The Schengen Agreement was signed in 1985 by France, West Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands to ease border controls. The goal was to allow free movement of people between countries. The agreement standardized asylum and visa policies and abolished passport controls. The Schengen area functions like a single state for international travel with no internal border controls. Regular border controls still exist to enter the area. It took 10 years to implement all provisions and participating countries must remove obstacles to free traffic flow at internal borders.
The Schengen Agreement is a 1985 treaty signed by France, West Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands, in which the countries agreed to take steps to ease the border controls in place between them. Before World War I it was possible to travel throughout Europe without a passport; border controls requiring the issuance and checking of passports began during the war and remained in place after it ended. The Schengen Agreement was intended to remove these World War I controls. An accompanying treaty was signed in 1990 and collectively they are together known as the Schengen Agreement. Ultimately, the goal of the agreement was, over time, to allow for the free movement of people between those countries.
To achieve the goal of free cross-border movement, the first steps taken by the provisions of the 1985 Schengen Agreement were for treaty signatories to adopt a standardized set of policies involving both asylum and visa requirements. Passport controls have been abolished; instead of stopping and searching each vehicle, those with the green visa symbol on their windshield could drive right through. A contingent of guards, however, remained at the borders to visually check passing vehicles. At the same time, a very large database, the Schengen Information System, was compiled so that countries could share information across borders on both people and goods transiting what has come to be known as the Schengen area. In 1990, an amended Schengen Agreement took these steps further by introducing provisions that would lead to the complete elimination of border controls.
The Schengen area functions much like a single state when it comes to international travel. There are border controls for people entering and leaving the area, but there are no internal border controls. Since its inception with five nations, this borderless zone has expanded to cover more than two dozen countries in Europe with a total population of over 400 million people.
It took about 10 years to implement all the provisions of the Schengen Agreement. At that time, border posts were closed and often removed. Participating countries are required to remove all obstacles to the free flow of traffic at internal borders. Travelers should note that all regular border controls, such as requirements to show passports and visas, continue to exist to enter the Schengen area. After entering the area, however, the traveler will be able to move freely beyond the internal borders of the countries that adhere to the Schengen Agreement.
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