High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Schengen Area is a
group of twenty-five European countries which have abolished all
border controls between each other. It originates from the
eponymous agreement signed in the Luxembourgish town of Schengen in
1985, which has since been absorbed into the European Union. All EU
members except Ireland and the United Kingdom are required to
implement Schengen and with the exceptions of Bulgaria, Cyprus, and
Romania have done so. Three non-member states Iceland, Norway, and
Switzerland have also implemented the Schengen rules. As such, the
Area currently covers a population of over 400 million people and
an area of 4,312,099 square kilometres (1,664,911 sq mi).
Implementing the Schengen rules involves eliminating border
controls with other Schengen members while simultaneously
strengthening border controls with non-member states. The rules
include provisions on common policy on the temporary entry of
persons (including the Schengen visa), the harmonisation of
external border controls, and cross-border police and judicial
co-operation.
