How unattainable is Schengen for the Western Balkans?

While the country stagnates in joining the European Union (EU), Belgrade believes that Schengen is within reach.

Not only for Serbia, but for the entire Western Balkans region.

And already this summer.

And they call on the EU to open the Schengen area to the Western Balkans.

The European Commission did not respond to a query from Radio Free Europe (RFE) about Belgrade's idea of ​​quickly including the Western Balkans in Schengen.

Bojana Zorić from the EU Institute for Security Studies (ISS) sees such statements as politically motivated rather than well-founded and realistic.

"Although it may sound politically attractive, the region is still legally, technically and politically far from full Schengen membership," she told RFE/RL.

Free travel without border controls, within the Schengen area, is now possible for 29 countries, 25 of which are EU members.

Zorić also explains that one cannot speak of the entire region's entry into Schengen as a single process, because the countries are at different stages of European integration and institutional development.

"Each country must individually adopt and implement the EU acquis, including the Schengen acquis, and undergo separate technical and political assessments," she stated.

That was Serbia's key message at the informal meeting of EU and Western Balkan foreign ministers on May 11 in Brussels, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić reported.

He believes there is no reason why Europe should not unlock the full potential of the region's inclusion in Schengen this summer.

Previously, Serbian Minister of European Integration Nemanja Starović assessed that the inclusion of the Western Balkans in the Schengen area "would be a good and tangible step."

The Schengen area enables free travel between member states, without passing through border controls, for more than 450 million people.

In addition to the 25 EU countries, Schengen also includes members of the European Free Trade Association - Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

The Western Balkan countries have a visa-free regime with the EU, which means visa-free travel, but for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period within the Schengen area.

What do they say in the Western Balkan countries?

In Podgorica, they support initiatives that contribute to the European integration of the region, strengthening security and freedom of movement, but say they were not consulted on the proposal for the Western Balkans to join Schengen.

The Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs told RFE/RL that any initiative on behalf of the region should be preceded by "thorough communication and coordination."

They remind that Montenegro has been implementing the Schengen Action Plan for a decade and developing its own integrated border management system.

"While the focus of our country remains on full membership in the EU, without shortcuts, i.e. on the basis of merit, through the adoption of strict standards from the negotiation process," it was stated.

Montenegro's goal is to become a member by 2028.

Sarajevo, Pristina, Skopje and Tirana did not respond to RFE/RL's inquiry regarding Belgrade's proposal.

What do the experiences of Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania tell us?

Contrary to the optimism of official Belgrade, neighboring countries, as EU members, have been waiting for years to become part of the Schengen Area.

Croatia 10, and Bulgaria and Romania almost two decades.

Former Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić tells RFE/RL that joining the EU is the main project and that the rest, such as Schengen and the European Monetary Union, comes later.

"I don't see how it would be possible to enter Schengen before, or even at the same time, let alone before entering the EU," she said.

She says that Croatia was institutionally ready to join Schengen much earlier than it happened, but that political reasons also play a role.

"This was partly a result of the fact that they (the EU) had old debt towards Bulgaria and Romania which were not quite ready," she said.

That is why, as she said, it was unacceptable for Croatia to enter Schengen long before Bulgaria and Romania.

Croatia, a member of the EU since 2013, became a Schengen member in 2023.

While Bulgaria and Romania, although EU members since 2007, only managed to become part of the Schengen zone in 2025.

Bojana Zorić from ISS says that the example of Bulgaria and Romania shows that even EU membership does not guarantee quick entry into Schengen.

"The process depends not only on technical criteria, but also on political trust among EU member states," she added.

Although the Schengen area includes four non-EU countries, Zorić explains that they are "deeply integrated into the EU's legal and institutional framework through the European Economic Area, as well as other special arrangements."

"For candidate countries from the Western Balkans, entering Schengen before EU membership would therefore be very unusual and politically very difficult to achieve in the current context," she added.

Security as an advantage or a risk?

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić, explaining why Schengen should be opened to the Western Balkans, said that "hard borders interrupt the blood flow of the economy and tourism."

He also estimated that this would "lead to 50 billion euros of new economic activity, without reducing EU security."

He did not state what the estimate of the level of economic activity is based on.

However, Bojana Zorić from ISS assesses that from a security perspective, most member states would see premature expansion of Schengen to the Western Balkans as a potential risk rather than an immediate advantage.

She recalls that Schengen is based on mutual trust that each participating state can effectively protect the Union's external border.

"Given ongoing concerns about irregular migration, organized crime, corruption and uneven institutional capacity in parts of the region, many EU member governments would likely remain cautious," she assessed.

Zorić believes that a more realistic scenario than rapid accession is gradual integration through strengthening cooperation with Frontex, further harmonization with EU visa policy, and improved border management.

What is the Schengen area?

The area of ​​free travel was launched in 1985 in the Luxembourg village of Schengen on the border with Germany and France, with the signing of the Schengen Agreement.

The Schengen area was created as an intergovernmental project of five EU member states, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Over time, the number of members increased.

Schengen does not only imply the free movement of people, says Bojana Zorić from ISS, but also a very high degree of compliance with EU rules.

Compliance is required in external border management, visa policy, security checks, police and judicial cooperation, and data protection.

"The Western Balkan countries have made some progress, particularly through reforms related to visa liberalization, migration management and strengthening cooperation with Frontex," Zorić stated.

But she added that they are "still quite far from being fully ready to enter the Schengen area."

Countries wishing to join the Schengen area must undergo a series of evaluations to determine whether they meet the conditions necessary to apply Schengen rules.

After a positive evaluation, all Schengen Area members must unanimously approve the decision on membership, after consulting the European Parliament.

Where are the Western Balkan countries?

"The progress of the Western Balkan countries is very diversified, but currently there is no country in the region that is fully ready to join Schengen," says Bojana Zorić from ISS.

She also recalls the European Commission's 2025 progress reports, which call on countries in the region to further harmonize their visa policies with the EU.

Serbia is required to ensure checks on third-country nationals entering without a visa, especially from countries that pose a security or migration risk.

The need for rigorous security checks when granting Serbian citizenship to third-country nationals is also emphasized.

It is also warned that gaining the right to visa-free travel to the EU for Russian citizens, by granting Serbian citizenship, poses potential security risks for the EU.

Montenegro is being asked to abolish the visa-free regime agreement with countries that require a visa to enter the EU.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is said to need to improve border management, and that its visa policy is not fully aligned with the EU visa policy.

It is recommended that until full alignment is achieved, BiH should implement additional security measures, such as increasing the number of border police officers.

It is estimated that the border police are still understaffed and that a quarter of the positions have not yet been filled.

Kosovo's visa policy is also not fully aligned with the EU, especially when it comes to the list of countries whose citizens must have a visa to enter the EU.

In addition, Kosovo should continue to address unfounded asylum claims from its citizens by improving exit controls and continuing cooperation with the most affected EU countries.

For North Macedonia, the EC assessed that the visa regime is largely aligned with the lists of EU countries, except for Turkey.

When it comes to Albania, it is stated that the legislative and strategic framework for external border management is partially aligned with the EU acquis.

Border management is said to be largely satisfactory.

Of the Western Balkan countries, Montenegro is considered a leader in joining the EU, while Albania is a country that has made significant progress.

In contrast, Serbia, according to the EC, has slowed down the pace of reforms necessary for accession.

The Council of Europe website states that every day, around 3,5 million people cross internal borders for work, study or visits.

It is said that almost 1,7 million people live in one Schengen area country and work in another.

It is estimated that Europeans make 1,25 billion trips within the Schengen area every year.

In the meantime, Schengen members have started to implement the Automated Entry/Exit System (EES) to register non-EU nationals travelling for short stays.