Romania:Visa Requirements

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Romania Visa Requirements Map

Romania: Visa Requirements

Visa requirements may change. Always verify the latest information through official government sources.

Visa-Free Entry Requirements

  • The traveler must have a valid border crossing document accepted by Romania. Accepted documents may include passports, other travel documents conforming to international standards, seaman's books, refugee travel documents issued under the 1951 Geneva Convention, and travel documents issued for stateless persons. Whether the document provides the right of visa-free entry also depends on the type of document, the issuing authority, and the traveler's personal circumstances.
  • The travel document must be valid for at least three months after the planned date of departure from the Schengen Area and must have been issued within the last ten years. An exception to the three-month additional validity requirement may be applied in justified and urgent cases. The required number of blank passport pages for visa-free entry is not precisely specified in the central official source.
  • The short stay may not exceed a total of 90 days within any 180-day period in the entire Schengen Area, including Romania. Periods spent in other Schengen countries are also included in this calculation.
  • At border control, the purpose of travel and planned duration of stay must be explainable. Documents such as accommodation reservation, host invitation, travel itinerary, return or onward travel ticket, driver's license for those traveling by vehicle, vehicle registration, and international motor vehicle insurance may be requested.
  • The traveler must be able to prove that they have sufficient financial means during their stay and the possibility to return or continue to the next country. For tourism, private visits, and business trips, financial means of EUR 50 per day and at least EUR 500 in total are envisaged. In the case of a private visit where the inviting party explicitly undertakes the subsistence and accommodation costs, the traveler may not be additionally required to provide financial proof at the same level. For cultural, scientific, humanitarian, or short-term medical activities, financial means of EUR 100 per day may be required. The accepted type of financial proof is determined according to the nature of the journey; the mandatory period of bank account statements is not precisely specified in the central official source.
  • For tourist accommodation, a confirmed reservation or accommodation voucher and travel itinerary must be presentable. For a private visit, the invitation letter must state whether the inviting party will cover accommodation or subsistence costs and, if necessary, cover repatriation costs. For business trips, a company or public institution invitation, meeting or event information, and accommodation proof may be requested.
  • Travel health insurance is among the documents supporting the purpose and conditions of travel, especially for entry for tourism, visit, and business purposes. A single minimum insurance coverage applicable in all cases for visa-free travelers is not precisely specified on the central entry page.
  • There must be no record in the Schengen Information System regarding refusal of entry concerning the traveler; the traveler must not pose a threat to public order, internal security, public health, or international relations. The right to visa-free travel does not constitute a guarantee of entry into the country.
  • Third-country nationals making short stays at Romania's external Schengen borders are subject to the Entry/Exit System. At the first registration, travel document information, facial image, and four fingerprints are taken. On subsequent crossings, identity verification may be done with biometric data. Fingerprints are not taken from children under twelve years of age and persons from whom fingerprinting is physically impossible. Holders of a valid EU residence document or long-stay visa issued by the EU may be exempt from the relevant EES fingerprint procedure.

Consular Visa Application Requirements

  • Romania issues the Schengen C visa for short-term travel and the national D visa for long stays. The C visa may be used for tourism, business, family or friend visits, cultural and sporting activities, official visits, short-term study, medical treatment, and other short-term purposes. The D visa is intended for long-term purposes such as employment, assignment, study, family reunification, economic, commercial or professional activity, scientific research, and religious activity.
  • The application is normally made at the Romanian diplomatic mission or consulate responsible for the applicant's place of residence or legal stay. A person applying from another country must prove their legal status in that country. In special or urgent cases, the mission in another country where the applicant is legally present may accept the application.
  • The application file is first created online on the official E-VIZA portal. The applicant must provide a valid email address, complete the personal, travel, passport, residence, and purpose of travel information in the form, upload the required documents, and submit the file to the selected mission for pre-verification. The online process alone does not mean a visa is granted. The applicant must later make an appointment and appear in person at the mission, submit original documents, and provide biometric data when required.
  • A separate application is prepared for each traveler. A separate file must be created for each person, including children registered on the same passport. An online file left incomplete is stored for 30 days and automatically deleted at the end of this period.
  • Each uploaded file can be a maximum of 2 MB. Formats JPEG, JPG, TIF, PNG, BMP, TXT, RTF, and PDF are accepted. Only Latin characters must be used in file names. Documents must be legible. Translation of documents into Romanian or English by a certified translator is recommended. Originals and copies of uploaded documents must be presented at the time of the in-person application.
  • For the Schengen C visa, the harmonized application form must be completed in full and signed. For minors, the form is signed by the parents, depending on custody arrangements, or by the person exercising parental authority or guardianship.
  • For a C visa, the passport must be valid for at least three months after the planned date of departure from the Schengen Area, must have been issued within the last ten years, and must contain at least two blank pages. One color photograph is submitted with the application. The photograph must be 35 × 45 mm in size, not older than six months, and meet the Schengen standard with the head covering approximately 70–80% of the image. The facial image may also be taken digitally during the visa interview.
  • Ten fingerprints may be taken during the application. Persons who have not previously provided fingerprints in a Schengen visa application or for whom more than 59 months have elapsed since the last fingerprint record must apply in person for biometric registration.
  • Supporting documents appropriate to the purpose of travel must be submitted. For tourism and private visits, accommodation reservation or host invitation, organized tour reservation, or detailed travel itinerary may be requested. For business trips, an invitation from a company or public institution, documents proving commercial relations, fair or congress entry documents, company activity documents, and documents showing the applicant's position in the company may be requested.
  • For short-term studies, registration or acceptance letter, student certificate, and information on the program to be attended may be submitted. For cultural, scientific, sporting, or religious events, an invitation, entry ticket, registration document, or program is required. For medical travel, a healthcare institution letter confirming the necessity of treatment and financial documents showing that treatment costs can be covered must be submitted.
  • Documents showing the applicant's intention to leave the Schengen Area in a timely manner, such as return or round-trip reservation, financial assets in the country of residence, employment status, bank account statements, property ownership, family ties, and professional ties may be requested. The required number of months of bank account statements and the universal minimum balance required in the account are not precisely specified in the central official source. These details may vary according to the harmonized checklist of the country and consulate where the application is made.
  • For a single or double-entry C visa, travel health insurance covering medical repatriation, emergency medical treatment, emergency hospitalization, and death-related expenses is required. The insurance must be valid throughout the entire Schengen Area and for the entire duration of the requested stay or transit, and must provide coverage of at least EUR 30,000. For a multiple-entry visa application, insurance covering the first planned journey is submitted; the applicant declares that they will maintain valid insurance for subsequent journeys.
  • Some applicants are required to submit an invitation approved by the Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration before applying for a tourism, private visit, or business visa. This requirement varies by nationality. The invitation is prepared in two copies and submitted by the inviting party in Romania to the immigration unit. The invitation review may take 45 days and may be extended by 15 days if detailed examination is required. The approved original invitation must be sent to the applicant and the visa application must be made within 30 days from the approval of the invitation.
  • If a minor is traveling without a parent or legal representative, parental consent and documents proving the family relationship may be requested. For national D visa applications, the consent for minors may need to be notarized, if necessary apostilled or certified by a higher authority, and translated into Romanian.
  • For the national D visa, a signed application form, a travel document issued within the last ten years, valid for at least three months after the planned date of departure from Romania, and containing at least two blank pages, and two recent color photographs are submitted. Long-stay visa photographs are generally 3 × 4 cm in size.
  • For the D visa, additional documents are determined according to the purpose of travel. For employment applications, employment contract or required work process documents, criminal record certificate, health insurance, and proof of subsistence; for study applications, acceptance letter, covering of study costs, accommodation, insurance, and if necessary language proficiency; for family reunification, immigration approval and documents showing marriage, birth, custody, or other family ties are required. For economic, commercial, or professional activities, purpose-specific documents such as professional qualification, activity permit, investment or business plan approval may be sought.
  • For many types of D visas, the criminal record certificate or equivalent document must be translated into Romanian, English, or French and legally certified, depending on the issuing country. For many long-stay visa types, health insurance with coverage of at least EUR 30,000 is required. However, the amount of financial means, insurance coverage, sponsor documents, and other supporting documents vary according to the selected D visa subtype.
  • The C visa may be issued for single, double, or multiple entries, and the total permitted short stay may not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period. The national D visa is issued for single or multiple entries for 90 days. A person wishing to stay longer must apply for a residence permit before the expiry of the legal stay in Romania; the extension application must be made at least 30 days before the expiry of the current stay right.
  • The processing fee for an airport transit and C visa is EUR 90, for children aged 6–12 it is EUR 45, and for a D visa it is EUR 300. Discounts or exemptions may apply depending on age, family status, purpose of travel, and international agreements. The fee may be collected in euros, US dollars, or the currency of the country of application. Accepted cash, card, or bank payment methods are not precisely specified in the central official source. Non-payment of the fee leads to the application not being accepted; the processing fee is not refunded in case of refusal.
  • The short-stay Schengen application must generally be made at least 15 days before travel and no earlier than six months before travel. The standard processing time is 15 days for most applications and may extend up to 45 days when detailed examination is required. The waiting time for an appointment is not included in the processing time and may vary by mission.
  • For long-stay visa applications, the general decision period is stated as no later than 30 days from the in-person application. For employment and assignment visas, special periods of 10, 20, 30, or 60 days may apply, and in some cases the period may be extended by 15 days.
  • The consulate may request additional documents, explanations, or an interview from the applicant. Incorrect or incomplete information may lead to refusal of the application, cancellation or withdrawal of an issued visa. The visa holder may have to re-prove the purpose of travel, accommodation, financial means, and return conditions at the border; a valid visa is not a guarantee of entry into the country.

Visa on Arrival Requirements

  • Romania does not have a regular visa-on-arrival system for ordinary tourist travel. The border authority may only issue short-stay or transit visas in unforeseen and exceptional circumstances.
  • This procedure may be considered in emergencies arising from disaster, natural catastrophe, or accident; death or serious illness of a close relative; forced landing or docking of a ship or aircraft due to breakdown, weather conditions, or security threat; when international organization officials need to carry out official duties within a short time; transits of certain ship personnel; or on humanitarian and national interest grounds.
  • A request based on the death or serious illness of a close relative must be proven with appropriate official documents. For other exceptional requests, documentation of the emergency, official duty, crew status, or humanitarian grounds may be required.
  • The applicant must have a valid travel document and meet the general Schengen entry conditions. A universal checklist for the number of photographs, amount of financial means, insurance coverage, fee, payment method, processing time, and precise validity period of the visa to be issued has not been published in the central official source. This procedure cannot be used as a substitute for a consular visa in pre-planned travel.

Transit Visa Requirements

  • Romania issues an airport transit visa of type A for passage through the international transit area of Schengen airports. This visa allows staying in the international transit section of the airport; the visa holder cannot exit the transit area and enter Romanian or Schengen territory, even if an overnight stay is required.
  • The application form must be completed in full and signed. The form of a minor is signed by the person exercising parental authority or guardianship.
  • The travel document must be valid for at least three months after the planned date of departure from the Schengen Area, must have been issued within the last ten years, and must contain at least two blank pages. An exception to the three-month additional validity requirement may be applied in justified urgent cases.
  • One Schengen-standard photograph measuring 35 × 45 mm, not older than six months, and with the head covering approximately 70–80% of the photo is submitted with the application. The facial image may be taken digitally during the interview. The applicant must provide ten fingerprints when necessary.
  • Documents relating to the final destination country after the planned airport transit must be submitted. These may be the onward flight ticket, travel itinerary, and if necessary the visa, residence permit, or other entry authorization for the final country. Information showing that the applicant will leave the transit area without entering Schengen territory is also requested.
  • For a single airport transit, the application is assessed by the state where the transit airport is located. If transit is through more than one airport, the state where the first transit airport is located is competent.
  • The fee for a type A transit visa is EUR 90, and for children aged 6–12 it is EUR 45. Discounts and exemptions based on agreements or special statuses may apply. The validity of a multiple-entry airport transit visa may be a maximum of six months.
  • Romania no longer issues the former B-type land transit visa. If transit is through Schengen territory by land or any other route requiring entry into the country, an appropriate Schengen C visa is required. The visa or entry authorization for the final country and the onward travel ticket must be submitted with the application.
Population
18,800,605(2026 est.)
Official language
Romanian
Government type
Semi-presidential republic
Continent
Europe
Capital
Bucharest
Currency
Romanian lei
Area
238,397 km²
Phone code
+40

Romania: Key Destinations

Bucharest, the capital and largest city, serves as Romania's primary gateway via Henri Coandă International Airport. Other major urban centers include Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, and Iași, each offering distinct cultural and economic hubs.

Romania's attractions range from the Black Sea coastline at Constanța to the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania. Historical landmarks such as Bran Castle and the painted monasteries of Bucovina highlight the country's rich heritage, while cities like Brașov and Sibiu showcase medieval architecture.

Travelers often begin in Bucharest before heading north to Transylvania, visiting Brașov, Sighișoara, and Cluj-Napoca. Domestic flights and a growing train network connect major cities, with many visitors combining a loop through Maramureș and the Danube Delta for a comprehensive itinerary.