Citizens' attitudes towards the Schengen area : Eurobarometer summary

The Schengen Area is the largest free travel area in the world, enabling all persons to cross internal borders (meaning borders between countries of the Schengen Area) without being subjected to border checks. Being part of the area without internal border controls means that these countries:  carry out harmonised border controls at their external borders (i.e. at the borders between a Schengen State and a non-Schengen State) based on clearly defined criteria and standards;  do not carry out border checks at their internal borders (i.e. borders between two Schengen States). As a result, both EU citizens and non-EU nationals may freely travel within the Schengen Area without being subject to a border check, as they are checked when crossing the external border.