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EU citizens, non-EU residents and visitors to the EU need to be able to freely and safely travel within the Union. The Schengen Area has made this a concrete reality.

The Schengen Area is one of the greatest achievements of the EU. It is an area without internal borders, an area within which citizens, many non-EU nationals, business people and tourists can freely circulate without being subjected to border checks. Since 1985, it has gradually grown and encompasses today almost all EU States and a few associated non-EU countries.
While having abolished their internal borders, Schengen States have also tightened controls at their common external border on the basis of Schengen rules to ensure the security of those living or travelling in the Schengen Area.

The Schengen Borders Code governs the crossing of the external border, facilitating access for those who have a legitimate interest to enter into the EU. A special Local Border Traffic Regime has also been established to facilitate entry for non-EU border residents who frequently need to cross the EU external border. A common visa policy further facilitates the entry of legal visitors into the EU.
EU State authorities need to cooperate on border management to ensure the security of citizens and travellers in the EU. A number of information sharing mechanisms are central to this cooperation.
VIS and SIS, as well as EURODAC are operated by the EU Agency for large-scale IT systems (eu-LISA).
It is also necessary to ensure the security of travel documents to fight against the falsification and counterfeiting of travel documents and to establish a reliable link between the document and its holder.
A system for the exchange of visa data between Schengen States, which enables authorised national authorities to ...
An authorisation issued by a Schengen State with a view to: - transit through or an intended stay in the territory ...
A passport or other equivalent document entitling the holder to cross the external borders and to which a visa ...
A joint information system that is used by border guards and by police, customs, visa and judicial authorities ...
As of December 2011, the Schengen Area consists of the following EU States: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark,...
Comprises three main tasks: - supervision and responsibility for increasing the performance of others...
A derogation from the general rules governing the border control of persons crossing the external borders of ...
An EU States’ land borders, including river and lake borders, sea borders and their airports, river ports, sea ports ...
There are two broad types of agency, each with different characteristics and raising different issues. "Regulatory" or ...
Any entrance of a person from one country to another, whether voluntary or involuntary, authorised or unauthorised.
Non-EU national who has been lawfully resident in the border area of a country neighbouring a Schengen State for ...
The physical act of crossing a border either at a border crossing point or another point along the border.
The activity carried out at a border, in accordance with and for the purposes of Regulation 562/2006, exclusively in ...
Checks carried out at border crossing points to ensure that persons, including their means of transport and the objects in their possession, may be authorised to enter the territory of the Schengen States or authorised to leave it.
A line separating land territory or maritime zones of two States or subparts of States. It can also refer to a region ...
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