Bulgaria suspends border checks with Romania starting January 1, reverts to temporary controls for 6 months
On Wednesday, December 18, the Bulgarian government decided to temporarily introduce controls at the Bulgarian-Romanian internal border and suspend the operation of border crossing points at the Bulgarian-Romanian and Bulgarian-Greek internal borders.
This decision, which precedes Bulgaria’s actual accession to the Schengen area with land borders, was agreed upon with Romania, Hungary, and Austria on November 22 in Budapest, according to the BTA news agency, which also gives more details. The deal was made official on December 12, when the Council of the European Union decided that Romania and Bulgaria would enter Schengen with land borders starting January 1 of the following year. This means that Romania and Bulgaria will become external borders for the Schengen area.
According to the Budapest quadrilateral declaration, to prevent potential security threats arising from changes in migration patterns, random border controls will be conducted at border crossing points along the internal border with Romania for six months starting January 1, 2025, after which they will be suspended.
Representatives of the Romanian Border Police stated that starting January 1, 2025, systematic checks of travel documents at Romania's borders with Bulgaria and Hungary will be eliminated, and citizens will enjoy the right to free movement. However, border police will continue to conduct checks at these border crossing points based on risk analysis.
"Practically, this means that border police will conduct random and unannounced checks within 30 kilometers from the border towards the interior, together with colleagues from the Police, Gendarmerie, and Immigration. The purpose of these checks is to prevent and combat illegal activities," said Alexandra Găvan, the head of the Information and Public Relations Center of the General Inspectorate of the Border Police.
After Bulgaria and Romania join the Schengen area via land routes starting January 1, crossing the border at the Danube Bridge between Vidin and Calafat will continue as before, including the collection of bridge tolls, as stated by the Governor of Vidin Region, Ani Harutyunyan. For the first six months of 2025, partial border checks by the Border Police will be applied, based on "risk analysis.”
Similarly, no significant infrastructure changes are expected at the Danube Bridge area in Ruse after January 1, 2025. Around 5–10% of vehicles, primarily those leaving Bulgaria, will be checked, targeting illegal migration.
Regional authorities in Plevna have discussed preparations for Bulgaria’s Schengen accession via land. Vehicle inspection areas will be established outside the ferry complex in Nikopol.
The two border crossing points in the Silistra region - "Silistra-Călărași," which provides a 24-hour road and ferry connection to Romania, and "Kainarja-Lipnița" - will fully comply with European regulations after the EU Council’s decision. Selective border checks will continue for six months.
The three border crossings with Romania in Dobrich - "Kardam," "Durankulak," and "Severnjak" - will be fully operational under European rules.
Selective vehicle and passenger checks will continue for six months after Schengen accession but will not occur within the International Port of Svishtov’s border zone. Preparations for control points at Svishtov’s three entry routes are underway.
At the "Oriahovo" crossing, automated systems are used for real-time registration and control of vehicles and passengers. Selective checks will continue for the first half of 2025, with gradual measures expected to facilitate operations for complete removal of border checks by June 2025.
(Photo source: Cateyeperspective | Dreamstime.com)
