Swiss Federal Council gives green light to lifting air border controls with Bulgaria and Romania

Checks at Swiss airports for people travelling to and from Bulgaria and Romania will be abolished, Switzerland’s Federal Council decided on January 24, in line with the Council of the EU’s December 2023 decision to lift internal border controls at the air and maritime borders with Bulgaria and Romania.

This was announced in a media statement on January 24 after the Swiss Federal Council met.

The statement said that Switzerland had been informed of the Council of the EU decision, which constitutes a development of the Schengen acquis, on January 9.

At its meeting on January 24, the Federal Council approved Switzerland’s response.

For Switzerland, the adoption means in particular that from March 31 2024, there will be no more checks at airports for people travelling to and from Bulgaria and Romania.

In addition, Bulgaria and Romania will be able to issue their own Schengen visas, the statement said.

Switzerland, not an EU member, has been a member of the Schengen zone since December 2008. It is a member of the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) but not the EEA.

(Photo: dxme, via Wikimedia Commons)

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