Romania's visa requirement hits 12 countries

Travellers from 12 third countries now need to obtain a Schengen Transit Visa first, before passing through Romania, in order to reach their non-Schengen destination country.

Following Romania’s Schengen accession last Sunday, March 31, 2024, travellers from several world countries who need to make a stopover or transfer from an international flight in Romania will need visas in order to be able to do so, SchengenVisaInfo reports.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, the list of countries the nationals of which will now need a transit visa is as follows:

• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Iran
• Iraq
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Somalia
• Sri Lanka

Please note that if you need to transit through more than one airport in the Schengen area, then you are no longer eligible for an airport transit visa. Instead, you should apply for a regular Schengen visa (type C), as flights between two or more Schengen states are considered ‘internal’ flights, even if they are for transit purposes.

Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Nationals of These 12 Countries Already Need Visas to Transit All Other Schengen States
The nationals of these 12 countries already need transit visas in order to pass through the international airports of any of the Schengen Area member states, as they are part of the joint list of third countries on which the Member States have together agreed to impose visas.

In addition to these 12, the Member States already have other ‘personalised lists’ of countries the nationals of which need transit visas.

Full List of Countries That Need a Transit Visa for Each Schengen Area Country
Who Is Exempt from the Romanian Transit Visa Requirement?
While the requirement to obtain a transit visa before passing through Romania en route to their destination country applies to all passport holders of the 12 countries listed above, there are some exemptions.

First of all, travellers already holding a Schengen short-term visa, as well as those with long-stay visas or residence permits issued by another Member State do not need a transit visa for Romania, as the documentation they already hold grants them the right to transit Romania and every other Schengen State.

Second, exempt from the requirement of a transit visa for Romania are also third-country nationals holding a valid residence issued by Andorra, Canada, Japan, San Marino or the United States of America, as well as those who hold a valid residence permit for one or more of the overseas countries and territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

And finally, flight crew members who are nationals of a Contracting Party to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, can also transit Romania without a designated visa, too.

[Source: Schengen Visa Info]