Entering Romania for a short-stay

Whether you are or are not required to have a visa to enter Romania, you should look for the most important factors to travel in Romania, depending on your country of residence. Nationals of some countries can visit Romania visa or passport-free for a limited time, while others have to apply for a tourist visa before visiting. 

Usually, residents that come from countries from the European Union can stay for a longer period without encountering any issue. However, you should see in which category you are in. 

Travelling conditions in Romania

Generally speaking, when travelling to Romania, people need to meet the following states:

• Have a valid travel document, that is accepted by Romania such as a passport;
• Hold a visa, a stay permit, or any authorisation that gives you the right of transit or stay in Romania;
• Present documents that are supporting your purpose and circumstances of your stay in the country;
• Have enough funds to sustain yourself during your visit;
• Confirm that you have permission to travel to your final destination country from Romania, in case you are not returning to the home country;
• Have not been listed as persona non grata on the territory of Romania;
• Have not been restricted from entering the country by a Schengen Information System alert; 
• You are not considered a threat to national defence, internal security, public health or public law.

Entry requirements in Romania for EU citizens

For those who are citizens of the European Union countries or residents of the European Economic Area, they can travel to Romania visa-free. Also, they have only a maximum of 90 days of permission using their passport and ID card. 

If you are a citizen of a non-EU nation, you might need to obtain a visa before planning the trip to Romania. This is available regardless of the duration of your stay. 

Entry requirements in Romania for Non-Eu citizens: Visa

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Non-European nationals need to choose from four different types of visas, as below:

• the airport transit (A) visa. This will allow you to access the airport's international transit zone and also the parking within the same area until you board your flight to go to another country;
• the transit (B) visa. This will permit you to travel to Romania for five days maximum;
• the short stay (C) visa. This will allow you to stay for a maximum of 90-day in Romania over a total of 180 days. This is available for either an official or government mission, a business trip, visiting family or relatives, sports or tourism, scientific, cultural, or academic events
• the long stay (D) visa. This will permit you to make a maximum stay of 90 days for professional and economic, commercial or religious activities, but also to study or as a detachment. It is also available for people who want to indulge in other projects that are not against Romanian standards.

 Good to know:

For future travellers to Romania, it's essential to know that the visa application procedures, as well as the requirements for obtaining each type of visa, can depend on procedures based on their residence country factors. To make sure you are all good, it would be a wise idea to consult the Romanian Embassy or Consulate in your home country before planning the travels to Romania. 

 Useful links:

Minister of Foreign Affairs 
U.S Embassy in Romania 
List of foreign nationals requiring a visa to travel to Romania
List of foreign nationals exempted from the visa requirement to travel to Romania