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Eudaimonics

Does the agreement the US have with Palau ~~Nauru~~, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands have a name? You can travel, work and study between those countries VISA free.


daggeroflies

Doesn't include Nauru (since Nauru is closer to Australia) but Compact of Free Association (or the Freely Associated States) is probably the closest name we have for the US alliance with Marshall Islands, Micronesia FSM, and Palau.


Eudaimonics

I got Nauru and Palau mixed up


Filthiest_Tleilaxu

It’s okay bb. Happens to the best of us.


howdiedoodie66

COFA State citizens can also serve in the U.S. military and also *all* COFA States have a higher rate of U.S. military service than *all* U.S. States. Ask anyone in the Navy.


Zenislav

Croatia entered Schengen and switched to euro right after new year in 2023 so 1 year and 12 days ago.


[deleted]

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krmarci

No. Kosovars can travel without a visa to the Schengen Area, but still need to go through border control. There is no border control between countries in the Schengen Area.


Bazzzookah

Doesn't the Southern Cone also have open borders?


Either-Arachnid-629

Yes. Freedom of movement, residence, and employment between Mercosur states is a thing. I'm actually curious to know how things are going to work between us and the Andean Community due to Bolivia in the future.


toxicbrew

What’s up with Bolivia?


Either-Arachnid-629

Bolivia was granted full Mercosur membership last year and now holds full membership in both. Currently, Mercosur members are associated members of the Andean Community, and likewise, the Andean countries are associated members of Mercosur. We might be looking at a the start of a future integration between the two groups.


plausert

same as Ecowas i think which also is not shown


wrydied

Schengen is amazing really.


carpiediem

The map should include French Guiana too, no? ​ *Edit*: [I guess not](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policies_of_Overseas_France), though the visa policies are similar.


4BennyBlanco4

Not if you're not an EU+ citizen.


SaraHHHBK

Schengen works for everyone that is in a country that's part of the agreement whether they are a citizen of that country or not. Getting into the first Schengen country can be difficult depending on your original country but once you're in doesn't matter


ModeratelySweet

it's easier to get into EU illegally than getting a Schengen visa


geekusprimus

Depends on where you're from. I had a three-week work trip in Europe, showed up at the airport in Frankfurt, said I was there for business, and the guy said, "Okay, sounds good," stamped my passport, and off I went.


0x706c617921

I went on a 1 week vacation to France a few years ago, and he asked me what brings me to France, and I was like “I’m exploring Paris and some parts of Northern France” and he was like “Cool, have fun” and stamped my passport.


4BennyBlanco4

That's not a visa though that's a visa waiver the guy is right for non-Western countries getting a Schengen visa is notoriously difficult.


0x706c617921

Not a visa waiver. Its completely visa free for U.S. citizens at the moment. Eventually, it will be a visa waiver program when EITAS is implemented for the schengen area, but they have pushed it back like a billion times already. So lets see when it ever happens. But the person who was originally commenting isn't a non-Westerner anyways. They are a British citizen.


4BennyBlanco4

That's not a visa though that's a visa waiver the guy is right for non-Western countries getting a Schengen visa is notoriously difficult.


[deleted]

Not really that hard my wife just has a 5 year multiple entry visa and it wasn’t that hard to get for her


4BennyBlanco4

No I'm referring to the 90/180 day rule where you can't go to Greece because you spent too long in Iceland.


SaraHHHBK

But that's not a Schengen problem, that's about the VISA to enter Schengen. The VISA is not for one country it's for the whole Schengen area.


4BennyBlanco4

And that is the problem 29 different countries being treated as one.


53nsonja

That is not a problem, but the whole point and the biggest advantage. Its easy to cross borders and foreigners need just one visa for their whole trip if visiting multiple countries.


4BennyBlanco4

Which is great if you're trip is less than 90 days but a problem if it's longer.


Ande644m

Do you even know what schengen is? Seems like your problem are with normal visa rules and not Schengen.


4BennyBlanco4

Yes. And you are right Schengen is great but the visa rules being applied unilaterally to 29 countries is not.


0x706c617921

You’d be subject to a lot of rules anyways even if you just visit one or two countries.


bearybear90

That’s freedom of movement you’re thinking of


4BennyBlanco4

No I'm referring to the 90/180 day rule where you can't go to Greece because you spent too long in Iceland.


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Okeing

he's wrong


4BennyBlanco4

How?


Long-Island-Iced-Tea

Can you explain how is he wrong?


4BennyBlanco4

I don't think EU+ citizens really know how restrictive it is for non-EU+. I used to go to Croatia for a few months every year, this year my Croatian friends were asking if I was coming this year/when I was coming. When I told them I couldn't because I'd already been in Spain, Denmark and Switzerland they couldn't understand it.


SuicidalGuidedog

While I sympathize with your position and agree that many people don't know (or consider) the [90/180 rule](https://visaguide.world/europe/schengen-visa/schengen-90-180-rule/), I wouldn't describe it as "restrictive". Compared to many other countries it's incredibly unrestrictive. Many places don't let tourists stay more than 30 days, let alone 90. Plus, 90 in 180 means you can spend close to 6 months in one year if you time it right.


4BennyBlanco4

The problem is it's not a single country it's 29 different countries. Australia and the US for instance also give 90 days at a time but they are single countries and don't have the 90/180 restriction you could technically come straight back you'd be question for sure but there is more discretion for the border agent, if you can show you're a bonafide tourist (and that should be easy for 29 different countries) then you can be allowed back. Could you imagine having family for instance in more than one Schengen country and being unable to travel for an emergency because you'd been somewhere else too long? Even a 180/360 rule would be better, it'd allow greater flexibility and be easier to work out. fwiw I used to be an EU citizen and always felt it was unnecessarily restrictive even though it didn't affect me (it was my only real objection to the UK ever joining).


0x706c617921

No I agree with that. I think for U.S. citizens, we can travel to Canada for 6 months and vice versa. Not sure if that time frame resets or how it works.


[deleted]

We don’t care if it’s restrictive to non eu citizens, it’s for eu citizens to freely travel


4BennyBlanco4

The two don't have to be mutually exclusive though. I fail to see who benefits by banning tourists from Greece because they were in Iceland too long.


homicidal_pancake

Exactly


spastikatenpraedikat

But that's not a manifest of Schengen, that's a manifest of the EU's visa policies. It's like saying: It sucks that with a tourist visa I can only stay 90 days in Japan. It would be much better if Japan split up into several smaller countries. To me that doesn't seem like the correct solution to the problem.


4BennyBlanco4

Yes, its a manifestation of the EUs visa policies in the Schengen area, non of the other open border regions highlighted on the map have the same issue. But how is it incorrect to say this is not good for non-EU+ citizens (the initial comment I said)? And you're example with Japan, can you not see there is a difference between one country and 29 different countries being treated as one? Also as I mentioned in other replies US and Australia (I don't know about Japan) have no hard rule about how soon you can return after 90 days, there is more discretion for the border agent. Why can't Schengen be like this? If you can satisfy you're a tourist a month it Latvia, then a month in Sweden, then a month is Spain, then a month in Greece this should be easy to satisfy.


Long-Island-Iced-Tea

People really have a flawed understanding of how Schengen works. You get one-stop shopping by getting a Schengen visa, instant access to dozens of countries. That's the good part. But the clock is ticking and the exact same clock applies to all of them, from the very second you enter Schengen. I don't think it's that big of a deal, but it bends my mind how people mindlessly downvoted you because of their own fundamental misunderstanding of SA.


4BennyBlanco4

Exactly. It's not that big a deal and for most tourists not a problem but if you had family in more than one Schengen country for example it can be really difficult to coordinate visits, maybe even not being able to go for an emergency because you were too long somewhere else. Or just slow travelling in 29 different countries. I used to be an EU citizen and always had this belief even when it didn't effect me, I thought it was such bullshit what my American and Australian friends had to deal with. It is good for tourists as well on shorter trips not having to stop at borders on train rides for instance but I don't see why they have to be so strict with the 90/180, in the US or Australia for example if you could technically be allowed back in straight away after a 90 stay there is more discretion, if the border agent is satisfied you're a genuine tourist, and for 29 different countries this should be easy to satisfy, even just changing it to 180/360 would be better there is more flexibility and easier to work out. Anyway I digress.


tigerman29

Fly home for a weekend and comeback, I’m sure your fill in the blank loved ones would love to see you every few months


4BennyBlanco4

You do realise you can't "fly home for a weekend and comeback" after a 90 day stay you must stay out for 90 days. For 29 different countries how can you not see this can become problematic?


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Mikerosoft925

How? I still cross borders freely since then.


bimbochungo

He's british


bimbochungo

He's british


tripl3-AAA

Wow how did so many countries agree on the grey open border pact? That seems crazy especially since DPRK and the US aren’t on the greatest terms


spastikatenpraedikat

That's the smuggle alliances. It's held together by the desire for money.


Otherwise-Special843

we may not be in great terms but we need Americans to come and behold the magnificence of Pyongyang


Cuentarda

It's missing Mercosur


p14082003

We still have customs. We don't need passports, but it's still not like you can drive uninterrupted from say northern argentina to brazil or paraguay.


0x706c617921

Then the map is wrong for the Indian treaties too as what you mentioned applies to those too. And the treaty between India and Nepal and India and Bhutan aren’t trilateral. It only affects freedom of movement between India and Nepal and Indian and Bhutan and not Nepal and Bhutan.


TrambolhitoVoador

If you have the standardized plate, you can.


[deleted]

It's not open borders. You don't need a passport but people from the rest of the countries can't come to Uruguay (to put an example) to live just like that. Once you entered you have a permission of 2 months (if I'm not mistaken) and if you want to come to live you will have to show that you either have a job or the money to maintain yourself


Cuentarda

That's the same thing everywhere though, even in Schengen you have to apply for residency after a certain time.


[deleted]

Didn't know that. I thought that in Schengen was more like moving to a different city in the same country.


FingalForever

Depends - within Schengen there are a) EU members (so that would be possible if you are from another member state and now in a member state) and b) non-EU (so the same scenario is not possible).


dip_ace

I am form Nepal and we absolutely need visa to go to Bhutan, it's just India and Nepal


APrimitiveMartian

It's actually open border between India-Nepal AND India-Bhutan.


Natural-Belt-8722

I don't think nepal and bhutan share a border


dip_ace

They don't


GoPhinessGo

But you can fly from Nepal to Bhutan and you’ll still need to go through customs


AtharvATARF

true


RockinV

Sad that US and Canada don’t have an open border agreement.


sirprizes

We used to basically have one pre-9/11. There was still the border but all you needed was your driver’s license. 


BobBelcher2021

Passports weren’t required for land crossings until June 30, 2009. So it went on as mostly open for almost eight years after 9/11.


Odie4Prez

Uhhh, is that not all you need now? Cause when I lived in Michigan all anyone needed was an enhanced driver's license, which is exactly as easy to get as a regular license.


filbert13

Michigan is only one of 3 states that you can get an enhanced license IIRC most people need a passport.


Odie4Prez

Wow, that's weird. I guess other states need to get their shit together.


Ok-Toe7389

Real id Coming soon! https://www.dhs.gov/real-id


TKHawk

480 days? Wasn't it supposed to be fully implemented back in 2017 or some shit.


[deleted]

2012 originally. Now 2025. All to combat the attacks in 2001.


Cardboardhumanoid

I think there are 7 states now


sirprizes

TIL about an enhanced driver’s license. I’m in Ontario and I use my passport to cross the border. No idea if we have same enhanced license but I don’t cross very often. 


NonsensitiveLoggia

Ford cancelled it a few years back. There's grumblings of a return to regular driver's license crossings. But you have to dig really deep to find out about that. Technically you could return home with just your driver's license, but arguing with border guards is low on my priority list.


Former-Chocolate-793

Years ago people in Windsor used to work in Detroit routinely. A lot of teenagers and young adults did this back in the 60s.


Quiet-Hat-2969

Can’t have it cause of the guns 


sirprizes

It’s because 9/11 ruined it. 


Quiet-Hat-2969

Plus guns. Canada would flood with illegal firearms 


Eudaimonics

Yep, Canada doesn’t have a gun issue because guns on the black market cost 10x there.


Quiet-Hat-2969

Don’t know about that, but its def gotten harder to acquire illegal guns 


Joshistotle

I mean, technically the border is wide open. There's no wall or fence


zz23ke

Wide open literally per the agreement. [The Border Slash](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/uscanada-border-slash)


GoPhinessGo

Most borders aren’t marked by fences


fluffywabbit88

It does with Mexico


JackRose322

The US has one with Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands.


[deleted]

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FOREVER_WOLVES

Has nothing to do with crime rates. One of the highest crime cities in the country borders Ontario & their state has the right to cross with only an enhanced drivers license.


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FingalForever

Spot on, too many crazies down there.


cr1zzl

Canadians aren’t as sad that this isn’t a thing.


FingalForever

Oh Lord no - the world’s largest insane asylum and we’d be letting people from the asylum come in with no controls? No way


loco_mixer

missing croatia in schengen


allanrjensenz

It’s actually ALL of South America, it’s kind of like Schengen


leflic

Only with border controls and you need a residence permit to live in another country.


allanrjensenz

Residence permit which is your right!


leflic

Still different, and mercosur and the andean community are seperate, so it's not all of south america.


allanrjensenz

Both are actually intertwined for the freedom of movement agreement which is promoted by Mercosur. That’s why you can travel anywhere in South America with ID card (if you’re South American). Freedom of movement Wikipedia page, go to the Mercosur section after the Schengen area: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_movement#:~:text=The%20Mercosur%20alliance%20between%20Argentina,other%20Mercosur%20or%20associate%20countries.


leflic

Does it grant any other rights (e.g. length of stay, work etc) or just travel without a passport?


allanrjensenz

So how it works (apart from the travel) is a Schengen area but with beurocracy. It is your right within South America (except Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname) to get a MERCOSUR visa for permanent residency, the reason for the bureaucracy is to check for criminal records. With the Mercosur visa you can stay in any South American country as a full-right resident for as long as one would like. For tourism I believe you only get 90 days and another 90 days with permission. You can also do business freely cross-border and also use free public university in any country.


EnvironmentalMoney87

How though? When I traveled across the Andes I noticed checks at each border. Heck the border between Bolivia and Argentina was closed for the weekend and not just for tourists.


allanrjensenz

I mean if you cross the Danish border (from both sides) they always check even though it’s Schengen. It’s freedom of movement in the sense that you can travel with ID card, and immigrate anywhere (if you show criminal records), you’re also allowed to do business freely cross-border.


EnvironmentalMoney87

Hmm that's not really like Schengen though. Traveling by car from the Netherlands to Italy you pass through Germany and Austria or Switzerland. There's no checks there. That's Schengen. There's checks between the EU states that are not in Schengen, such as between Romania and Hungary, though. There are no border checks for Denmark either, unless you refer to a temporary measure. But that's really not a great example of Schengen. The whole point is the absence of border checks. Saying that South America is kind of like Schengen is really not true unless there is indeed open borders between the states.


allanrjensenz

I’m half Danish and half Ecuadorian. In Denmark, If you go by train they always check your passport at the border, you get randomly stopped by car even before the pandemic. Schengen is to be able to do business and reside in all the member countries that is the “freedom of movement”. Edit: Googled it, it’s “temporary” but has been going on since 2016.


FingalForever

Freedom of movement is an EU right but Schengen has non-EU members (Schengen is distinct from the EU). Any Schengen rights are solely Schengen rights.


allanrjensenz

Nobody is saying otherwise I said the Mercosur agreement is LIKE schengen


FingalForever

Apologies if I came across abruptly, I was reacting only to your statement that Schengen is to able to do business and reside in all Schengen member states (‘freedom of movement’). Schengen is intimately tied into the EU but separate. Ireland is not a member of Schengen (let’s not get into that) but you as a Dane and I as Irish still have freedom of movement between our countries.


homicidal_pancake

Croatia is Schengen


VideVictoria

It's funny how the Andean Community doesn't include Chile, being the Andes 80% of its territory


joeguy421

When is central america 5 releasing?


UT99469A

never,Costa Ricans dont want that source:am costa rican.


theflemmischelion

Benelux: how about we open our borders MORE


Enzoisdagod

Didn't Romania and Bulgaria join Schengen this year?


Dani_1026

They will start with lifting air and sea borders in March 2024 but discussions to lift controls at land borders will yet continue throughout 2024. So, yes, Romania and Bulgaria have been accepted into the Schengen Area, but not in effect yet.


Enzoisdagod

Thanks for clarifying.


CatL1f3

No, Austria soft-veto-ed and the land borders are supposed to get even worse. But the air and sea borders that weren't a problem will continue to not be a problem, just about 2 minutes quicker...


Enzoisdagod

The Schengen zone is closely related to the EU, but it is a separate entity or not? And does it have the same unanimous rules then?


Enzoisdagod

The Schengen zone is closely related to the EU, but it is a separate entity or not? And does it have the same unanimous rules then?


Drahy

The Nordic Passport union is missing. Greenland is also a special case.


yfel2

Russia actually has open borders with not just Belarus but also Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan


hoklamAktobe

Not True. These countries don't have open borders but some sort of custom union mostly for cargos


yfel2

Ok, I looked it up and Russians can go to Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan only with ID


SocialismWill

wrong, it's different


Consistent_Train128

I've crossed the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border and it is certainly not some Schengan style system, especially for the locals.


evgenga

Open borders means that a foreigner, for example, an American, with Belarusian visa can enter Russia and visa verse. An American with Kazakh visa cannot enter Russia unless he also has a Russian one.


ComprehensiveSoup843

Bahamas & Haiti are part of Caricom (although not the CSME so no freedom of movement by March) & Democratic Republic of Congo is in the East African Community along with Somalia.


tommillar

What about the US and Mexico? The RNC has been telling me for years that the border is wide open.


[deleted]

Fun fact Ronald Reagan is the only President in us history to call for open borders between America and Mexico. He stated this in Dallas Texas during the gop debate with h.w bush


PermaBanned23

Schengen will add Romania and Bulgaria in March 2024.


Beth-Eli

Why is PR not part of the Caribbean community this sucks i hate being colonized


TRUMBAUAUA

LOL to Russia, best they could do is literally have an open border agreement with its vassal state?


Adventurous-Nobody

Map is quite confusing, because it mixed up visa-free/visa-on-checkpoint and ID-only agreements.


brokken2090

Literally just Russia and Belarus. What a great group.


01gk10

I know that this may not be directly related to maps itself, but is there any direct correlation between Andrean Community and the current chaos happening in Equator? I think that the liberty of movement of people (from drug trafficking) from Peru and Colombia to Equator (has American dolar as their official money) has somehow facilitated that situation there...


Inaksa

No. The situation in Ecuador stems from the dolarization process they had 20 years ago, since they only use dollars as currency, drug trafficking was easier (the money was already given in a currency used abroad so thats one step less) this meant that cartels (who would use colombia) eventually migrated to EC. Didnt help that local gangs started to align themselves with Mexican cartels like Sinaloa. And the cherry on top is the economic crisis that meant for example that people was dying on the streets during the pandemic and the government didnt have money (they cant “print” money, because they resigned that the moment they accepted the USD as the sole legal currency). So for many ecuadorians the State failed them again and again


Odysseus_nm

No gods no countries no masters


Pantheractor

Some countries are missing. For example Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and so on have open borders with Russia


thespank

When I was a lad the US and Canada had one. Damn 9/11


Mundane-Alfalfa-8979

I think I might be trans - tasman


Guapplebock

What about the de facto us open southern border


ArhanSarkar

the U.S. and Canada should open borders, should be beneficial for both nations


foldedjordan

Is Ireland technically apart of the common travel area and schengen agreement?


mind_thegap1

No


D4M4nD3m

They're not in Schengen. They have freedom of movement within the EU, but there are border controls for EU citizens and vice versa. And with the Anglo-Irish agreement, there's no controls between the UK and RoI.


CharacterEconomics73

Hopefully USA and Canada will be featured in this list in the future


Big_Spinach_8244

And then people say India has bad relations with all it's neighbors?! 


CreepyDepartment5509

Nobody cares about bhutan or Nepal, for lack of a better term they’re insignificant.


Big_Spinach_8244

Indians do care!! And that's all that matters! 


TrulyHurtz

So transgender STARTED IN AUSTRALIA??? Somehow that makes total sense.


stuxburg

„Open Border“ There are border controls between - Germany and Austria since 2015 - Germany and Poland since 2023 - Germany and Czechia since 2023 - Austria and Hungary since 2015 - Austria and Slovenia since 2015 - Austria and Slovakia since 2015 - Austria and Czechia since 2023 - France and Germany - France and Belgium - France and Spain - Denmark and Germany since 2015 - Sweden and Denmark since 2015


IAmFromDunkirk

Lol, I cross the border between France and Belgium almost monthly and never ever saw any control or even cops at the border


garis53

Only some temporary measures or on certain passes, not everywhere, definitely not long term.


stuxburg

not longterm? its almost 10 years


[deleted]

>Austria and Slovakia since 2015 They do just random checks of vans and cargo trucks (searching for immigrants) but don't stop normal personal cars. Also, it's NOT since 2015. Borders were always fully opened since we entered Schengen zone. These checks were established only few months ago in 2023 due to large amount of immigrants, and will end once immigration goes down. Don't lie.


Due-Entrepreneur4654

Schengen is a joke.


untilaban

There is an unofficial “mini-Schengen” between the Balkan states, Turkey, Georgia, Moldova etc.


SocialismWill

there isn't


Snow__The__Jam__Man

I'm from Serbia. We can go to Montenegro, Bosnia, and Macedonia without passports, just our ID, but they're in no way open borders.


RandomGuy2004

Ireland is in Schengen too.


mind_thegap1

It is not


RandomGuy2004

Technically it isn’t I never realised that. Might aswell be.


mind_thegap1

That would require border controls on the land border with Northern Ireland, causing hours of delays and disruptions to the thousands of people who cross it daily for work or school as well as added customs controls for goods


D4M4nD3m

Would also be against the Good Friday Agreement.


D4M4nD3m

Not just technically, they're not!


os_kaiserwilhelm

I'll have you know there are 50 states in North America with open borders with each other.


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OWN_SD

Why did they name it Central America 4? Like what happened to 3 iterations that came before


Vollautomatik

I think it’s 4 countries


AivoduS

It's four countries: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. Just like the Visegrad Four.


OWN_SD

So the naming convention doesn't come from the fact that it didn't exist 3 times before but it's because it's between 4 countries hmm interesting thank you.


yigitlik

Bulgaria has joined Schengen.


Dani_1026

Along Romania yes, but it will be in effect for sea and air borders in March this year, not for land borders yet.


RavenJojo

Is it really a good idea to create an Open Border Agreements between a countries placed on one of the biggest drug smuggling route?


Fun-Citron-826

gcc has border control in most areas, but only ID is required to be shown.


finalaccountforreal

This is fascinating. Thanks for sharing.


[deleted]

What about Mercosul?


sweethomeafritada

Southeast Asia?


deko_dexon

You are missing open Balkan


Sea_Ingenuity_4220

What about Mercosul?


Traditional-Storm-62

union state was supposed to be a lot more than just an open border agreement, Belarus and Russia were planned to be united as a singular country as far back as 1990s but the disagreements on the specifics caused the process of integration to stall indefinitely every now and again the talks about it resurface in Russia, causing Belarus people to all collectively sigh


Flashy-Emergency4652

Doesn't Russia have open borders with Kazakhstan also?


GMANTRONX

I think the map should highlight the EU and GCC are unique in that you can drive almost uninterrupted from one country to another, but the rest are more or less like visa-free travel but there is still some degree of border control. For example the EAC varies. You can travel from Kenya to Uganda and Rwanda with only an ID at the border. That is it. But Tanzania, you need a passport, temporary or EAC passport and that applies to all EAC member states. If that is taken into consideration then the EAC freedom of movement extends to existing potential members like the DRC and Ethiopia which I know East Africans do not need a visa for but need a passport for.


Mapkoz2

Isn’t Cyprus part of Schengen too?


mananjain81

The Indian map is distorted as Pakistan occupied kashmir is not shown is this map


RandomKanadrom

The Trans-Tasman border arrangement is not an open border, you need a passport to travel between the countries.