Stop! Schengen Time!

The Schengen zone has hit Poland - but wait, what's Schengen you ask? No, it's not some hip new dance move all of the kids are doing these days, it's the end of borders for Poland, at least within the EU. As the clock struck midnight and Friday, the 21st of December began, nine new EU members entered the Schengen area: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, as well as Slovenia and Malta. From Friday on, the countries have abandoned checks on internal EU borders.

At midnight, celebrations took place mainly at Zittau, Bogatynia and Hradek nad Nisou, where the German, Polish and Czech borders meet, and were attended by a each country's government representatives. But what does being in the Schengen zone mean for Poland? Well, Polish and EU nationals will be able to travel through the entire now 24-nation Schengen area without border checks or passport controls, while visitors to the Schengen area will only have to present their visas or passports when entering the area. The plan promises to make travel within the EU a lot less cumbersome, while increasing the security of the EU's external borders. And anything that will make travelling to Poznan easier is a reason to celebrate in our book!