Schengen Agreement

Schengen Agreement and Member States

European countries have entered into agreements to abolish immigration, customs and quarantine procedures to facilitate the unification of currencies and the reciprocal movement between European countries in promoting regional and economic unification.
One of them is the Schengen Agreement.
The Schengen Agreement is an agreement concluded with the aim of simplifying immigration procedures in order to liberalize traffic between member states of the agreement.Immigration and customs inspections are performed between countries that have joined this agreement.
When traveling between the Member States of the Agreement, immigration control is performed in principle for the first country to enter and the last country to leave.
European member states, EU member states, Schengen agreements and the adoption of euro currency are listed below.
It is a member of the EU but not of the Schengen Agreement.
It is a member of the Schengen Agreement but not of the EU.
It is complicated by country, but for your information.
Countries that are not members of the Schengen Agreement have immigration as well as regular travel.

〇 ---Participating in agreements
× ---Not participating
△ ---Participated in agreement but not yet implemented

Country Name	EU Member	Schengen Member	Euro Currency
Iceland	×	〇	×
Ireland	〇	×	〇
United Kingdom	×	×	×
Italy	〇	〇	〇
Estonia	〇	〇	〇
Austria	〇	〇	〇
Netherlands	〇	〇	〇
Cyprus	〇	△	〇
Greece	〇	〇	〇
Croatia	〇	△	×
Swiss	×	〇	×
Sweden	〇	〇	×
Spain	〇	〇	〇
Slovak	〇	〇	〇
Slovenia	〇	〇	〇
Czech	〇	〇	×
Denmark	〇	〇	×
Germany	〇	〇	〇
Norway	×	〇	×
Hungary	〇	〇	×
Finland	〇	〇	〇
France	〇	〇	〇
Bulgaria	〇	△	×
Belgium	〇	〇	〇
Poland	〇	〇	×
Portugues	〇	〇	〇
Malta	〇	〇	〇
Latvia	〇	〇	×
Lithuania	〇	〇	×
Liechtenstein	×	〇	×
Romania	〇	△	×
Luxembourg	〇	〇	〇

 

Example of immigration

When you arrive at a destination with a Schengen agreement via a country with a Schengen agreement

Example: Japan → Italy (transit) → France

• After leaving Japan, you will arrive in Italy, a member of the Schengen Agreement.
• When traveling between Schengen countries, immigration will be performed in the country of first arrival.
• If your checked baggage has already been arranged to your destination France, you can go to immigration without picking up your checked baggage in Italy and make a customs declaration upon arrival in your destination France.
• Please prepare a customs declaration form that will be distributed on board after you leave Japan. You will need it in your destination France.
• Departing from Italy and arriving at the destination, France, you have already been subjected to immigration, so there is no immigration, such as a passport check, as with domestic flights. You only need to declare your luggage customs.

Example: France → Italy (transit) → Japan

• When returning to Japan, if you are transiting in a Schengen member country, you will be subjected to immigration control in the country of last departure.
• If your checked baggage has already been arranged to your destination Japan, you can go to immigration screening without picking up your checked baggage in Italy and make a customs declaration upon arrival in your destination Japan.

*Please note

• The flow of checked baggage will almost always be transported directly to the destination if it is the same airline or the same alliance airline.
• Check the claim tag (baggage voucher) issued when you check in for the first time.
• As mentioned above, when connecting to the different airline or the different alliance airline, in most cases you will need to pick up your luggage, check in anew, and deposit your luggage. Especially when using a cheap airline called LCC, the system is not linked, so you will have to check in anew and deposit your luggage.

When connecting from a country with a Schengen agreement to another country (a country not affiliated with the Schengen agreement)

Example: Japan → France → UK

• As with regular transit, the destination UK is not a member of the Schengen Agreement, so there is no immigration in France, and "Connecting flight" follow the signs and proceed to the transfer gate.
• Perform immigration and customs declaration in the destination UK and enter the country.
• Check the flow of checked baggage when you first depart.

Example: UK → France → Japan

• When you return, you will be leaving from a country that is not a member of the Schengen Agreement so you will be subjected to immigration control in UK
• At the transit point in France, follow the signs for "Connecting flight" and proceed to the transit gate.「Connecting flight」の案内表示に従い進み、乗り継ぎゲートでへ向かいます。
• Check the flow of checked baggage when you first depart.