Today, Europe is a place of attraction for tourists from all over the world. Sights on its territory are visited by millions of people every year. To facilitate travel across the borders of European states, a special control procedure was introduced, operating on the basis of the Schengen Agreement.
The Schengen countries have adopted a unified visa system and developed common legal norms under which it operates. The history of the signing of the legal act that laid the foundation for this system is interesting.
Schengen Agreement
The history of the Schengen Agreement begins on June 14, 1985. Initially, the joint document was approved by five European countries: Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Germany and France. The signing place was the deck of a motor ship cruising along the Moselle River near the town of Schengen. It was this Luxembourg town that gave its name to the document. The signed agreement contained norms aimed at significantly simplifying border control between the participatingstates. This legal act laid the foundations
Schengen Convention, which was adopted in 1990. In 2000, the Schengen rules became part of the regulatory framework of the European Union.
Which countries are in the Schengen area?
Persons wishing to visit Europe are entered into a single information database. All Schengen countries have access to this database. The list of these states includes: Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Greece, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, M alta, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, France, Finland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Estonia. There remains only a small number of European countries not yet covered by the agreement. The old passport control rules have been preserved in Ireland and the UK. In the future, several more states plan to bring domestic legislation into the form in which the Schengen countries operate. 2013 may add Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania to the main list. To date, the rules of the EU Schengen legislation are not fully applied on their territory.
Schengen visa
A visa that gives the right to enter the Schengen countries is issued by a diplomatic mission of any of the above states. At the same time, it is required to submit documents that will confirm the identity and financial solvency of the tourist, as well as confirm the purpose and route of the trip. Issued visas are divided into several types:
- Type A. This type of visa is issued for a transit flight through the Schengen countries. Its presence allows you to stay within the airport, but does not provide for the possibility of movement within the territory of the state.
- Type B. Gives the right to travel by any land transport through all Schengen countries. The visa is urgent and is issued for a period of 1 to 5 days.
- Type C. Allows stay in the territory of the Schengen state. This visa is also of an urgent nature and is valid for a maximum of 90 days.
