Documents you will need

For EU citizens

Passport or identity card

There are no longer any frontier controls at the borders between 22 EU countries. This is thanks to the Schengen rules which are part of EU law. These rules remove all internal border controls but put in place effective controls at the external borders of the EU and introduce a common visa policy. The full Schengen members are Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden (but not Ireland and the United Kingdom) plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland (which are not EU members). Switzerland, the latest Schengen member, opened its land borders at the end of 2008 and its air borders at the end of March 2009.

Cyprus which joined the EU in 2004 and Bulgaria and Romania which joined in 2007 do not yet fully participate in Schengen. You will therefore need to present a valid passport or ID card to travel to those countries and to Ireland and the United Kingdom.

When entering or leaving the EU at the external borders you will need a valid passport or an ID card.

It is best to have your passport or ID card when travelling in the EU because you may be required to prove your identity. If public order or national security so require, checks at the internal borders may be carried out for limited periods.

Make sure that any children travelling with you either have their own passport or ID card or are registered on your passport.

Agreements with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland enable their nationals to be treated in the same way as EU citizens and to travel with just an ID card or passport in the EU.

More information on the free movement of people within the EU.

Download the leaflet Schengen Enlargement Abolition of internal border control.

Visa

You will not need a visa for travelling within the EU.

For non-EU citizens

Passport

You will need a valid passport.

Visa

There are 28 countries whose nationals do not need a visa to visit the EU for three months or less. These include Australia, Canada, Croatia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States. The list of countries whose nationals require visas to travel to the United Kingdom or Ireland differs slightly from other EU countries. If in doubt, check with the nearest consulate of any EU country.

If your visa is from a country fully applying the Schengen rules, it automatically allows you to travel to the other Schengen countries as well. Moreover, if you have a valid residence permit from one of those Schengen countries, it is equivalent to a visa. You may need a national visa to visit non-Schengen countries.

Border officials in EU countries may ask for other supporting documents such as an invitation letter, proof of lodging, return or round-trip ticket. For the precise requirements contact the local consular services of the EU country in question.

More information about travel rights for non-EU citizens and visa requirements, including a list of countries whose nationals require a visa for travelling in the EU.

Insurance documents

Do not forget your travel, health and car insurance documents.