As a result of World War II, 27 European countries have come together to establish the European Union (EU).
A group of six nations—Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands — were the first to join the United Nations in 1957. The United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark all joined in 1973.
Greeks were the first to join in 1981, followed by Spanish and Portuguese in 1986 and Austria and Finland in 1995. In 2004, nine nations were added, two more were added in 2007, and Croatia was eventually included in 2013, bringing the total to 28 countries.
When the United Kingdom decided to leave the European Union on June 23, 2016, it would be complete by 2020.
In 2022, the number of EU citizens is predicted to rise. Although Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine may delay or derail the membership process, Ukraine applied in February 2022. In March 2022, both Georgia and Moldova filed membership petitions.

European Union (EU) countries include:
Austria | France | Malta |
Belgium | Germany | Netherlands |
Bulgaria | Greece | Poland |
Croatia | Hungary | Portugal |
Cyprus | Ireland | Romania |
Czech Republic | Italy | Slovakia |
Denmark | Latvia | Slovenia |
Estonia | Lithuania | Spain |
Finland | Luxembourg | Sweden |
The Eurozone is a grouping of nations that have all chosen the Euro as its official currency.
Also See: Embargoed Countries 2022
Citizens of participating countries may travel freely inside the Schengen Area, which consists of 22 of the EU’s 27 member countries. Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, & Liechtenstein are also included. For international travel reasons, the region functions as a single country with a single visa regime.
Country | Schengen | Eurozone | Accession Date |
---|---|---|---|
Austria | true | true | 1/1/1995 |
Belgium | true | true | 3/25/1957 |
Bulgaria | false | false | 1/1/2007 |
Croatia | false | false | 7/1/2013 |
Cyprus | false | true | 5/1/2004 |
Czech Republic | true | false | 5/1/2004 |
Denmark | true | false | 1/1/1973 |
Estonia | true | true | 5/1/2004 |
Finland | true | true | 1/1/1995 |
France | true | true | 3/25/1957 |
Germany | true | true | 3/25/1957 |
Greece | true | true | 1/1/1981 |
Hungary | true | false | 5/1/2004 |
Ireland | false | true | 1/1/1973 |
Italy | true | true | 3/25/1957 |
Latvia | true | true | 5/1/2004 |
Lithuania | true | true | 5/1/2004 |
Luxembourg | true | true | 3/25/1957 |
Malta | true | true | 5/1/2004 |
Netherlands | true | true | 3/25/1957 |
Poland | true | false | 5/1/2004 |
Portugal | true | true | 1/1/1986 |
Romania | false | false | 1/1/2007 |
Slovakia | true | true | 5/1/2004 |
Slovenia | true | true | 5/1/2004 |
Spain | true | true | 1/1/1986 |
Sweden | true | false | 1/1/1995 |