You need a Romania visa if you are from one of the following countries:
Romania is a country in southeastern Europe that you may know because it is home to the Transylvania region. However, Romania is known for much more than that, although its Gothic castles and medieval towns certainly make up a large part of its charm.
If you plan to visit Romania, depending on your nationality and purpose of your trip, you may need to apply for a Romanian visa in advance. Luckily, Romania has made the Romanian visa application process smoother by digitizing part of it.
This article explains how to apply for a Romanian visa, the documents you need and other frequently asked questions.
You need a Romania visa if you are from one of the following countries:
*When applying for a short-term stay visa, citizens of these countries must have an invitation approved by the Inspector General of Migration of the Romanian Ministry of the Interior.
Additionally, citizens of the following countries without biometric passports are subject to Romanian visa requirements:
Palestine and Kosovo are not recognized as states by Romania.
To apply for a Romanian visa, they must also have an invitation letter approved by the Inspector General of Immigration of the Ministry of the Interior.
Additionally, you do not need to apply for a short-term visa to Romania (up to 90 days) if you fall into one of the following categories:
*You are only allowed to stay in Romania for the remaining period of your current Schengen/Bulgaria/Cyprus visa.
For example, if your visa is issued for 20 days and you spend 10 days elsewhere, you can only spend the remaining 10 days in Romania.
Romanian visas are divided into four main types:
Yes you can. In some cases, you may have no other choice.
You can only apply for a visa to Romania at a Romanian consulate or diplomatic mission. If there is no Romanian consulate/diplomatic mission in your country, you will need to go to another neighboring country to do so.
However, you can only apply for a Romanian visa to a Romanian consulate/representation located in the country of which you are a citizen or legal resident. If there is no Romanian representation in your country of residence, submit your application to a recognized Romanian diplomatic mission in your country of residence.
You cannot apply for a Romanian visa at the consulate or representation of the country for which you hold a tourist visa, except in urgent cases.
No, Romania is not currently part of the Schengen area, which brings together 26 European countries that have established visa-free travel and no border controls between them.
However, Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus are expected to join the Schengen agreements soon.
However, these three countries (Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus) allow visa holders to travel between them, even if they only hold a visa for one of the countries.
Keep in mind that you should apply for a visa at least two weeks before you intend to travel to Romania, but no earlier than three months.
The time required to process a visa for Romania can be 10 to 14 business days or more. Romania visa processing time depends on each specific case.
Romanian immigration authorities therefore recommend that you apply at least 2 weeks before you plan to travel, but no earlier than three months.
If you are applying for a long-term visa, you must apply at least 45 days before you plan to travel.
When you submit your visa application to a Romanian consulate or diplomatic mission, you must also pay a non-refundable Romanian visa processing fee. Romania visa application fees are as follows:
Citizens of the following countries pay a reduced visa fee for Romania (€40):
Nationals of the following countries do not have to pay a Romania visa processing fee:
Yes, you need permission from immigration officers at border points.
A Romanian visa does not automatically allow you to enter the country. You will still have to go through immigration controls at border crossings. Immigration officials are the ones who ultimately decide whether you can enter the country or not, so you need to have all the necessary documents to convince them.
They will want to see evidence that you will leave after your visa expires, how long you will stay and why you are traveling.
Therefore, it is better to bring copies of the documents you have submitted to apply for a visa.
No, because Romania is not yet part of the Schengen Agreement, a Romanian visa does not allow its holder to travel to or enter a country in the Schengen area. If you are a Romanian visa holder and want to enter Schengen countries, you may need to apply for a Schengen visa.
The Romanian visa only allows the visa holder to enter and stay in Romania, Bulgaria or Cyprus under the conditions of Decision No. 565/2014/EU of the European Parliament.
Yes, the Romanian government allows holders of a valid Schengen visa to enter Romania, provided the Schengen visa is still valid and there are at least two additional entries. You can only stay in Romania with a Schengen visa for the period the visa is issued or for the time you have left.
Anyone wishing to come to Romania for a stay of more than 90 days must apply for a long-term visa to Romania, with the exception of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens.
