According to Hungarian officials Bulgaria and Romania might join the passport-free Schengen area in early-2025. These eastern-European countries which became EU members about 17 years ago are moving closer to full integration
The countries already made some progress this spring when they got partial entry into Schengen (removing checks for air and sea travel) but land crossings still need passports. Austrian authorities — the main opponents of full membership — dont want to remove land checks because they worry about illegal border-crossing
Right now travelers need to show documents when crossing land borders which makes road trips longer and more complex. Austriaʼs long-standing opposition has been a road-block for these Balkan nations progress towards complete border-free movement‚ while maritime and air routes already work without extra checks since spring-24