DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION VS SCHENGEN AREA

Visitors to the Schengen Area will soon need to register with ETIAS (The European Travel Information and Authorisation System) before travelling.

ETIAS was designed by the European Union (EU) to strengthen border control and improve security in the Schengen Area.

With the 2026 , ETIAS launch date approaching, some travellers are uncertain about what they will need to do to visit Europe.

This is partly caused by confusion about which countries are in the Schengen Area, which are in the EU, and which countries will require ETIAS.

The United Kingdom’s departure from the EU following Brexit has led to more questions regarding European travel.

This page clarifies the differences between the European Union and the Schengen Area and where ETIAS will be required once fully implemented.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EU AND THE SCHENGEN ZONE?

There is a difference between Schengen, the EU, and Europe as a whole.

As regards the EU vs Schengen, they are 2 different entities, although many countries are included in both.

The EU is a political and economic union.

The Schengen Area is a group of countries with open borders between them. This allows for the free movement of people between the participating countries.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EUROPE AND SCHENGEN?

Europe is the entire continent, while Schengen is a group of countries within Europe that have agreed to allow free movement of people between member states.

There are countries in Europe that are not part of Schengen or the EU.

However, more than half of all European countries are a member of the EU and/or the Schengen Area.

IS ETIAS FOR TRAVEL TO EU OR SCHENGEN AREA?

ETIAS is not for all European countries. The ETIAS travel authorisation grants access to all countries included in the Schengen Area and some that are in the process of joining.

The ETIAS countries and the Schengen countries are the same. ETIAS provides access to the same countries as a Schengen visa. The difference is that an ETIAS is only for travellers from visa-exempt non-EU countries.

Given that almost all EU countries are either in the Schengen Area or in the process of joining, the ETIAS will cover travel to every EU country except the Republic of Ireland.

For more information, visit:

WHAT IS THE EUROPEAN UNION?

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union consisting of 27 Member States.

The leaders of 6 countries—Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany— signed the Treaty of Paris in 1951 to form the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).

The community expanded over the subsequent decades and it came to be called the European Union.

EU countries have autonomy over many aspects of their policymaking, including foreign policy, but are bound to the judicial and legislative institutions of the EU.

Though each member state has its own government, there are shared laws which cover a range of areas including trade, agriculture, and regional development.

The EU single market allows for the free movement of people, goods, services, and money. EU citizens have the freedom to study, work, live and retire in any European Union country. However, these rights do not apply to citizens of non-EU countries. Most, but not all, EU countries are in the Schengen Area.

COUNTRIES IN EUROPE

According to the United Nations, there are a total of 44 official countries in Europe. Below you can find a list of the European countries, along with their population and location within the continent.

Dependencies or other territories:

Not included in this list are other countries which are arguably European.

The following countries are partly located in Europe, while most of their territory is in Asia:

The following countries/territories are politically considered part of Europe, although they are not geographically on the continent:

Finally, there is one European country that is widely recognised as an independent state, but not by all other nations:

LIST OF EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES

Not all European countries are part of the European Union. There are currently 27 European nations which form the EU, though more member states are expected to join in the future.

The 27 countries of the EU are:

EUROPEAN COUNTRIES NOT IN THE EU

Some European countries are not members of the European Union, while others are EU candidates and in the process of joining. Below is a list of non-EU countries, along with an indication of EU candidates and potential candidates.

EU candidate countries* Potential candidate countries**

WHAT IS THE SCHENGEN AREA?

The Schengen Area is a travel zone made up of 29 European states. Countries in the Schengen Area have abolished checks at their mutual borders.

For visitors to the EU, this means the Schengen Area acts as a single country. After crossing an external Schengen border, travellers can enter any of the Schengen countries, including Schengen candidates, without further passport checks.

WHAT DOES SCHENGEN MEAN?

People often ask what the word ‘Schengen’ means. The Schengen Area is named after the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, where the original agreement was signed in June 1985.

WHAT ARE THE SCHENGEN COUNTRIES?

Schengen countries are the European countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement. These countries operate with no internal border controls, allowing for free movement.

There are currently 29 Schengen member states. Most are countries that are in the European Union (EU).

Ireland is the only EU country to have opted out of the Schengen Agreement.

There are also four countries which are in the Schengen Area but are not EU member states:

Three microstates are de facto part of the Schengen Area: Monaco, Vatican City, and San Marino.

FULL LIST OF SCHENGEN COUNTRIES

European microstates in the Schengen Area de facto:

Cyprus is in the process of joining the Schengen Area and will apply ETIAS once operational.

NON-SCHENGEN COUNTRIES IN EUROPE

Below is a list of European countries that are currently not part of the Schengen Area.

Schengen candidate - ETIAS will be required.*

ARE THE EU COUNTRIES AND THE SCHENGEN COUNTRIES THE SAME?

No, there are non-EU countries which are in the Schengen Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland).

Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican City are also considered de facto part of the Schengen zone despite not being formal members of the EU.

Ireland is in the EU, but is not part of the Schengen Area.

SCHENGEN AREA VISA POLICY

The visa policy of the Schengen Area is divided into 3 main categories:

1. Freedom of movement
2. Visa-exempt non-EU nationals
3. Visa-required non-EU nationals

CATEGORY 1: EU CITIZENS WITH FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT IN EUROPE

Citizens of EU and EFTA countries enjoy freedom of movement within the European Union. Nationals of EU member states have the right to enter and reside in other member states.

European citizens do not need to apply for a visa or travel authorisation to move between member states.

Freedom of movement applies to passport holders from:

This right to freedom of movement is protected by article 21 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Directive 2004/38/EC.

CATEGORY 2: NON-EU NATIONALS WITH VISA-FREE ENTRY TO EUROPE

Under the EU’s visa waiver programme, citizens of more than 50 non-EU countries can visit Europe without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Border officials verify visitors meet the entry conditions. The non-EU passport is checked and stamped.

After crossing the external border, visa-free visitors can stay anywhere in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days.

When ETIAS is launched, these travellers will need to register online to continue to enjoy visa-free entry to Schengen countries.

CATEGORY 3: NON-EU CITIZENS WHO NEED A VISA FOR EUROPE

Under the visa policy of the EU, citizens of third countries not included in the visa waiver programme need a visa for short stays.

All Schengen member states can issue Schengen visas (Type C). With an approved Schengen visa, non-EU nationals can travel to any of the Schengen countries for up to 90 days.

Schengen visas are for tourism, short-term study, business, visiting friends and relatives, cultural or sporting events.

Single, double, or multiple-entry visas are available. Different conditions apply depending on the visa required.

RESIDE, WORK, OR STUDY LONG-TERM IN EUROPE

To stay for longer than 90 days, all non-EU nationals need a visa.

To reside or work in a Schengen country, non-EU citizens from both categories 2 and 3 need a National Visa (Type D).

With a National Visa, non-European citizens can stay long-term in a single country.

Holders of these visas can visit other Schengen states for up to 90 days without an additional visa.

SCHENGEN AREA: ONE OF THE EU’S GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS

According to the 2018 Eurobarometer on European’s perceptions of the Schengen Area, 68% of EU citizens see the border-free zone as one of the EU’s greatest achievements.

No passport control and easier cross-border travel are considered 2 of the greatest advantages.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said, "The freedom to move, live, and work in different Member States is a freedom Europeans hold dearly."

Plans to strengthen the Schengen Area include increased digitalisation of borders and the implementation of ETIAS.

EU PLANS TO STRENGTHEN THE SCHENGEN AREA

ETIAS is one of several strategies to improve the Schengen Area that are currently in the works. In recent years, European leaders have worked on plans to strengthen borders and tackle problems facing the open-border region.

The border guard agency of the European Union (Frontex) standing corp began operating in 2021 and will grow to 10,000 officers by 2027.

Vice-President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas emphasized that “Schengen is more than just borders. It’s cooperation, it’s a common visa policy, and down the road, it hopes to have a common system to care for asylum seekers,” the EU leader said.

The State of Schengen Report 2022 outlined the following priorities for the next few years: