Are there still border checks between Bulgaria, Greece and Romania?

Updated: October 29, 2026

No routine checks: since 1 January 2025 Bulgaria and Romania have been full members of the Schengen area, so the land borders with Greece and Romania no longer have systematic passport control. Police can still make spot checks near the border, and you must carry a valid passport or EU ID card. Borders with Turkey, Serbia and North Macedonia keep full checks.

What changed and when

Bulgaria and Romania joined Schengen in two steps. Air and sea borders opened first, in March 2024. Land borders followed on 1 January 2025, as confirmed by the European Commission. From that date, driving from Sofia to Thessaloniki or from Ruse to Bucharest became, in legal terms, the same as driving from France into Germany.

Border	Status as of autumn 2026	What to expect
Bulgaria – Greece	Internal Schengen border	No routine checks; random checks possible
Bulgaria – Romania	Internal Schengen border	No routine checks; random checks possible
Bulgaria – Turkey	External EU and Schengen border	Full passport and customs checks; EES for non-EU travellers
Bulgaria – Serbia	External border	Full checks; EES for non-EU travellers
Bulgaria – North Macedonia	External border	Full checks; EES for non-EU travellers

Checks that can still happen

Schengen removes systematic checks at internal borders, not the police. There are three ways you can still meet an officer on the Greek or Romanian border.

1. Police checks in the border area. These are targeted or random and aimed at crime and irregular migration, not routine passport stamping.
2. Temporary internal border controls. Under the Schengen rules a member country can reintroduce checks for a limited time in response to a serious threat, after notifying the EU. These are published by the European Commission.
3. Customs. Goods rules still apply, so customs officers can stop vehicles inside the EU too.

For the main crossing to Greece, our guide to Kulata–Promachonas describes what the old checkpoint looks like now and where traffic still slows.

What to carry anyway

The absence of a booth does not remove the legal obligation to hold a valid travel document. Bulgarian citizens must carry their ID card, and visitors from outside the EU must be able to show their passport and the date they entered Schengen.

• EU citizens: a valid passport or national ID card.
• Non-EU visitors: a passport. Your Schengen 90-day limit counts across all member states together, including Bulgaria, Greece and Romania.
• Children: their own passport or ID card, and a consent letter where one parent is not travelling. See our checklist for children.
• Residents of Bulgaria from outside the EU: passport and residence permit.

What did not change

For non-EU travellers, the 90 days in any 180-day period rule now includes time spent in Bulgaria and Romania. Before 2024, many travellers used Bulgaria as a separate count. That is no longer possible, so plan long trips across the Balkans with this in mind.

The EU’s Entry/Exit System only operates at external borders. It has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, according to the European Commission. You meet it when entering Bulgaria from Turkey, Serbia or North Macedonia, not when crossing to Greece or Romania.

Practical effect on travel time

For a Sofia to Thessaloniki or Ruse to Bucharest transfer, the border used to be the least predictable part of the trip in summer. It now usually takes minutes. The slow parts are roads: the Kresna gorge on the way to Greece and the Danube Bridge at Ruse. For quieter alternatives into Greece, see the Ilinden–Exochi crossing.

Keep documents in the car, not in the boot. If a spot check happens, it is quicker when passengers can hand over passports without unpacking.