The Schengen area is a group of 26 European countries that have abolished passport and immigration controls at common borders and have a common visa policy. It functions almost like a single country for international travel purposes, which, while allowing member countries to add their own special provisions regarding residence permits and local types of visas, ensures that certain types of visas are universal and that the person with the residence permit one Schengen country does not require a visa to visit or transit through another Schengen country - in that sense it is very close to the common immigration policy of the European Union (Great Britain and Ireland are part of their own separate agreement called the "common travel zone" and therefore the rules The Schengen Agreement does not apply there, although they are both part of the European Union. This is also taking into account that the Schengen area also includes countries that are not EU members.). http://www.immigration-residency.eu/