Bulgaria, Romania take first steps into Europe's visa-free zone

Sofia, Bulgaria: Bulgaria and Romania joined Europe s vast Schengen area of free movement on Sunday, opening up travel by air and sea without border c...

Sofia, Bulgaria: Bulgaria and Romania joined Europe's vast Schengen area of free movement on Sunday, opening up travel by air and sea without border checks after a 13-year wait.

A veto by Austria however means the new status will not apply to land routes, after Vienna expressed concerns over a potential influx of asylum seekers.

Despite the partial membership, the lifting of controls at the two countries' air and sea borders is of significant symbolic value.

"I travel often and this really eases things", Kristina Markova, 35, said as she readied to fly out of the Sofia airport on Sunday morning.

"We got to the terminal in less than three minutes, including baggage check," she said. "It's a real improvement".