Published on: 6 June 2026
For a traveller looking at the map of Europe, the Schengen Area is shorthand for visiting many countries on a single visa. Over the past few years this map has expanded noticeably. Croatia joined first, followed by Bulgaria and Romania. So when exactly did these changes happen, and what do they mean in practice for someone planning a trip from Türkiye? In this article we summarise the recent additions in plain language while staying faithful to the correct dates.
The Schengen Area is a group of European countries that have largely abolished border controls between them. In its current form, the area is made up of 29 countries. A traveller moving between them can usually cross land borders without facing passport checks. It is worth remembering that Schengen membership is not exactly the same as European Union membership; the two groupings overlap but are not identical.
For Turkish citizens, the implication is clear: a Schengen visa obtained according to the rules is valid across most of these 29 countries. In other words, a single application can open the door to several destinations at once.
The first step in Schengen's latest wave of expansion was Croatia. The country joined the Schengen Area as a full member in 2023. This meant Schengen rules began to apply at its land, air and sea borders alike.
With its Adriatic coastline and cities such as Dubrovnik and Split, Croatia has long appealed to Turkish travellers, and its full membership brought a practical convenience, especially for those planning multi-country routes across the Balkans and Central Europe.
The accession of Bulgaria and Romania happened gradually rather than all at once. In the first stage, in 2024, both countries were brought into Schengen for their air and sea borders. This meant Schengen rules applied to crossings made through airports and seaports.
In a second, completing stage, their land borders were included in 2025. With that, Bulgaria and Romania became fully integrated into the area for land crossings with neighbouring Schengen countries as well.
This step-by-step approach reflected the gradual alignment of border infrastructure and procedures. For the traveller, the result is positive: today both countries are part of the Schengen family.
The most concrete benefit can be summed up in a single phrase: seeing more countries on one Schengen visa. Because some destinations that were once considered separately now fall under the same visa, planning a multi-stop trip has become simpler.
For example, a holiday route that begins in Italy and continues through Croatia, or a journey extending from Central Europe into Romania, can now be considered within a single visa framework. This is a development that streamlines both planning and budgeting.
That said, there is an important point to keep in mind: holding a Schengen visa does not automatically guarantee entry to every country. The entry decision is always made by the border authorities of the relevant country, and you are expected to be able to document your purpose of travel along with your accommodation and return plans.
If you are wondering whether a country is visa-free, e-visa or visa-required for your passport, the most practical route is to consult an up-to-date table. For this, you can review our Visa Regime Table page and filter by passport type to see the status country by country.
For the application steps, required documents and process details for a specific Schengen country, you can visit our countries pages. Since each country may have its own requirements, we recommend reading the page for your intended destination separately.
The accession dates shared in this article are based on widely known and verifiable information. However, visa rules, fees and border practices may be updated over time. Before finalising your trip, we strongly recommend that you always confirm the current information with the relevant country's official representation or authorised sources.
This matters because even a single up-to-date detail can affect your application process. Acting on accurate and current information is the best way to avoid surprises.
If you are unsure which country to apply through when planning your Schengen route, or about the application process itself, you are welcome to get in touch with our experienced team via our contact page. We would be glad to assess the most suitable path together with you.