Romanian visa. Information for foreign nationals

The travel rules applicable to third-country nationals who are family members of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens are set out in the external portal, eVisa.

In order to facilitate the visa process, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set up the eVisa portal, available 24/7. The portal aims to reduce waiting times at visa counters and streamline the handling of visa applications.

The eVisa portal provides visa applicants the opportunity to prove that they comply with the legal requirements by uploading the necessary information and supporting documents online before presenting them at the counter. The documents are checked by the consular officer, who provides feedback online and informs the applicant of the possibility of scheduling an appointment online via the portal, on a specific date and time, at the relevant diplomatic mission or consular post in order to have the original documents verified and submit the file.

The eVisa portal enables users to check the status of their application online at any time.

More details on the visa process can be found here.

For additional information, you can contact the competent authority, which is the National Visa Centre of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign citizens may enter Romania under the terms of Government Order No 194/2002 on the rules governing foreign nationals in Romania, as subsequently amended and supplemented, and of Emergency Order No 102/2005 on the free movement within Romania of citizens of EU Member States and of the European Economic Area as well as of citizens of the Swiss Confederation, as subsequently amended and supplemented.

Before coming to Romania, the Romanian border police recommends that you contact the Romanian diplomatic mission in your country in order to obtain additional information on Romanian legislation.

Citizens of Member States of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland may enter Romania through all State border crossing points open to people, on presentation of a valid national identity document or a passport or document issued in accordance with Emergency Government Order No 102/2005 for EU citizens, without border guards placing an entry stamp on any of those documents.

Family members who are not EU citizens may enter the territory of Romania on the basis of a valid passport and entry visa, unless the visa requirement has been waived in accordance with the law.

A family member who is not an EU citizen but holds a valid document attesting to residence in another Member State as a family member of an EU citizen is exempted from the visa requirement. Border guards will not place an entry or exit stamp in the passport of persons falling under this category.

Freedom of movement within countries of the EU is a right afforded to citizens of the European Union, the EEA and Switzerland. There is a minimum border check consisting of a rapid and immediate verification of persons’ travel documents in order to establish identity.

Border guards may, randomly or on the basis of risk analyses, conduct more rigorous/additional checks on persons and their mode of transport, always in compliance with the legislation in force.

Neither Romanian citizens nor citizens of other countries may use an expired passport as a valid travel document to enter or exit the territory of Romania.

On returning to the territory of Romania, border guards may, in accordance with Article 29 of Law No 248/2005 on the rules governing the free movement of Romanian citizens abroad, allow Romanian citizens who identify themselves with a travel document issued by the Romanian authorities which has an expired validity period to enter Romania, only after they have carried out the appropriate checks on the holder’s identity and nationality in the relevant records. In that case, the duration of the checks carried out may not exceed 24 hours from the moment the person presents their ID at the border crossing point.

Moreover, if a person shows up at the border crossing point to enter Romania declaring that they are a Romanian citizen, but does not hold documents issued by Romanian authorities attesting to their identity, either valid or expired, the border guards will carry out the necessary checks as quickly as possible in order to establish that person’s identity and nationality.

For holders of a travel document issued by another country who meet the conditions of entry into Romanian territory, the border guards will, in accordance with the law, allow them to enter the country as a foreign national and direct them to the Directorate General for Passports in order to clarify the situation regarding Romanian citizenship.

Border guards must allow persons to enter the territory of Romania as soon as they have established their identity and the fact that they are Romanian citizens.

Specific documents that minors must have when travelling to and from their country of origin (within the EU):

Romanian citizens who are minors and holders of an individual travel document or, as the case may be, an ID card/electronic ID card, is allowed to travel abroad in the Member States of the European Union.

Currently, the following travel documents are required for minor Romanian citizens for travelling abroad:

• simple electronic passport;
• simple temporary passport;
• travel title (valid only for returning to the country).

or, as the case may be, depending on the quality of the parent(s) or the person caring for the minor,

• electronic diplomatic passport;
• electronic service passport.

Information on how and where these documents can be obtained and/or the eventual special procedures to be followed (including any relevant deadlines)

According to the legal provisions applicable in Romania, the applications for a simple electronic passport or a simple temporary passport must be submitted either in the country, at the community public passport services according to the jurisdiction where the applicant is domiciled or residing, or abroad, at the diplomatic missions or the consular offices of Romania.

If the applicant for a simple electronic or temporary passport cannot be present at the community public passport service according to his or her domicile or residence, passport applications may be submitted at the nearest community public passport service.

Passports will be issued by the competent authorities within time limits, starting on the date when applications are submitted, which may not exceed:

• 3 working days in the case of applications for simple temporary passports;
• 15 working days in the case of applications for simple electronic passports, submitted in Romania;
• 45 working days in the case of applications for simple electronic passports, submitted abroad at the diplomatic missions or consular offices of Romania in EU Member States;
• 60 working days in the case of applications for simple electronic passports, submitted abroad at the diplomatic missions or consular offices of Romania in non-EU countries.

If the applicant submits an application for a simple electronic passport abroad, but opts for its reception at one of the community public passport services, the deadline for issuance is a maximum of 15 working days.

Lost passport or ID card

The loss of a passport must be reported immediately by the holder or, as the case may be, by the minor's parents, legal representatives or companions at the nearest police station or at any community public passport service or at the Passports General Directorate or abroad at the diplomatic missions or consular offices of Romania.

If the loss is reported to the police, they are required to issue a certificate attesting to the declaration of the event.

The obligation to declare the loss of a travel document can be fulfilled when submitting an application for a new passport, in which case the holder or the parents or legal representatives of the minor will make a declaration, on their own responsibility, about the circumstances of the event.

The theft of a passport must be reported immediately by the holder or, as the case may be, by the minor's parents, legal representatives or companions at the nearest police station in Romania or in the country where the event took place, and the issuance of a certificate attesting to the declaration of the event must be requested.

Emergency travel document (ETD)

For Romanian citizens abroad who no longer possess a valid travel document, the diplomatic missions or consular offices of Romania will issue a travel title valid only for returning to Romania.

This travel title will be valid for a maximum of 30 days and will terminate on the date of entry of the holder in Romania.

The procedures used for establishing the identity of Romanian citizens requesting a travel title and for issuing these documents will be determined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.