Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Schengen Agreement shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Schengen Agreement offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Schengen Agreement at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Schengen Agreement? Wrong! If the Schengen Agreement is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Schengen Agreement then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Schengen Agreement? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Schengen Agreement and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Schengen Agreement wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Schengen Agreement then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Schengen Agreement site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Schengen Agreement, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Schengen Agreement, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

] and Austria

The 1985 Schengen Agreement is an agreement among some European countries which allows for the abolition of systematic border controls between the participating countries. It also includes provisions on common Immigration policy (including the Schengen Visa), the harmonisation of external border controls, and cross-border police co-operation.

A total of 30 states, including most European Union states and three non-EU members (Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland), have signed the agreement, and 15 have implemented it so far. The Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom only take part in the police co-operation measures and not the common border control and visa provisions. Border posts and checks have been removed in the Schengen area"Schengen area" is the common name for states that have implemented the agreement. states (see section #Customs Control) and a common 'Schengen visa' allows tourist or visitor access to the area.

Pre-Schengen free-travel zones in Europe Already before the Schengen Agreement, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg (Benelux) had given up border controls among themselves.

Similarly, the Nordic countries' Nordic Passport Union was created in 1952.

Following Irish Free State from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1922, no laws were passed requiring a passport for travelling across the newly created international border. The free-travel zone comprising the two countries (the Common Travel Area or CTA) was not codified, or indeed given an official name, until 1997, and then only at the EU level to distinguish it from the Schengen Treaty.

Membership and implementation The agreement was originally signed on 14 June 1985, by five European states (Belgium, France, West Germany, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands).http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:42000A0922(01):EN:HTML An additional document, known as the Schengen Convention, was created which put the Schengen area into practice. This second document replaced the first and was signed by each state on the dates shown below.

For each member state there has been a delay between signing the agreement and actually implementing it. Although the original agreement was signed on 14 June 1985, it was not until almost a decade later, 26 March 1995, that Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain became the first states to implement it.

Membership

Inclusions and exceptions Included in the Schengen area:

The following territories of the membership countries are not covered by the agreement:

The following territories of the member states are indirectly covered, and do not have full passport check against the Schengen area:

UK and Ireland The United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland are the only two EU members to not have signed the Schengen Agreement: both have an Opt-outs in the European Union from the agreement. The two countries share a Common Travel Area with no border controls. Ireland is thus unable to join the agreement without dissolving this agreement with the UK, and thus incurring border controls at its land border with Northern Ireland. However, the UK remains reluctant to surrender its own border controls and work permit system. Therefore, UK and Ireland are signatories of the Council Decision covering police co-operation, but not of the Council Regulations covering asylum, visas and border controls.

The reluctance of the UK government to join the agreement has been criticised by some, such as the House of Lords, for, seemingly paradoxically, hampering the fight against cross-border crime. This is due to the inability of the UK to access the Schengen Information System, which contains data, among else, on undesirable persons. Government's reluctance to join Schengen Information System weakens battle against cross border crime House of Lords

Implementation States that have already implemented the terms of the agreement:

{|width = "100%" || valign="top" width = "33%" | 26 March 1995 | valign="top" width = "33%" | 26 October 1997
1 December 1997
26 March 2000 | valign="top" width = "34%" | 25 March 2001 |}

The ten new member states that acceded to the European Union – and thus to the Schengen Agreement – on 1 May 2004, except for Cyprus,http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=43290 are set to implement it on 21 December 2007 states to join border-free zone http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1389149 for overland borders and Seaport and 29 March 2008 for Airport eu2006.fi - Internal border controls to be lifted between the new and old Member States as of 31 December 2007 and 29 March 2008. Those dateshttp://ceuweb.belbone.be/archivevideo.php?sessionno=501&lang=EN#, time 3:55 could yet change:

{|width = "100%" || valign="top" width = "33%" | | valign="top" width = "33%" | | valign="top" width = "34%" | |}

Signatories yet to implement the agreement, and the planned implementation date:

{|width = "100%" || valign="top" width = "50%" | | valign="top" width = "50%" | |}

Before fully implementing the Schengen Agreement, each new state will need to have its preparedness assessed in four areas: air borders, Visa (document)s, police cooperation, and personal data protection. This evaluation process involves a questionnaire and visits of EU experts to selected institutions and workplaces of the country under assessment. The Council of the European Union is scheduled to review the results between April and September of 2007.http://www.gzs.si/eng/news/sbw/head.asp?idc=20384

Non-signatories of note

Principles behind the agreement Before the Schengen Agreement, citizens of western European countries could travel to neighbouring countries by showing their national ID card or passport at the border. Nationals of some countries were required to have separate visas for every country in Europe they wished to visit. A vast network of border posts existed around the continent which disrupted traffic and trade—causing delays and costs to both businesses and visitors.

Since the implementation of the agreement, border posts have been closed (and often demolished) between participating countries. Road traffic is no longer delayed; road, rail and air passengers no longer have their identity checked when crossing borders (however, see section #Customs Control). Citizens of non-EU, non-EEA countries who wish to visit Europe as tourists, and who require a visa to enter the Schengen area, are simply required to get a common Schengen Visa from the Embassy/Consulate of the Schengen country they intend to visit first. After this, they may visit any or all of the Schengen countries as tourists or for business without hindrance. They are not required to get separate visas for all the (Schengen) European countries they wish to visit.

between Germany and Austria): The traffic island marks the spot where a control post once stood, but was removed in 2000.Not only does the Schengen Agreement remove border checks between participating countries, but it means that participating countries co-ordinate their external controls. All Schengen members check the identity (national ID card or passport) of incoming and exiting travellers.

National security A country is permitted by article 2.2 of the Schengen Agreement to reinstate border controls for a short period if it is deemed in the interest of national security. This occurred in Portugal during the 2004 European Football Championship and in France for the ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of D-Day. It was used again by France shortly after the 7 July 2005 London bombings in July of 2005. Finland briefly reinstated border controls during the 2005 World Championships in Athletics that took place at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in August 2005.

The agreement also includes consent to share information about people, via the Schengen Information System. This means that a potentially undesirable person cannot 'disappear' simply by moving from one participant country to another as each country will know the same about the person's background. Previously, a criminal with police in hot pursuit would be safe once they managed to cross the border, but under the agreement, police from one nation can cross national borders to chase their target for up to 30 km ('hot pursuit'). The officers either have to wear their uniforms, or their vehicles have to be marked as police vehicles. The officers may only use their weapons for self-defence.

Air security When travelling by air between Schengen countries, identification (usually passport or national ID card) must be shown at check-in. This is not a Schengen rule, but rather an air security rule that applies equally for domestic flights within a Schengen country.

ID checks at hotels and other places According to the Schengen rules, all hotels and other types of accommodation must register the name, citizenship and ID number of all foreign citizens Schengen Aquis article 45. For this reason, a passport or a national ID card must be shown at check-in. A similar rule existed in some countries already before the Schengen Agreement.

Customs control Most of the members of Schengen are also members of the EU, among which customs controls have also been abolished, leaving no checks at all at the borders. Customs checks remain at borders between two Schengen members where one is a non-EU country. In theory, between two EU members where one is non-Schengen, there are identity (passport) checks but no customs checks. However, travelling from the continent to the UK normally requires a customs check.

The Schengen Agreement also intends to harmonise the laws and regulations of several policy areas, in order to minimise the extent to which criminals can take advantage of the relaxation of controls. At this point in time this is still a rather grey area: for example, the Dutch policy on drugs differs from the French policy, and a person could buy drugs in the Netherlands and transport them to France to sell on the black market. This is much easier when there are no border controls between the two countries (via Belgium). As a result of this particular difference in policy, France insisted on maintaining border controls on people entering France from the Benelux countries for some time after the agreement was implemented.

Some other Schengen countries, including Sweden and Finland, also maintain customs control at their borders. Their main reasons for this is to control the smuggling of drugs and alcohol. The Schengen treaty allows them, as long as cars not being suspected of smuggling don't have to stop, an easing compared to the pre-Schengen routine.

Non-EU members Norway and Iceland are not a part of the EU customs union and therefore enforce the same level of customs control towards any traveller, whether or not they come from within the Schengen area.

Information sharing: Prüm Convention An agreement was signed on 27 May, 2005 by seven countries (Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria, and Belgium) at Prüm, Germany. This agreement, based on the principle of availability which began to be discussed after the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings on 11 March, 2004, could enable them to exchange all data regarding DNA and fingerprint data of concerned persons and to cooperate against terrorism. Sometimes known as the Prüm Convention, this is becoming known as the Schengen III Agreement and was adopted into EU regulation for Schengen states in June 2007. Controversial data-sharing deal to get the go-ahead euobserver.com The Visa Information System, to be rolled-out in 2009, could be in the future the largest biometric database in the world. EU to create world's biggest bio-data pool euobserver.com

Outer borders The borders against non-Schengen countries are carefully controlled, and everyone wishing to cross has to show his passport. In principle, all border crossers have to be checked against the Schengen Information System, a database containging information about undesired or wanted people, stolen passports, and other items of interest to border officials. In practice, this check is done mostly at airports.

The border controls are located at roads crossing a border, at airports, at seaports, and onboard trains. Usually there is no fence along borders in the terrain, but there are exceptions like the Ceuta border fence. Along the southern coast of the Schengen countries, coast guards are making a substantial effort to prevent private boats from entering without permission.

The Schengen Agreement stipulates that all transporters of passengers across the outer Schengen border must check passports before boarding. Before the agreement took force, in many cases refugees could just buy a boat or an airplane ticket, and then apply for asylum at the passport control. That's why private, often dangerous, boats are used for People smuggling. Since all asylum applications must be investigated, and since it's often hard to deportation people, the Europan countries want to prevent undesired people from even reaching a passport control point. There is a general principle that no asylum applications are accepted at embassies, thus requiring refugees to reach a border crossing to lodge them.

The land border controls against Switzerland, the UK and Ireland are more relaxed. On the UK side of the border at sea ports and the Channel Tunnel the border controls are less relaxed.

The Schengen Agreement and the European Union All Schengen Agreement signatories except Norway, Iceland and Switzerland are European Union members. Two EU members (the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland) have opted not to fully participate in the agreement (their reasons are outlined above). The main reason that the non-EU states of Iceland and Norway joined was to preserve the Nordic Passport Union (see section #Pre-Schengen free-travel zones in Europe).

The Schengen Agreement was created independently of the European Union in part due to the lack of consensus amongst EU members, and in part because those ready to implement the idea did not wish to wait for others who were not ready. However, the Treaty of Amsterdam incorporated the developments brought about by the agreement into the European Union framework, effectively making the agreement part of the EU. Amongst other things the Council of the European Union took the place of the Executive Committee which had been created under the agreement. Future applicants to the European Union must fulfil the agreement criteria regarding their external border policies in order to be accepted into the EU. The existing signatories who are not EU members have less opportunity to participate in shaping the evolution of the Schengen Agreement as a result of the Treaty of Amsterdam. Their options are effectively reduced to agreeing with whatever is presented before them, or withdrawing from the agreement.

Gaining entry Member States of the Schengen Agreement have set uniform rules as to the type of visa (document)s which may be issued for a short-term stay, not exceeding 90 days, on the territory of one, several or all of those States.

The member states offer visa-free travel to holders of certain passports, allowing 90-day travel for tourism.

The uniform Visa (document) enables aliens that are subject to the visa requirement to present themselves at the external border of the Member State which issued the visa, or that of another Member State, and request transit or stay, depending on the type of visa. The uniform visa is granted in the form of a sticker affixed by a Member State onto a passport, travel document or another valid document which entitles the holder to cross the border.

In other words, mere possession of a uniform visa does not confer automatic right of entry. It will only be granted if the other transit or entry conditions laid down by the agreement have been met, notably the means of subsistence that aliens must have at their disposal, as well as the purpose and the conditions of the stay.

To obtain a Schengen visa, a traveller must take the following steps:

Requirements for family members of an EU citizen differ from those indicated above. In general, there is no requirement to provide information about one's employment, or to prove one's means of subsistence. In addition, no fee is required for the visa to be issued.

For citizens of countries not party to the Schengen Agreement, there are restrictions governing the length of one's stay within the Schengen area. The general rule stipulates a maximum 90-day stay within the 180-day period starting from the first day of entry. Provided a multiple-entry visa has been granted, one may leave and return a number of times within the 180-day period but the combined stay within the region must not exceed 90 days.

See also

References and notes Further reading

] and Austria

The 1985 Schengen Agreement is an agreement among some European countries which allows for the abolition of systematic border controls between the participating countries. It also includes provisions on common Immigration policy (including the Schengen Visa), the harmonisation of external border controls, and cross-border police co-operation.

A total of 30 states, including most European Union states and three non-EU members (Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland), have signed the agreement, and 15 have implemented it so far. The Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom only take part in the police co-operation measures and not the common border control and visa provisions. Border posts and checks have been removed in the Schengen area"Schengen area" is the common name for states that have implemented the agreement. states (see section #Customs Control) and a common 'Schengen visa' allows tourist or visitor access to the area.

Pre-Schengen free-travel zones in Europe Already before the Schengen Agreement, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg (Benelux) had given up border controls among themselves.

Similarly, the Nordic countries' Nordic Passport Union was created in 1952.

Following Irish Free State from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1922, no laws were passed requiring a passport for travelling across the newly created international border. The free-travel zone comprising the two countries (the Common Travel Area or CTA) was not codified, or indeed given an official name, until 1997, and then only at the EU level to distinguish it from the Schengen Treaty.

Membership and implementation The agreement was originally signed on 14 June 1985, by five European states (Belgium, France, West Germany, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands).http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:42000A0922(01):EN:HTML An additional document, known as the Schengen Convention, was created which put the Schengen area into practice. This second document replaced the first and was signed by each state on the dates shown below.

For each member state there has been a delay between signing the agreement and actually implementing it. Although the original agreement was signed on 14 June 1985, it was not until almost a decade later, 26 March 1995, that Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain became the first states to implement it.

Membership

Inclusions and exceptions Included in the Schengen area:

The following territories of the membership countries are not covered by the agreement:

The following territories of the member states are indirectly covered, and do not have full passport check against the Schengen area:

UK and Ireland The United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland are the only two EU members to not have signed the Schengen Agreement: both have an Opt-outs in the European Union from the agreement. The two countries share a Common Travel Area with no border controls. Ireland is thus unable to join the agreement without dissolving this agreement with the UK, and thus incurring border controls at its land border with Northern Ireland. However, the UK remains reluctant to surrender its own border controls and work permit system. Therefore, UK and Ireland are signatories of the Council Decision covering police co-operation, but not of the Council Regulations covering asylum, visas and border controls.

The reluctance of the UK government to join the agreement has been criticised by some, such as the House of Lords, for, seemingly paradoxically, hampering the fight against cross-border crime. This is due to the inability of the UK to access the Schengen Information System, which contains data, among else, on undesirable persons. Government's reluctance to join Schengen Information System weakens battle against cross border crime House of Lords

Implementation States that have already implemented the terms of the agreement:

{|width = "100%" || valign="top" width = "33%" | 26 March 1995 | valign="top" width = "33%" | 26 October 1997
1 December 1997
26 March 2000 | valign="top" width = "34%" | 25 March 2001 |}

The ten new member states that acceded to the European Union – and thus to the Schengen Agreement – on 1 May 2004, except for Cyprus,http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=43290 are set to implement it on 21 December 2007 states to join border-free zone http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1389149 for overland borders and Seaport and 29 March 2008 for Airport eu2006.fi - Internal border controls to be lifted between the new and old Member States as of 31 December 2007 and 29 March 2008. Those dateshttp://ceuweb.belbone.be/archivevideo.php?sessionno=501&lang=EN#, time 3:55 could yet change:

{|width = "100%" || valign="top" width = "33%" | | valign="top" width = "33%" | | valign="top" width = "34%" | |}

Signatories yet to implement the agreement, and the planned implementation date:

{|width = "100%" || valign="top" width = "50%" | | valign="top" width = "50%" | |}

Before fully implementing the Schengen Agreement, each new state will need to have its preparedness assessed in four areas: air borders, Visa (document)s, police cooperation, and personal data protection. This evaluation process involves a questionnaire and visits of EU experts to selected institutions and workplaces of the country under assessment. The Council of the European Union is scheduled to review the results between April and September of 2007.http://www.gzs.si/eng/news/sbw/head.asp?idc=20384

Non-signatories of note

Principles behind the agreement Before the Schengen Agreement, citizens of western European countries could travel to neighbouring countries by showing their national ID card or passport at the border. Nationals of some countries were required to have separate visas for every country in Europe they wished to visit. A vast network of border posts existed around the continent which disrupted traffic and trade—causing delays and costs to both businesses and visitors.

Since the implementation of the agreement, border posts have been closed (and often demolished) between participating countries. Road traffic is no longer delayed; road, rail and air passengers no longer have their identity checked when crossing borders (however, see section #Customs Control). Citizens of non-EU, non-EEA countries who wish to visit Europe as tourists, and who require a visa to enter the Schengen area, are simply required to get a common Schengen Visa from the Embassy/Consulate of the Schengen country they intend to visit first. After this, they may visit any or all of the Schengen countries as tourists or for business without hindrance. They are not required to get separate visas for all the (Schengen) European countries they wish to visit.

between Germany and Austria): The traffic island marks the spot where a control post once stood, but was removed in 2000.Not only does the Schengen Agreement remove border checks between participating countries, but it means that participating countries co-ordinate their external controls. All Schengen members check the identity (national ID card or passport) of incoming and exiting travellers.

National security A country is permitted by article 2.2 of the Schengen Agreement to reinstate border controls for a short period if it is deemed in the interest of national security. This occurred in Portugal during the 2004 European Football Championship and in France for the ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of D-Day. It was used again by France shortly after the 7 July 2005 London bombings in July of 2005. Finland briefly reinstated border controls during the 2005 World Championships in Athletics that took place at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in August 2005.

The agreement also includes consent to share information about people, via the Schengen Information System. This means that a potentially undesirable person cannot 'disappear' simply by moving from one participant country to another as each country will know the same about the person's background. Previously, a criminal with police in hot pursuit would be safe once they managed to cross the border, but under the agreement, police from one nation can cross national borders to chase their target for up to 30 km ('hot pursuit'). The officers either have to wear their uniforms, or their vehicles have to be marked as police vehicles. The officers may only use their weapons for self-defence.

Air security When travelling by air between Schengen countries, identification (usually passport or national ID card) must be shown at check-in. This is not a Schengen rule, but rather an air security rule that applies equally for domestic flights within a Schengen country.

ID checks at hotels and other places According to the Schengen rules, all hotels and other types of accommodation must register the name, citizenship and ID number of all foreign citizens Schengen Aquis article 45. For this reason, a passport or a national ID card must be shown at check-in. A similar rule existed in some countries already before the Schengen Agreement.

Customs control Most of the members of Schengen are also members of the EU, among which customs controls have also been abolished, leaving no checks at all at the borders. Customs checks remain at borders between two Schengen members where one is a non-EU country. In theory, between two EU members where one is non-Schengen, there are identity (passport) checks but no customs checks. However, travelling from the continent to the UK normally requires a customs check.

The Schengen Agreement also intends to harmonise the laws and regulations of several policy areas, in order to minimise the extent to which criminals can take advantage of the relaxation of controls. At this point in time this is still a rather grey area: for example, the Dutch policy on drugs differs from the French policy, and a person could buy drugs in the Netherlands and transport them to France to sell on the black market. This is much easier when there are no border controls between the two countries (via Belgium). As a result of this particular difference in policy, France insisted on maintaining border controls on people entering France from the Benelux countries for some time after the agreement was implemented.

Some other Schengen countries, including Sweden and Finland, also maintain customs control at their borders. Their main reasons for this is to control the smuggling of drugs and alcohol. The Schengen treaty allows them, as long as cars not being suspected of smuggling don't have to stop, an easing compared to the pre-Schengen routine.

Non-EU members Norway and Iceland are not a part of the EU customs union and therefore enforce the same level of customs control towards any traveller, whether or not they come from within the Schengen area.

Information sharing: Prüm Convention An agreement was signed on 27 May, 2005 by seven countries (Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria, and Belgium) at Prüm, Germany. This agreement, based on the principle of availability which began to be discussed after the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings on 11 March, 2004, could enable them to exchange all data regarding DNA and fingerprint data of concerned persons and to cooperate against terrorism. Sometimes known as the Prüm Convention, this is becoming known as the Schengen III Agreement and was adopted into EU regulation for Schengen states in June 2007. Controversial data-sharing deal to get the go-ahead euobserver.com The Visa Information System, to be rolled-out in 2009, could be in the future the largest biometric database in the world. EU to create world's biggest bio-data pool euobserver.com

Outer borders The borders against non-Schengen countries are carefully controlled, and everyone wishing to cross has to show his passport. In principle, all border crossers have to be checked against the Schengen Information System, a database containging information about undesired or wanted people, stolen passports, and other items of interest to border officials. In practice, this check is done mostly at airports.

The border controls are located at roads crossing a border, at airports, at seaports, and onboard trains. Usually there is no fence along borders in the terrain, but there are exceptions like the Ceuta border fence. Along the southern coast of the Schengen countries, coast guards are making a substantial effort to prevent private boats from entering without permission.

The Schengen Agreement stipulates that all transporters of passengers across the outer Schengen border must check passports before boarding. Before the agreement took force, in many cases refugees could just buy a boat or an airplane ticket, and then apply for asylum at the passport control. That's why private, often dangerous, boats are used for People smuggling. Since all asylum applications must be investigated, and since it's often hard to deportation people, the Europan countries want to prevent undesired people from even reaching a passport control point. There is a general principle that no asylum applications are accepted at embassies, thus requiring refugees to reach a border crossing to lodge them.

The land border controls against Switzerland, the UK and Ireland are more relaxed. On the UK side of the border at sea ports and the Channel Tunnel the border controls are less relaxed.

The Schengen Agreement and the European Union All Schengen Agreement signatories except Norway, Iceland and Switzerland are European Union members. Two EU members (the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland) have opted not to fully participate in the agreement (their reasons are outlined above). The main reason that the non-EU states of Iceland and Norway joined was to preserve the Nordic Passport Union (see section #Pre-Schengen free-travel zones in Europe).

The Schengen Agreement was created independently of the European Union in part due to the lack of consensus amongst EU members, and in part because those ready to implement the idea did not wish to wait for others who were not ready. However, the Treaty of Amsterdam incorporated the developments brought about by the agreement into the European Union framework, effectively making the agreement part of the EU. Amongst other things the Council of the European Union took the place of the Executive Committee which had been created under the agreement. Future applicants to the European Union must fulfil the agreement criteria regarding their external border policies in order to be accepted into the EU. The existing signatories who are not EU members have less opportunity to participate in shaping the evolution of the Schengen Agreement as a result of the Treaty of Amsterdam. Their options are effectively reduced to agreeing with whatever is presented before them, or withdrawing from the agreement.

Gaining entry Member States of the Schengen Agreement have set uniform rules as to the type of visa (document)s which may be issued for a short-term stay, not exceeding 90 days, on the territory of one, several or all of those States.

The member states offer visa-free travel to holders of certain passports, allowing 90-day travel for tourism.

The uniform Visa (document) enables aliens that are subject to the visa requirement to present themselves at the external border of the Member State which issued the visa, or that of another Member State, and request transit or stay, depending on the type of visa. The uniform visa is granted in the form of a sticker affixed by a Member State onto a passport, travel document or another valid document which entitles the holder to cross the border.

In other words, mere possession of a uniform visa does not confer automatic right of entry. It will only be granted if the other transit or entry conditions laid down by the agreement have been met, notably the means of subsistence that aliens must have at their disposal, as well as the purpose and the conditions of the stay.

To obtain a Schengen visa, a traveller must take the following steps:

Requirements for family members of an EU citizen differ from those indicated above. In general, there is no requirement to provide information about one's employment, or to prove one's means of subsistence. In addition, no fee is required for the visa to be issued.

For citizens of countries not party to the Schengen Agreement, there are restrictions governing the length of one's stay within the Schengen area. The general rule stipulates a maximum 90-day stay within the 180-day period starting from the first day of entry. Provided a multiple-entry visa has been granted, one may leave and return a number of times within the 180-day period but the combined stay within the region must not exceed 90 days.

See also

References and notes Further reading



BBC NEWS | Special Report | 1997 | Schengen | Background to ...
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... including all European Union countries (except Ireland and United Kingdom) and three non-EU members (Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland) have signed the Schengen agreement.

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EUROPA - Glossary - Schengen (Agreement and Convention) ... Schengen (Agreement and Convention) The glossary is being updated given the recent signing of the Treaty of Lisbon.

EUROPA - Justice and Home Affairs - Freedom, Security and Justice ...
The practicalities of free movement within an area without internal border controls were first set out by the Schengen Agreement in 1985 and the subsequent Schengen Convention in ...

European Commission - Your Europe - Citizens - Schengen
The Schengen Agreement 2 is the basic act on the gradual abolition of checks at the common borders signed in 1985 outside the EU framework between five EU Member States (Belgium ...

 

Schengen Agreement



 
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