In a calm part of Luxembourg, there's a village called Schengen. It's famous because of an important agreement, known as The Schengen Agreement.

This agreement helped remove border checks in many European Union countries and others. This made the Schengen Area, where people can move freely, one of the biggest in the world.
After World War II, as the European Economic Community started building what would later become the European Union, they started thinking about bringing back the idea of free travel like in old Europe. In the 1980s, this idea turned into a real plan, and people had serious discussions about getting rid of border checks within Europe. The Schengen Agreement started taking shape on June 17, 1984, when France and Germany worked together to determine the rules for people to move freely between their countries. This teamwork led to the Schengen Agreement, officially signed by five European nations on June 14, 1985: France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
The village of Schengen in southern Luxembourg was unique because it gave its name to this important agreement. A big step was taken on June 19, 1990, when a Convention was signed to provide the legal framework for making the Schengen Agreement work. The Convention covered many things, including removing border checks, creating a single Schengen Visa, and starting the Schengen Information System. This system was really important because of the streamlined process it created for immigration and law enforcement agencies in Europe to work together.
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Today, many countries have joined the Schengen Agreement. The list includes:
The group of countries called the Schengen states includes all EU member countries except for Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Romania. These last three are working on following Schengen rules at different stages.
The Schengen system has been a great thing for EU citizens. It allows them to live and work anywhere in the EU without the old, expensive, and complicated border checks. It has created many opportunities for EU residents, making it easy to move across borders for work, school, or fun. Additionally, the Schengen Agreement has made things much simpler and cheaper for people outside the EU who want to visit and experience the cultures and beautiful places in the Schengen countries.
Creating a single, standardised short-stay Schengen Visa, obtained from the main country on your travel plan, has transformed travel, making it more affordable and less complicated. Companies like AXA have responded by providing well-designed insurance plans that meet the Schengen states' requirement for Rs. 26,52,480 (€30,000) coverage. These policies open up many opportunities and experiences in this diverse European landscape.
The Schengen Agreement is a significant change in how Europe thinks about borders and travel. It creates a space where Economic Growth, sharing cultures, and people coming together become much more accessible. By making it easy for people, products, and services to move across borders, the Schengen Area has tapped into the combined power of its diverse member countries. Doing this has strengthened the region's Economy and shown how working together can create a united and prosperous future.