agreement Mean For The Traveller?

The Schengen Agreement effectively eliminated all internal, national customs controls between signatory states, most of which are now members of the EU. The Agreement first came into being in 1985 and the first countries to join this agreement were Belgium, France the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), Luxembourg and Holland. There are currently 30 Schengen states and 15 of them have actually fully implemented all aspects of the agreement.

For travellers, the Schengen Agreeement means that those passing land borders no longer have to stop for customs inspections when entering another country within the Schengen zone. The only time a customs and passport check will take place is when one initially enters the Schengen zone.

For those travelling by air, the situation is quite different. Many airports within the zone will still have passport checks for passengers arriving from a Schengen country, although for those travelling with a passport issued by an EU member state, this will be a very basic inspection. Some airports, like the one in Copenhagen, are working on reconfiguring their terminals in order to allow people travelling within the Schengen zone to avoid passport inspection entirely. Nevertheless, most airport authorities cannot stress enough that it remains vital for passengers to have their valid passport with them at all times when travelling.

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