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I have a Polish D-national type visa, which is a single-entry into Schengen area. Now I'm going to move from Georgia to Poland with this visa, but by land not by plane (because I'm moving with my dog).

After Turkey I'm going to go by trains to Bulgaria, then Romania, then Hungary, Slovakia, and finally Poland.

Is it OK to enter Bulgaria and Romania first? Will I be allowed to enter Hungary after that given my visa is a single entry? I'm not going to leave Schengen area, but I'm confused anyway with all those new regulations, where Bulgaria and Romania are now in Schengen zone but just "partly".

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    Are you sure it's a single entry visa? Usually D visas are multiple entry.
    – Ozzy
    Commented Jun 21 at 7:13

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It's a bit confusing as to whether entering Bulgaria and Romania by land would be considered, today, as an entry into the Schengen area, because of the confusing situation whereby they are somehow in the Schengen area "for air and sea travel only." But it doesn't matter.

If entering Bulgaria is considered entering the Schengen area, then you will use your single entry when you enter Bulgaria, but your subsequent border crossings will be internal. If entering Hungary is the point where you will enter the Schengen area, the you will use your single entry at that point.

The accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area has been called "for air and sea only," but it might be better said to be "for every purpose except for internal land borders." This means that your passage from Bulgaria to Romania to Hungary will comprise two internal crossings, which do not count as "entries." The fact that there will be a passport control does not change this.

The decision implementing the current state of affairs is at https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-17132-2023-INIT/en/pdf but it is a bit difficult to follow because it simply lists a bunch of regulations and other legal documents that now apply to Bulgaria and Romania without saying much about their effect.

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    Exactly, the passport checks at land borders are still in place, but persons crossing e.g. the Hungary-Romania border are neither entering nor leaving the Schengen Area, since both countries are now members.
    – Johnnyjanko
    Commented Jun 21 at 11:16
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    Having asked the European Commission about this, I can confirm OP will enter and be stamped into Schengen in Bulgaria, not Hungary.
    – Crazydre
    Commented Jun 21 at 18:24
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Schengen laws are not fully applied at the land border and security guards will for sure check your Passport when passing through Bulgaria to Romania.

Though it seems there is still confusion regarding the crossing

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  • Do you have a source or reference for this? While the checks at the internal borders are still present, and so there may be an issue with the single-entry visa, both countries are actually in the Schengen Area, so it’s far from obvious that this wouldn’t work.
    – jcaron
    Commented Jun 20 at 20:13
  • Internal borders check may or may not happen but single entry on D visa should not be a problem the concern is how can op enter via land port which is still not Schengen yet
    – Saransh Sharma
    Commented Jun 20 at 20:29
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    @SaranshSharma entry into Bulgaria from Turkey is definitely an entry into Schengen.
    – jcaron
    Commented Jun 21 at 7:24
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    @jcaron Nah, asked this question to the border policy section of EC DG HOME, and they said a trip Hungary-Romania-Bulgaria-Greece counts as a 100% intra-Schengen trip for all intents and purposes except that the passport will be checked at the borders (but not stamped)
    – Crazydre
    Commented Jun 21 at 18:21
  • So what’s the meaning of Land Borders not applying Schengen Visa Laws?
    – Saransh Sharma
    Commented Jun 21 at 19:13

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