Everyone has heard the phrase: "Schengen Agreement." However, not many people know what it is and how it differs from similar legislation of the European Union. And the word "Schengen" itself remains incomprehensible. In addition, every year the list of countries entering the notorious zone is changing. There are also states that have signed the agreement, but nevertheless require foreigners to open national visas to visit their territory. But there are those (mainly dwarf states) that have not entered the zone, but de facto allowing uncontrolled entry from neighboring powers. Let's look at the features of this agreement so that we do not have unnecessary problems with border guards when crossing borders.
The Schengen Agreement was signed in June 1985 by only five states: Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France. The idea of creating this document belongs to the Benelux countries, between which even before that there was a tripartite agreement on visa-free visits. The signing of the agreement took place on board the Princess Maria Astrid ship, which stood in the middle of the Moselle River at the convergence point of the borders of Germany, France and Luxembourg. The nearest village was the coastal village of Schengen. Therefore, the signed document was named after her name. He became known as the "Schengen Agreement."
It provided for the gradual abandonment of border control between these states. Five years later, in 1990, the Convention was signed on the application of the provisions of this agreement, and another 5 years later, in March 1995, it worked, that is, the so-called Schengen zone was created. By that time, two more countries had joined the international instrument - Spain and Portugal. De jure The Schengen Agreement ceased to exist in May 1999, when the Amsterdam Treaty entered into force. According to this document, the provisions on visa-free entry within the zone were included in the general legislation of the EU.
Thus, the rules of the Schengen agreement are valid within the de facto zone. What in this connection does an ordinary tourist from a country outside the EU need to know - such as Russia, Ukraine, etc.? First, that not all states that have signed the above agreement are included in the zone. For example, Ireland and the United Kingdom joined the treaty, but only in the area of police and judicial cooperation. To visit these countries, foreigners need a special national visa. Also, the Agreement does not apply to the overseas territories of European countries within the zone: the Netherlands, France, Denmark, and Norway. For foreigners with a Schengen single entry visa, one thing to remember. Entering the dwarf state of Andorra, they leave the zone, and they may simply not be allowed back.
There is one more difficulty: not all countries of the Schengen Agreement-2013 (the list is quite voluminous, including 30 states) are included in the notorious zone of visa-free control. Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania and Croatia joined the document. However, both for their citizens and for foreigners holding national visas of these countries, special permission is required to enter the territory of the Schengen country.