Romania and Bulgaria will become full members of the Schengen Area that allows free movement of 420 million people between 29 mostly European Union countries without border checks from Jan. 1, the EU said Thursday.

Romania and Bulgaria will become full members of Europe'sSchengen free-travel area from next month, swelling the number of nations to 29, the EU said on Thursday. Checks at land borders with Bulgaria and Romania will stop from Jan.

Access comes as both countries face domestic political turmoil and the zone is jeopardised by new border controls

Bulgaria and Romania, EU members since 2007, have finally secured full access to the Schengen Area after years of opposition from several member states, particularly Austria, which has long cited concerns about migration and illegal entries.

The European Union ministers has agreed to let Bulgaria and Romania fully integrate into Europe’s ID-check free travel zone known as the Schengen area by lifting land border controls next year

The European Council concluded on December 10 that Bulgaria and Romania fulfill the essential criteria for complete accession to the Schengen Area.

Austria is dropping its veto on Romania and Bulgaria becoming full members of Europe's Schengen free-travel area, its interior ministry said on Monday, paving the way for European Union interior ministers to approve the move at a meeting on Thursday.

It’s a great victory for Bulgaria, Romania, all of Europe, says Hungarian Presidency of EU Council - Anadolu Ajansı

Romania and Bulgaria will officially become full-time members of the Schengen Area, which allows free movement between member states for 450 million citizens. The two countries have been members of the European Union (EU) since 2007,