Learn › General Knowledge › The EU and the euro

EU candidate countries

Nine countries are official candidates to join the EU. Four gained candidate status after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

How many9 countries

As of2 October 2026

SourceEuropean Commission

Memory hook

1 + 5 + 3: Turkey; five in the Western Balkans (North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina); three in the east (Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia).

The full list

The early candidates (1999 and 2005) 2

Candidates long before the rest: Turkey from 1999 and North Macedonia from December 2005.

Turkey
North Macedonia

Western Balkans, 2010 to 2014 3

Western Balkan states made candidates between 2010 and 2014: Montenegro in December 2010, Serbia in March 2012 and Albania in June 2014.

Montenegro
Serbia
Albania

Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine 4

Made candidates after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine: Ukraine and Moldova in June 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina in December 2022, Georgia in December 2023.

Ukraine
Moldova
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Georgia

Can you name them all?

Test yourself

Not on the list

Kosovo: Applied in December 2022, but the Commission lists it as a potential candidate, not a candidate: the European Council has not granted it candidate status.
Iceland: Applied in 2009 and negotiated from 2010 until talks halted in 2013.
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus: Eastern neighbours listed by the Commission under the European Neighbourhood Policy, not as candidates or potential candidates.

Questions

How many EU candidate countries are there?

Nine countries are official candidates to join the EU. Four gained candidate status after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Which countries are on the list?

Turkey, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia.

What is an easy way to remember them?

1 + 5 + 3: Turkey; five in the Western Balkans (North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina); three in the east (Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia).

Is Kosovo an EU candidate country?

No. Kosovo applied in December 2022, but it is listed as a potential candidate, not a candidate.

More lists

Schengen countries EU countries Eurozone countries Countries that joined the euro after 1999 ECB presidents European Commission presidents All lists

Each name checked against at least two sources, one of them European Commission, on 2 October 2026. Next review by 30 November 2026.
Games · Learn · Atlas · Feedback · Privacy · Contact