Throughout history there have been different milestones that have marked a before and after in the way we currently live. The creation of the Schengen countries has undoubtedly been one of them.

Origin of the Schengen area

It all started in the post-war period of the 2nd World War, where the idea of ​​free movement began to take off. It was in 1985 when the countries that led the Schengen agreement (France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands), moved to the Schengen people and signed what would be the premise of the Schengen area.

It is not until 1995 that Spain and Portugal join in and the agreement of the Schengen countries is formally signed where border control is eliminated.

What is the Schengen area

The Schengen countries belonging to this space are the area where borders are abolished and the free movement of goods, services and capital is allowed, sharing common internal and external control standards.

What are the Schengen countries

Currently, there are 27 countries that are part of the Schengen agreement:

Germany	Finland	Luxembourg
Austria	France	Malt
Belgium	Greece	Norway
Croatia	Hungary	Netherlands
Denmark	Iceland	Poland
Slovakia	Italy	Portugal
Slovenia	Latvia	Czech Republic
Spain	Liechtenstein	Sweden
Estonia	Lithuania	Swiss

Advantages and benefits Schengen area

There are multiple advantages and benefits established by the Schengen area, both for the countries and for the citizens who belong to or live in them.

The first of all and the most important is the permission to cross borders freely, both for people and services and capital.

In addition, the bureaucracy between countries is reduced. With them we refer to the elimination of many of the papers and permits necessary to travel to other countries that are not in the Schengen area.

It improves security due to the ability of countries to work for it as a whole, that is, what cannot be covered by one country will be covered by another for the common good.

We have achieved much more humanized and more secure borders. By feeling that we belong to the same Schengen area, it also affects the citizens themselves, making it easier.

And no less important, a greater exchange of knowledge, not only because of the great information system that the Schengen area has, but also because, as there is greater ease of movement, people move more frequently to increase or teach their knowledge.

Conditions that must be met by a country in the Schengen area

Not all countries can access the Schengen area, as there are some conditions that they must meet or agree to meet at the time of accession.

• Have the capacity to control external borders and issue Uniform Schengen Visas. This is very important since, when the country joins the Schengen area, it will mean that people from there will be able to move freely. That is why, if a country does not control its external borders, people or illegal capital, it will be able to access the rest of the Schengen countries more easily.
• Commitment to collaborate for a higher level of security. As we have mentioned before, a country that adheres to the Schengen agreement has to look after the common security as well as its own to avoid big problems.
• Being able to comply with and apply the existing rules in the Schengen area. It is a commitment to existing regulations prior to its incorporation into the Schengen area.
• Be prepared and equipped to put the Schengen Information System (SIS) into operation. In order to have the exchange of knowledge highlighted above, it is important that the countries have infrastructures to be able to put them into operation.

If you want to travel or access the Schengen area and need a visa adapted to your needs, do not hesitate to put yourself in the hands of the best professionals to avoid problems and inconveniences.