Bulgaria's accession to Schengen was marked by a symbolic opening of the border at Sofia airport.

There is an action plan for the lifting of checks at internal land borders into the land-based Schengen as of 1 January 2025, outgoing Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said. We can achieve this if we are united, otherwise we may miss the window of opportunity, which may not open in the near future. We are looking for a good political moment after the elections in Austria or the vote in the EU Parliament, Denkov said, when asked when land border controls would be lifted.

"Bulgaria is no longer just an observer in the debates on how to shape a strengthened, strong, well-functioning Schengen area, the country has a lot to contribute with its experience, said outgoing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel.