A Complete Guide Visa for Romania

IMMIGRATION AND VISAS

Passport Requirements

A passport/travel document is required by all travelers except the following:

1. Travelers with a ‘Laissez Passer’ that is issued by the United Nations.

2. Refugees and people without nationality or citizenship with a travel document known as ‘Titre de Voyage’, which is issued according to the Geneva Convention of 1951.

3. Travelers with ‘Kinderausweis’, a German identity document issued to children.

4. Travelers with a Seaman Book as long as they are traveling on duty only within the town of Constanta, the coastal strip up to and including Mamaia to the North and Mangalia to the South and for travel between Bucharest and Constanta or the other way round.

5. Recognized people without nationality or citizenship and refugees with travel papers and residence permits that are issued by a European Economic Area member country or Switzerland.

6. Citizens of Switzerland and European Economic Area member states, except for Denmark, Iceland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, who have a national identity card.

Document Validity

Passports/travel document and alternative papers, or either of them, must be valid for the period of the intended visit.

a. Residents of Romania may enter with travel papers that must be valid upon arrival.

b. Romanian citizens may enter with passports or alternative papers that have to be valid upon arrival.

Additional information

Students, apart from their citizenship, residing in a European Union member country, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, and traveling as part of a school/university group from within the European Union, Liechtenstein or Switzerland do not need a passport/travel document on condition that:

• Their names are stated on a ‘List of Travelers’ stamped by the school/university and certified by the concerned authority in their home country;

• The school group is accompanied by one of the teachers at that school/university;

• This ‘List of Travelers’ must contain a photo of the student.

Not all European Union member countries issue this type of ‘List of Travelers’. Besides, the exemption will NOT apply to the ‘List of Travelers’ that is only stamped by the school/university without photos.

Minors

Romanian children aged less than 18 years old will be permitted to leave Romania only if they travel:

With both parents; or

With a legal guardian different from parents provided they have a letter of permission from parents and evidence of a clear criminal record; or

With one parent provided, they have a letter of permission from the absent parent.

Unaccompanied on condition that they have a letter of permission from both parents:

In the case of a dead parent, the letter of permission must be accompanied by a copy of the death certificate. If the parents are split up, letters of permission should be written by the parent who has custody of the child, which must be accompanied by a copy of the final divorce decree.

Visa Issuance

Before arrival: Travelers are kindly requested to contact the nearest representation of Romania.

Visa Exemptions

All travelers must hold a visa except the following:

1. Romanian citizens.

2. Travelers staying for no more than 90 days, and this exemption apply to:

• Travelers with passports which are issued by Hong Kong (A Special Administrative Region of China) and Macao (A Special Administrative Region of China);
• Citizens of Congo (Kinshasa), Republic of Moldova, Philippines, Mauritania, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Sierra Leone, and Ukraine with official, diplomatic, and service passports;

• Citizens of Algeria, Bolivia, Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Jordan, India, Republic of Montenegro, Uzbekistan, Serbia;

• Citizens of Antigua and Barbuda, Andorra, Australia, Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Bahamas, Brunei, Chile, Coast Rica, Canada, Croatia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Israel, Republic of Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Mauritius, New Zealand, Monaco, Nicaragua, Paraguay, San Marino, Panama, Seychelles, St Kitts-Nevis, Singapore, Uruguay, Vatican City, United States of America, and Venezuela;

• Travelers with British passports that are endorsed ‘British National (Overseas)’;

Travelers with British passports which are endorsed:

British Overseas Territory Nationals’ that contain the label’ right of residence’ issued by Great Britain(UK); 

‘British Subject,’ which also contain the label’ right of residence’ issued by Great Britain;

Citizens of Azerbaijan, People’s Republic of Central African, Armenia, People’s Republic of China, Ecuador, Colombia, Georgia, Former Yugoslav People’s Republic of Macedonia, Ghana, Republic of Kazakhstan, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, Sao Tome, and Principe, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Vietnam, Turkmenistan, and Zambia with service and diplomatic passports.

3. Travelers staying for no more than 30 days provided they are:

• Citizens of Bosnia Herzegovina with service passports;

• Iranian citizens with diplomatic passports;

• Citizens of the Republic of Montenegro or Republic of Serbia with official or service passports;

• Belarusian and Pakistani people with service or diplomatic passports.

4. Citizens of Belgium, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland.

5. Travelers staying for no more than 60 days provided they are Mongolian citizens with service and diplomatic passports.

6. Travelers with British passports that are endorsed ‘British Citizen.’

7. Travelers, regardless of nationality, with a permanent, long-term foreign residence permit valid for at least 5 years of a European Union member state provided they are staying for no more than 90 days.

This exemption does not apply to Turkish citizens.

8. Citizens of the Republic of Montenegro and Republic of Serbia staying for no more than five days as long as they reside in Canada, Japan, or the United States of America, have evidence of their residence and are in transit through Romania as they continue their trip to a third country apart from the means of transport.

9. Travelers with a valid residence permit, which is issued by Romania.

10. Travelers with a red-cover ‘Laissez-Passer,’ which is issued by the United Nations. If the cover is blue, the visa exemption only applies if the traveler is visa exempted based on his/her nationality.

11. Turkish citizens transiting through Romania for no more than five days and continuing their trip to a third country apart from the means of transport provided:

• They have a residence permit which is issued by a European Union member state, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland;

• They have a valid visa for a European Union member state, Iceland, Norway, or Switzerland.

12. Travelers, regardless of nationality, transiting through Romania for no more than five days and continuing their trip to a third country apart from the means of transport so long as they have a national visa that is issued by Cyprus or Bulgaria.

This exemption does not apply to Turkish citizens.

13. Travelers, regardless of nationality, staying for no more than 90 days with a ‘family member’ residence permit issued by a European Union member country to a family member who is a citizen of a European Economic Area member country or a citizen of Switzerland provided they are traveling with or traveling to join the citizen of the European Economic Area member country or the citizen of Switzerland. If the validity of the permission is:

• Less than 5 years, the family member must be accompanied by the head of the family;
• For more than 5 years, the family member can travel unaccompanied.

This exemption does not apply to Turkish citizens.

14. Travelers, regardless of nationality, transiting through Romania for no more than five days and continuing their trip to a third country apart from the means of transport so long as they are:

• Holding a temporary residence permit which is issued by other Schengen member states and holding proof of such residence;

• Holding a permanent or temporary residence permit that is issued by Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland and holding proof of such residence.

This exemption does not apply to Turkish citizens.

15. Travelers staying for no more than 90 days provided they are:

• Refugees with a ‘Titre de Voyage’ that is issued according to the Geneva Convention of 1951;

• Recognized refugees and people without nationality or citizenship were holding travel papers and residence permits that are issued by a European Economic Area member country or Switzerland.

TWOV (Transit without Visa)

TWOV is permissible for travelers in transit area continuing their trip towards a third country within 24 hours without leaving the airport:

Exception:

Citizens of Bangladesh, Congo (Kinshasa), Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ghana, Iran, Ethiopia, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka need a transit visa that is issued before arrival.

However, TWOV is applicable to travelers with service or diplomatic passports.

All travelers must hold:

Enough money to cover the expenses of their visit during their stay in Romania;

Evidence of reserved accommodations;

Onward or return tickets; and

All papers are required for their next trip.

Exception

Citizens of Canada, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Switzerland, the United States of America, and European Union countries.

Students, apart from their citizenship, residing in a European Union member country, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, and traveling as part of a school/university group from within the European Union, Liechtenstein or Switzerland do not need a visa on condition that:

Their names are stated on a ‘List of Travelers’ stamped by the school/university and certified by the concerned authority in their home country;

The school/university group is accompanied by one of the teachers at that school;

When the ‘List of Travelers’ is only stamped by the school/university and is neither authenticated by the concerned authority nor containing photos of the students, each student must carry his/her own passport/travel document and proof of place of residence.

Only when leaving Romania for a country where they do not need a visa, Romanian citizens may be requested to prove that they have:

Enough money as follows:

EUR 30 per day but not less than EUR 150 for stays in the European Union; or

EUR 20 per day but not less than EUR 100 for stays in any other state that does not need a visa for Romanian citizens; and

Health assurance for the entire trip; and

A return ticket or an additional EUR 150 to get a return ticket to Romania. However, please note that the traveler should have an onward or return ticket to meet the requirements of the destination country.

Travelers overstaying the validity period of their visa in Romania will be subject to payment of a fine of RON 400 (equivalent to USD 134 ) for all non-Romanian residents.

Citizens of Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Montenegro, Russia, Republic of Serbia, and Ukraine need to hold a medical assurance covering the period of stay.

Exemptions:

a. Children aged less than 18 years old visiting their parents who are residents of Romania;

b. Travelers with Romanian work permits;

c. Children aged less than 14 years old provided they travel on their parent’s passports.

Warnings

If travelers do not abide by entry or transit rules, the transporting carrier will be fined. Fines range between RON 5,000 (ROL 50,000,000) and RON 15,000 (ROL 150,000,000) for fugitive travelers, travelers who do not have any travel documents, travelers with false passports or travel documents, or travelers without a visa.

CUSTOMS AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Import regulations

1. Travelers arriving with goods bought within the European Union for personal use only are allowed free import of:

• Travelers aged 17 years old and more are allowed 800 cigarettes; 400 cigarillos each weighing no more than three grams; 200 cigars; one kilogram of smoking tobacco;

• Travelers aged 17 years old and more are allowed 10 liters of alcoholic drinks over 22%; 20 liters of alcoholic drinks less than 22%; 90 liters of wine but no more than sixty liters of wine; 110 liters of beer.

2. Travelers arriving from non-European Union countries including the Aland Islands, Canary Islands, Channel Islands, and other similar regions are allowed free import of:

a. Travelers aged 17 years old and more are allowed 200 cigarettes; 100 cigarillos each weighing no more than three grams; 50 cigars; 250 grams of smoking tobacco; or a proportional mixture of these products;

b. Travelers aged 17 years old and more are allowed one liter of spirits; or two liters of desert wine less than 22% volume and sparkling wine; and two liters of wine.

C. Other goods products up to a total value of EUR 430.

3. Prohibited Goods

Animal products or Goods, not coming from a European Union member country, Lichtenstein, Andorra, San Marino, Norway, or Switzerland, may not be imported into a European Union member country with the exception of small quantities from Croatia, Andorra, the Faeroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland and small amount of particular products from other countries. 

• For further details, please check the website of the European Union: http://europa.eu/

Pets

Pet animals are allowed to enter. As for cats and dogs, they must be accompanied by a combined certificate of health (medical certificate) and vaccination against rabies, which is authenticated by a Veterinary Service in the home country; the medical certificate must be issued no less than one month but no more than one year (no more than 6 months for cats) before shipping. Order No 98/2015 of the President of the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority in Romania authorizing the admission of pet animals from non-EU countries for non-commercial travel through Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP).

Baggage Clearance regulations

A traveler’s luggage should be cleared at the first airport of entry in Romania.

a. Exemptions:

Luggage of transit travelers whose destination is outside Romania so long as the onward flight is within 24 hours.

Airport tax

All passengers are not required to pay any airport tax upon departing from the airport.

Currency Import regulations

1. Residents:

Are prohibited from importing local currency (New Romanian Leu-RON) and foreign banknotes, traveler’s cheques, or other means of payment.

2. Non-residents:

Are not allowed to import local currency (New Romanian Leu-RON), but if they are arriving from or traveling to another European Union country, there are no restrictions on importing foreign currencies in banknotes, traveler’s cheques, or other means of payment. If non-residents are arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the European Union, sums higher than EUR 10,000 or its equivalent in another currency must be declared. If they are departing to a non-European Union country via another European Union country, the declaration must be made in the last European Union country.

Currency Export regulations

1. Residents:

Are prohibited from exporting local currency (New Romanian Leu-RON) and foreign banknotes, traveler’s cheques, or other means of payment.

2. Non-residents:

Are not allowed to export local currency (New Romanian Leu-RON), but if they are arriving from or traveling to another European Union country, there are no restrictions on exporting foreign currency in banknotes, traveler’s cheque, or other means of payment. If non-residents are arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the European Union, sums higher than EUR 10,000 or its equivalent in another currency must be declared. If they are departing to a non-European Union country via another European Union country, the declaration must be made in the last European Union country. Travelers have to present a receipt from the State Bank (at the town, hotel, border, agencies of Citizens Tourist Association Carparti) confirming the exchange of the foreign currencies that are not re-exported. Otherwise, a special permit is needed.

Wild Fauna and Flora

Romania is one of the members of the CITES Treaty (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).