What the majority of people may find difficult to imagine will become reality. The Czech Republic is going to take part in the Schengen cooperation, thus joining a group of countries which carry out no checks at their common borders and which have brought their efforts to fulfill the right of free movement of persons to a successful end. This will be a symbolic end to the imaginary division of Europe into the "West" and the "East" and it will mean that people will be allowed to cross land borders without the obligation to present an identity document at border crossing points.

The long-awaited moment is here. At midnight on the 20th of December 2007, the Czech Republic became a member of the so-called Schengen zone. The border posts which divided the country from its neighbours are now a thing of the past and travel in Europe just got that bit easier. Along with the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia have also joined the previous 15 Schengen zone members.

Czech Republic has now abolished passport checks at its land borders, and at international airports these should also disappear by March 30, 2008. After this date only passengers arriving from or travelling to countries outside the Schengen zone will go through passport checks. At the international airports at Prague-Ruzyně, Brno-Tuřany, Ostrava-Mošnov, Pardubice and Carlsbad building work has been carried out which divides passengers from Schengen countries from those from outside the zone. At Prague-Ruzyně this regime has been in place since 28. 10. 2007 (though passport controls have still been in place).

Schengen will also bring positive developments for the tourism industry, in particular the simplification of the country’s visa policy. The single Schengen visa which enables the holder to travel anywhere in the zone for up to 90 days will now also be valid in the Czech Republic. This will do away with the long process of applying for numerous visas on a trip around Europe. The application for a Schengen visa is made at the embassy or consulate of the country which is the traveller’s main or first destination. The fee for such a visa is 60 euros, for citizens of the Russian Federation 35 euros.

People now enjoy freedom of movement but remember that the obligation to carry valid ID in a foreign country remains. Whether you are planning a holiday at home or abroad, always carry valid ID!

Background of Schengen Zone (Schengen Area)

Schengen is a small European town situated in the Luxembourg territory near the French and German border. Schengen is remembered because it represents the so-called Schengen area. In this area no border checks are conducted at the common internal borders, which thus can be crossed anywhere at any time.

The Schengen agreement was signed on 14 June 1985. The initial agreement was signed by five Member States, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Their intention was to create a territory without borders and provide a common policy on temporary entry of persons and cross-border police co-operation. And then, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden entered the Schengen area between 1990 and 2000.