Schengen is a town located in the country of Luxembourg. It serves as the namesake for the Schengen Area, a system of open borders encompassing 29 European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their common frontiers.
The area functions primarily as a single jurisdiction under a common visa policy for international travel purposes and is an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ) policy of the European Union. The region takes its name from the 1985 Schengen Agreement and the 1990 Schengen Convention, both of which were signed in the town of Schengen.