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Latvia becomes a full-fledged member of the Schengen Zone
As informed in Issue #4, on the 6th December 2007 the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels adopted a resolution by which nine new EU Member States – Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and Malta all became part of the Schengen Zone.
Latvia's accession to the Schengen Treaty has changed its border control procedures. Border controls at all internal land, maritime and air borders with Lithuania and Estonia have been abolished and thus this border has become the internal border of the Schengen Zone.
The border of Latvia with the neighbouring countries of Russia and Belarus, which are not members of the Schengen Treaty, has now become the external border of the Schengen Zone. As a result, border controls on these borders are maintained.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Travel in the Schengen area with a uniform or Schengen visa
With the accession of Latvia to the Schengen Zone on the 21st of December this year, Latvia's diplomatic and consular representations abroad have commenced the issuance of a Schengen visa to non-EU residents, which is valid throughout the territory of the 24 member states of the Schengen Agreement.
Schengen Information Service (SIS)
A significant element of the Schengen Agreement is the Schengen Information Service (SIS) which features an enormous database based in the French city of Strasbourg. The SIS database enables police in any Schengen state to find out whether a suspect has been involved in any kind of crime across the EU.
Main changes at the border crossings
- The border controls for people and vehicles at internal borders have been abolished
- Border controls will still take place for all the people travelling by air inward/outward to/from non-Schengen states
- On the Latvian-Estonian and Latvian-Lithuanian borders “green crossings” are permitted at any place
- Obstacles (for example border control gates, interdiction signs, etc.) which impede the movement of persons and goods at internal borders have been removed
- At the airports and ports passenger flow has been separated into Schengen and Non-Schengen terminals
- Checks may be carried out on people using the Schengen Information Service (SIS)
- Occasional immigration checks at the frontier area will still take place
