Romania tourist visa (Schengen C/TU)

Nationals of countries on the EU visa list need a visa to cross the Schengen external border, so even a weekend in Bucharest or a Black Sea holiday needs a C visa. Nationals of certain countries marked on the IGI list must first obtain an invitation approved by IGI; for everyone else a hotel booking or a host’s invitation is enough to prove accommodation.

Apply to Romania when it is the only or main destination of the trip, measured in days or by purpose. If no main destination can be identified, apply to the state whose external border you cross first. Holders of a valid two- or multiple-entry Schengen visa, a long-stay visa or a residence permit from another Schengen state do not need a separate Romanian visa within the 90/180-day limit.

Beyond the form, passport, photo and insurance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks for a voucher or firm booking with a tourist accommodation unit, an itinerary when more than one entry is requested, and proof of funds. Drivers add a valid driving licence, the Green Card and the vehicle registration papers.

To show that you will return, consulates look at return tickets, bank statements, proof of employment or business, property and family ties in your country of residence. If anything stays unclear after the interview, the mission may ask for additional documents.

Romanian rules set the funds at EUR 50 per day for the whole stay and at least EUR 500, or the equivalent in convertible currency. Applicants who have paid a tourist package covering at least accommodation and meals in full are exempt from this proof.

The visa fee is EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 12, payable in euro, US dollars or local currency at the previous month’s average rate. An application is not accepted at the counter without the fee, and the fee is not refunded after a refusal.

Register the application on the e-Visa portal, choose the competent mission and wait for the appointment date. On that day you go in person, with the original passport and supporting documents, to the Romanian embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence. First-time applicants and those whose fingerprints are older than 59 months must appear for biometrics.

The European Commission advises applying no earlier than 6 months and no later than 15 days before the trip. The normal decision time is 15 days, extended up to 45 days if the file needs a closer look. You collect the passport at the mission.

A visa does not guarantee entry: the border police may ask again for the purpose of the trip, accommodation and funds. Since the EU Entry/Exit System started, your entries and exits are recorded biometrically at the external border.

A short-stay visa can be extended by IGI only for force majeure or humanitarian reasons (free of charge) or for serious personal reasons (EUR 30), and never beyond 90 days in 180. Applications are handled by the immigration offices in Bucharest, Constanța, Timiș, Cluj and Iași, and a refusal to extend cannot be challenged.

A refusal comes on the standard Schengen form with the reasons. Romanian law requires a written, dated and signed preliminary complaint within 30 days of receiving it, sent to relatii_cu_publicul@mae.ro or to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest. A court action can then be filed at the administrative section of the competent court of appeal within 6 months of the answer, and no later than one year after the refusal. You may also simply reapply and pay the fee again.