January 9, 2012 - Liechtenstein officially became the 26th Schengen member state last month, allowing Schengen visa holders to enter the country without being subject to border checks. After evaluating Liechtenstein’s police cooperation, Schengen Information System and data protection, the Council of the European Union consulted with the European Parliament, ultimately deciding that the country was fully prepared to implement the Schengen rules. Though government officials had signed a Schengen association agreement with the European Union (EU) back in February 2008 to initiate the process of joining the Schengen territory, the abolishment of inspections at common borders now finalizes Liechtenstein’s compliance with the Schengen area.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact GlobalVisaGroup@balglobal.com.