The European Union and the Schengen Area have implemented provisions to facilitate travel for citizens of EU member states.

Travel within the European Union

Countries concerned

edito-formalites-pour voyager-ADPCirculerUEThe European Union has 27 member states:
Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Croatia, Cyprus, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Bulgaria, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Romania.

Travel formalities

For citizens of a member state of the European Union:
-you may enter and travel within the countries of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (European Union countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) with no particular formalities;
- you need no residence permit if you stay for less than 3 months in a member state;
- you must have a valid passport or identity papers.

Note: in their legislation, some member states have eliminated the requirement for a residence permit for citizens of another member state.

Travel within the Schengen Area

The Schengen Area groups 25 European countries who have signed the Schengen Convention. This agreement provides for the free movement of people across their borders.

Countries involved

List of countries in the Schengen area:
Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland.

Travel formalities

Identity checks of passengers crossing internal borders have been eliminated.
Identity checks of passengers crossing external borders, as well as cooperation between police and the judiciary system of the various signatory states, have been strengthened.