Romanian VISA

Foreign citizens traveling to Romania must first obtain a visa from a Romanian embassy or consulate, except for those coming from countries with which Romania has visa abolition agreements or for which it has unilaterally waived the visa requirement (see The regime of travel of foreign citizens in Romania).

The Romanian visa is granted by the diplomatic missions and consular offices of Romania abroad, with the prior approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Diplomatic missions and consular offices of Romania abroad may grant a short stay visa without prior approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to foreigners who do not need a visa to enter the territories of the Member States of the European Union if they apply for a visa in their country of citizenship. 

In case of foreign citizens who have to submit a written invitation from a natural or legal person (from which it results that they will ensure the costs of the removal, if the invited foreigner does not leave Romania until the date when the right of residence established by visa ceases), prior to obtaining the visa from the diplomatic missions of Romania, the invitation must be approved by the Romanian Immigration Office.

The Romanian Border Police can grant, according to the law, at the border crossing points, the short stay and transit visa, only in the following situations: 

•  In case of emergency, caused by disasters, natural calamities or accidents;
• In case of death or serious illness of close relatives, proven by appropriate documents;
• in the case of crews and passengers of ships or aircraft in special situations who are required to land or land in the wake of a malfunction, weather or threat of terrorist attack;
• In the case of officials belonging to international organizations and delegated to perform official missions in Romania within a short time frame;
• in the case of foreign sailors requesting transit for embarking, resuming or leaving a ship for the purpose of repatriation upon termination of the employment contract, as well as for the exchange of crew;
•  for humanitarian reasons, for reasons of national interest or due to obligations assumed by Romania through international documents.

Thus, the provisions of Council Regulation (EC) no. (EC) No 415/2003 on the issue of visas at the border, including seamen in transit, of Regulation (EC) 399/2016 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a Community Code on the rules governing the free movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code) and Art. 32 from O.G. no. 194/2002 on the regime of foreigners in Romania are respected.