Croatia Joins Schengen Area, Becomes Largest Border-Free Zone in the World
After changing its currency earlier this year, Croatia has now officially joined the Schengen Area – making it part of one of largest border-free zones in world! This move marks another step forward on their journey towards full EU membership status which could happen sooner than expected!
Jan. 02, 2023 11:20PM
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A map showing Europe's 26 countries that are part of the Schengen Area with a red arrow pointing at Croatia indicating its new membership status
Croatia has officially joined the Schengen area, making it the largest border-free zone in the world. The Schengen area is a bloc of 26 countries that have done away with border checks within Europe. This move is part of Croatia’s larger effort to become a member of the European Union (EU). The Schengen Agreement was signed in 1985 and established free movement between member states. It also created common visa policies for travelers from outside Europe. In order to join, countries must meet certain criteria including having strong external borders and robust security measures. Croatia has been working towards joining since 2013 and finally met all requirements this year. Croatia’s accession to the Schengen area will make it easier for citizens of other EU countries to travel freely within its borders without needing a visa or passport. This will be beneficial for both tourists and business travelers alike as they can now more easily explore what Croatia has to offer without any hassle or paperwork. Additionally, this move could help boost tourism in Croatia as well as its economy overall by encouraging more people to visit and spend money there. In addition to joining the Schengen area, Croatia recently changed its currency from Croatian kuna (HRK) to euro (EUR). This change was also made with an eye towards eventually becoming an EU member state; currently only 19 out of 28 EU members use EUR as their official currency. The switchover took place on January 1st 2021 and went relatively smoothly with no major disruptions reported so far. Overall, these two changes mark a significant milestone for Croatia’s journey towards full EU membership status; however there are still some steps left before that goal can be achieved such as meeting economic criteria set by Brussels and negotiating terms with existing members states regarding how much money it would receive from them annually if accepted into the union. Nevertheless, these recent developments show that progress is being made and that hopefully one day soon we may see Croatia become part of the European Union family at last!