A date for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the land-border Schengen area has not been specified with Austria or the European Commission. This is what Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov said, refuting information that emerged earlier, according to which Bulgaria would enter Schengen with its land borders in 2025. 

At the end of March next year, Bulgaria and Romania will lift air and sea border controls, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariya Gabriel said and added that during the next stage, control at the land borders would also be removed. The minister also said that the negotiations continue.

"We are talking about a delicate negotiation process that has not ended yet. We hope that this will happen in the remaining days until the end of the year. Bulgaria has earned its place in Schengen. Our goal in the negotiations in 2024 is to have a date for the land borders," Gabriel added.

• PM Denkov: Austria agrees to Bulgaria and Romania’s entry into Schengen by air and sea

• Romanian Interior Ministry: Bulgaria and Romania enter Schengen by air and sea in March 2024