After crossing the border with Romania, travelers will no longer be subject to border checks within the European community. This is after the Council of the European Union approved the decision on Romania and Bulgaria's entry into the Schengen area as of January 1, 2025, IPN reports, referring to a press release issued by the Border Police of the Republic of Moldova.

Thanks to this decision, Moldovan citizens will no longer have to cross the border between Romania and Bulgaria or Romania and Hungary. Respectively, this will reduce the duration of trips to Central and Western European countries.

On the other hand, however, the Border Police notes that Romania's accession to the Schengen area in terms of crossing the state border does not imply essential changes at this stage, but rather the inclusion of additional checks, which may increase the processing time at border crossing points, especially during peak periods.

The Border Police therefore advises travelers to check in advance the validity of their biometric passport and whether it is valid for at least 6 months from the planned date of travel, to consult official sources to be aware of the requirements for travel and stay in the Schengen area, and to ensure that they have documents confirming the purpose of the journey.