European Countries That Require a Visa

If you’ve never traveled to Europe, the visa requirement might seem a little confusing. The European Union established what’s known as the Schengen Area in 1990, allowing free movement throughout most of the continent on one visa. However, there are a few countries that held out on the agreement.

Well-traveled nations like France, Italy, Spain and Germany are all members of the Schengen Area. Once you cross the border into one of these countries and receive a tourist visa, you can hop back and forth through any of them freely for the length of the visa. However, two notable big names in Europe require separate visas — the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Similarly, Romania, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Croatia are not members of the Schengen Borders Agreement. Trying to enter them without the appropriate visa could get you into a bit of trouble. Getting visa into these countries is no more difficult than normal, but you still need to get it.

European countries not part of the European Union but still members of the Schengen Area include Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. You can move through them with a visa received in any of the European Union countries.

While the Schengen Agreement makes travel between countries a tad easier, it also means fewer stamps on your passport. That’s kind of a bummer, right?