ETIAS Visa Waiver for Romania
In this article
Romania is a European country located where the central, eastern, and southeastern Europe
cross. It has a border with the Black Sea on its southeastern side; to the east is Moldova,
southwest is Serbia, Hungary to the west, and Bulgaria on the south. It has a population
of about 19 million, living on a total landmass of 238,397 km2, giving it an average
population density of 80.4 people per square kilometer. Its major urban cities include
Cluj-Napoca, Brașov, Iași, Bucharest, Galați, Timișoara, Craiova, and Constanța. Bucharest
is its capital city and its most significant.
Romania joined the European Union on January 1, 2007, together with
Bulgaria. Romania is a developing country in Europe
and has a high-income economy. It is a beautiful place to stay, and its largest city -
Bucharest, doubles as the capital and resembles Paris in structure, earning it its name
"little Paris."
Romania is a part of the European Union but not a part of the Schengen zone. The Schengen
zone is a combination of 26 European countries with a
visa-free agreement between themselves. Any individual with a visa to any of the Schengen
member states can travel to any other member states without a visa. At the end of 2022,
the Schengen zone is introducing the ETIAS visa waiver. ETIAS stands for European Travel
Information and Authorization System. Travelers who previously did not require a visa to
travel to the Schengen zone will now have to provide an ETIAS to enter the
Schengen zone.
Currently, Romania is not a part of the Schengen zone, although talks are in place to
incorporate Romania. If Romania becomes a member of the Schengen zone, it can enjoy the
benefits of the Schengen zone while allowing other members of the Schengen zone to travel
in without a visa. It will also allow travelers eligible for the ETIAS visa waiver to
travel into its borders without a visa.
Romania Visa and Entry Requirements
Romania is not a part of the Schengen zone. The only viable way of entering Romania is with
a Romanian visa; unless you are a citizen of the EU or other countries with a visa-free
entry agreement with Romania. There are different classes of visas for travelers to Romania.
- Visa A (Airport Transit Visa): The class A visa is given to visitors who will make a change of flight in Romania. The visa does not permit them to step outside the airport into Romanian territory. The visa is used for any of the international airports in Romania.
- Visa B (Transit visa): The transit visa is for travelers who will catch a connecting flight from Romania. This visa differs from the airport transit visa in that it allows its holders to stay in Romania for a maximum of five days before catching their connecting flight. The class B visa can allow its holders to enter Romania multiple times.
- Visa C (Short-stay visa): The short-stay visa allows its holders to travel to Romania and spend a maximum of 90 days within every 6-month mark. It is the most appropriate visa type for tourists, business trips, and short medical trips. There are different subtypes of the type C visa depending on the reason for the visit, including tourism, business, transport, sports, and private visits.
- Visa D (Long-stay visa): The long-stay visa is meant for individuals who need to stay in Romania for more than 90 days. It is a step taken by individuals looking to apply for residency in no distant future. Student visas, work visas, and visas for professionals fall under this category.
A Romanian visa can only give you access to Romania. If Romania is a part of the Schengen
zone, a Romanian visa will provide you with access to other parts of the Schengen zone.
What Documents Are Required when Applying for a Romania Visa?
Each use-case of the Romanian visa has its requirements for applying for them. Applying for
each visa type requires you to provide a specific set of documents. Here are some of the
necessary documents to apply for a Romanian visa.
- An international passport with a minimum of two blank pages or other equivalent travel documents
- An official visa application form filled out, dated, and signed by the applicant.
- Copies of past visas if that applies to you
- Two recent passports, not older than six months and sized 3.5 by 4.5 cm. The passport must meet other requirements laid out by the Romanian authorities.
- Proof of travel insurance, with at least €30,000 to cover damages or medical emergency while in Romania
- Proof of accommodation in Romania or notice of hotel reservation
- A letter or documents that tell your reason for visiting and the duration of your stay in Romania.
- Proof you will return to your home country when your visit duration is over, such as a return flight ticket.
- Proof of financial stability, showing that you can sustain yourself during your visit to Romania.
Who Needs a Visa to Enter Romania?
Romania is a European country, and other member states of the EU can enter Romania without a visa.
Romania also has a visa-free agreement with other countries, allowing its citizens to travel
to Romania without a visa. There are about 88 countries whose citizens fall into that category
and do not need a visa, except if they plan to stay in Romania for more than three months.
If you do not fall into the category of citizens whose countries have an agreement with
Romania on visa liberalization, you will need a visa before entering its borders. When Romania
joins the Schengen zone, then citizens from 60 countries of the world that have a visa
liberalization agreement with the Schengen zone could have access to Romania without a visa.
Romania and the Schengen Zone
The Schengen zone issues out a Schengen visa
to eligible citizens of countries that have an agreement on visa liberalization with the zone.
There are about 60 countries eligible for this visa-free arrangement with the Schengen zone.
People with Schengen visas can enter Romania because Romania has an agreement with the Schengen
zone.
You will not be granted access to the Schengen zone with a Romanian visa because it is
not yet a part of the Schengen zone. Romania is set to be a member of the Schengen zone,
and in the near future, when it joins, its visa will allow its holders to enter the Schengen
zone. A Romanian visa can give you
Croatia, Bulgaria, and
Cyprus access.
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