If you are considering relocating to Europe, you must not miss the details about the Schengen area. According to the signed treaty 1985, various European countries agreed to the border expansion. It allows people to move freely within the countries without any control. The citizens are allowed free movement.
Crossing any border is never easy, as one has to go through a thorough identification process. But after introducing this area, it becomes easy to move across borders with few documents or identification. The police departments of 26 countries are cooperating to maintain border laws. You can also take all the benefits of free movement if you have a residence permit in Portugal.
This guide will explain the details regarding the Schengen area and how one can take benefits of free movement. You can freely move across borders if you have citizenship. You can even invest in real estate if you understand the area thoroughly.
About the Schengen Area
After signing the treaty among 26 countries, the Schengen area was introduced to the world. The agreement allows all citizens to move freely across different regions without showing documents or a detailed identification process. You can travel to Italy, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Spain, and other countries.
It covers an area of 4.3 million sq. meters with 400 million citizens. Regarding the economy, the GDP of this area is $15 trillion. Compared to other big countries, its economy is much more significant. There are plenty of profitable opportunities for investors due to its large market.
If you want to relocate to this area for investment, it is better to consider Portugal or Malta. You can explore the geographic locations of both countries and learn about their economic status.
How are Other Unions and the Schengen Area Different?
As per the agreement, people can freely travel within the countries in the Schengen area. Regarding other unions, they are considered economic allies as they share typical resources to enhance the country’s economic development. The member countries can support each other by transferring goods and information without detailed identification.
Due to the freedom of movement, traveling and shipping within different borders is quite convenient. No internal borders are there to connect 26 member countries. The justice system is also standard, which strengthens the unions altogether. There is complete police cooperation to handle these regions’ law and crime rates together.
About Schengen Visa
Anyone having a Schengen visa is allowed to travel to 26 countries freely. An individual can stay there for 90 days. Undoubtedly, it is the world’s most powerful visa. But if you are an investor, you can get citizenship in European countries like Portugal or Malta by investing.
A citizen will have a European passport, and it is easy to get a Schengen visa. You can come here as a traveler or a citizen with this visa.
Its Benefits
If you are a Schengen citizen, you can freely travel to 26 European countries and make profitable investments in any region. The purpose of signing the treaty and introducing this area is to remove internal borders and the need for separate passports.
All the zones will be considered as a single territory. If you can enter this area, you can go anywhere without any issues. This deal suits investors as they can travel freely for the business.
Being a citizen of any member country, you can work and invest in other big countries like the UK. One can apply for visas to travel to other countries like Canada. This treaty helped minimize the risk and enhance the chances of getting approval. It is convenient for travelers and investors to travel freely in Europe.
Its Weakness
If the Schengen area comes with benefits, it has some risks too. The internal borders are well-secured because of police cooperation. But the external borders require high security to prevent illegal activities. The Schengen area is both strong and weak at the same time.
If an illegal individual manages to cross the external border, he can roam freely inside the member countries and commit crimes. Therefore, high security is mandatory on the external border to avoid the entry of illegal candidates to Europe.
Requirements to Get Entry
In the Schengen area, there are 26 member countries that can join the region only when they fulfill some conditions. According to the criteria, these countries should follow some internal border rules. Uniform visas are issued to travelers so they can travel easily after identification of their documents. You can be responsible for securing the external border by protecting the information.
You need to coordinate with the Schengen legal system and follow the rules while traveling. Many European states are also willing to join this region. But they need to follow strict guidelines to become part of the agreement.
It is not easy to include different countries in this treaty and make them a border-free area. To add other countries, the treaty regulations will be modified. Due to the crime report submitted by different states, many regions cannot be part of this treaty.
The European government is looking forward to making changes, and more member countries will soon be on the list. Till then, you can enjoy traveling in the legal 26 European countries and make profitable investments.
Final Thoughts
The idea of developing the Schengen area is quite remarkable. It offers convenience to citizens to move freely within different countries without internal borders. There will be no identification done while traveling from one region to another. But all your documents will be checked thoroughly at the external border. If you have a visa to this area, you can stay here for 90 days and travel around.
Being an investor, you can get Portugal or Malta citizenship by having a passport and visa to this place. You can stay here as a citizen and expand your business. You can also travel to different European countries for business and economic development. Soon, more countries will be a part of the treaty with strict regulations.