Romanian visit visa application procedure – no invitation approval required

Need to initiate a Romanian visit visa application with the Romanian consulate abroad? Apply for your Romanian visit visa (type C/VV) using our super-helpful guide below. This is a simple-to-follow guide for securing your Romanian short-term visit visa.
Romanian visit visa application procedure - no invitation approval required

This guide is applicable to you, if you are national of a country for which the invitation letter approval procedure is not required prior to the visa application. Thus, if you are national of a country such as Philippines, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Kuwait, Kenya, Qatar, Bolivia, Ukraine, Senegal, Rwanda, this guide is applicable to you.

Otherwise, if you are national of a country for which invitation letter approval is required (the list of those countries can be checked here; they are marked with a star sign (*)), please do not use this guide, as it will not be completely useful for you. Please use the following guides:

If you have difficulties in finding the correct guide applicable for your nationality, please feel free to contact us.

IMPORTANT: please read the important prerequisites detailed below before using this guide.

This Romanian visit visa application guide (visa symbol: C/VV) is applicable for nationals of countries such as: Philippines, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Kuwait, Kenya, Qatar, Bolivia, Ukraine, Senegal, Rwanda.

This guide was customized by our immigration experts for applicants holding citizenship of any of the countries listed above. If the visa applicant has a different nationality, please look for the correct application guide on our website. Since the applicant has a different nationality, this guide may not be useful for his/her specific case.

Important prerequisites

  • the visa can be obtained based on an invitation letter which must be issued by a Romanian citizen living in Romania, or by a foreign individual that is living in Romania and holds a valid Romanian residency permit;
  • a Romanian visit visa for short stay allows you to entry the territory of Romania for a total stay, or stays, of maximum 90 days during any period of 180 days. If you need to stay in Romania for a longer period, you should apply for a long-term visa (which can be extended afterwards with a residency permit);
  • this type of visa can be issued with one or with multiple entries;
  • the applicant’s passport validity must exceed the validity of the requested visa by at least 3 months;
  • among the countries whose citizens need a travel visa to enter Romania are also certain countries whose citizens must obtain approval of the Romanian Immigration Office on a special invitation letter, prior to applying for the visa. The list of those countries can be checked here. They are marked with a star sign (*).

Romanian visit visa application procedure (no invitation approval required)

Symbol: C/VV
for citizens of: Philippines, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Kuwait, Kenya, Qatar, Bolivia, Ukraine, Senegal, Rwanda.

According to Romanian immigration law provisions, the short term visit visa application for nationals of the above mentioned countries must be fulfilled in 2 main steps, as follows:

1. Prepare & notarize the invitation letter

This step must be fulfilled by the individual or organization inviting the foreign citizen to Romania.

2. Apply for the visa (at the Romanian consulate)

This step must be undertaken by the visa applicant. Step 2 can be started only after preparation and notarization of the invitation letter is done as described under Step 1.

1. PREPARATION AND NOTARIZATION OF THE INVITATION LETTER

An invitation letter must be prepared by the inviting person, which then must be signed and be notarized at a Notary Public office. The invitation letter must contain: identification details of both the inviting person and the invited foreigner, the period of travel to Romania, address where he/she will stay in Romania.

It must also stipulate the fact that the inviting person assumes to support all expenses with the foreigner’s repatriation, if the case. We recommend requesting at least 3 duplicates of the invitation letter to be issued by the notary.

NOTE: If the inviting person doesn’t speak Romanian at all, the notary may request that a certified English translator be present when he/she signs the invitation letter (this is the legal procedure). Therefore, you may need to arrange also with an English certified translator to assist you. But first we recommend checking with the Notary Office if they can recommend a translator that they usually work with.

Certified translators are generally charging the interpretation services by hour. Average hourly fee for English interpretation is around 150 – 200 lei.

2. List of required documents

a) Invitation letter authenticated by a public notary

Please refer to step 1 above for details on this document.

b) National Romanian ID of the inviting person

or, if the inviting person is a foreign national legally residing in Romania:

Passport + Romanian residency permit of the inviting person

If the inviting person is not a Romanian citizen, please note that the applicant’s visit visa’s validity may be limited to the validity of the inviter’s Romanian residency permit.

c) Applicant’s passport

Please make sure passport’s validity is of at least 3 months from the moment you plan to leave Romania. Otherwise, we recommend obtaining a new passport before starting the application, as you risk visa application rejection by the consulate.

d) 2 Colored photos

Size must be 3×4 cm.

e) Copy of proof of accommodation in Romania

Proof of accommodation can be made through:

  • ownership contract over the house/apartment of the person that the foreigner is visiting in Romania (in case the foreigner will stay there during his/her visit), or
  • hotel reservation, or
  • rental contract from any other place where he/she will stay.

f) Documents proving financial means for living in Romania

You must provide proof of financial means for supporting your stay in Romania. Your financial means must be in amount of at least 30 euros/day of stay in Romania.

The proof of financial means can be under the following forms, depending on the case:

  • bank account statement (not older than 3 days),
  • salary payslip for last month,
  • pension payslip, etc.

In the case of bank statement, please note that the Romanian consulate may require to see statement of transactions over the past 3 months.

g) Travel medical insurance

The travel insurance must cover in full the entire period of the planned stay in Romania. Of course, it can also be purchased for a longer period.

h) Travel ticket reservation

The travel ticket must be a return ticket (including exit flight from Romania). If you request visa to be with multiple entries, please note that the Romanian consulate may request to see also reservations for your future planned flights to Romania.

NOTE: Please ensure you also have all of the above documents scanned, under PDF format in advance of starting the online application. All documents will have to be uploaded during the online application. Each document should not exceed the size of 5 MB.

Once the above listed documents are prepared, the visa online application can be submitted, as detailed further below:

3. Online application for the visa with the Romanian consulate

The online application must be done on the E-Visa portal, at the following link:

E-VISA – Apply for a Romanian visa online

To start with, as first step you need to access the above link and register an account with a valid email address.

Please make sure you have all the above detailed documents, under points a) to h) scanned under PDF format in advance! All documents will have to be uploaded during the online application. Each document should not exceed the size of 2 MB!

Once you sign up with an e-mail address and password, you will receive a confirmation email, generating for you a file number (this will be your visa file number).

In the next window you will be required to log in with the file number you received by e-mail and your password. Then you will have to click “Next” button.

Please refer to print-screen below for details on this step:

Romanian visit visa application procedure-1

Then the application form window will open, and as first step you will have to start filling in the required information. In the first window you will have to select your nationality and country of residence. Then choose the Romanian consulate where you want to send the visa application for processing. Fill in with the necessary information and then click “Next”.

On the next page, you will have to select the type of visa you will apply for. In your case this will be: “Private visits (marked C/VV)”. Please refer to the print-screen below for more details:

Romanian visit visa application procedure-2

On the following page, you will be required to select if you find yourself in any of the situations that can exempt you from the obligation of requesting a Romanian travel visa for short-term to Romania – such situations are for example: if you hold a valid Schengen visa or residency permit, if you are family member of a Romanian citizen, etc.

Please go through all the options listed and select the one that may apply to you, if the case. This would mean that you will not need to apply for the visit visa for Romania, so you can end the application and starting making plans for traveling. Otherwise, you will have to select the last option on the page: “I do not find myself in any of the above mentioned situations“. Then click “Next” to continue filling in the visa application.

Going forward, you will be then asked to upload all the supporting documents already described above. The documents should be ready for upload, so this step should go smoothly (vehicle supporting documents are required only if you will travel to Romania by car).

Once you upload all documents, please select the acknowledgement box at the bottom of the page and click “Next”.

On the next page, you will again be required to select if you find yourself in any of the situations described therein. If none of them is your case, you will just have to select the last option on the page: “I do not find myself in any of the above-mentioned situations”. Then click “Next” to continue filling in the visa application.

Please also refer to print-screen below for this step:

Romanian visit visa application procedure-3

On the next 2 pages, you will be required to fill in with your personal information: name, surname, date of birth, country of birth, passport details, family details, occupation, etc. Please fill in with correct information, as all information you provide here will be verified by the consulate during their checks.

On next page (Step 8 of the application) you will be required to select the number of entries you need the visa to have, and the number of days you want to stay in Romania, in total. If you want to travel for more than 1 time, you’ll want to select the total number of days you need for all your trips.

Going further to the next step, you will be required to fill in with details regarding your journey, such as: date of arrival, date of departure, planned route, etc. On the same page, you will have to provide information on the person you are visiting in Romania, and on whom is covering the cost for your stay in Romania – e.g. you or your host. You will also have to select the means of support type for your stay – i.e. cash, credit card, cheques, etc.

If your host in Romania will be covering for the accommodation, please select the “Accommodation” box.

Step 10: you will have to provide information regarding your family members. Most of the fields on this page are optional. We advise on completing them only if family members are traveling together with you.

Step 11: you will have to select if your host is a natural person (if you will be staying at his/her address during your visit) or a hotel. You will have to provide detailed information and address.

Step 12 (final step): fill in with information regarding your home address. Then click “Next” button.

Once you finalize completing the application form, you will be directed to the page where you have to review a summary of your application. If all looks good, you will have to send the application for processing to the consulate, by clicking on the “Send File” button.

Please also see screen-shot below for more details:

Romanian-visit-visa-application-procedure-4

Once you successfully send the file, your online Romanian visit visa application is final. As next step, the application will be reviewed by the Romanian consulate representatives and, if all ok, you will receive an email confirming the application was processed. Same email will invite you to log into your account again and select the date and time when you can schedule interview at the consulate – please see below for details on this final step.

4. Physical submission of the application file + interview

All documents you uploaded during your visa online application may also be required in original and copies when you visit the Romanian diplomatic mission/consular section.

For the purpose of the interview, we recommend preparing in advance for questions that might be addressed by the interviewer. The questions will have as main purpose checking the background of your relationship with the Romanian host, and the detailed purpose of
your stay in Romania. There may be questions such as:

  • Are you a relative of your host?
  • How and when did you meet him/her?
  • When did you meet last time?
  • What’s the purpose of your travel to Romania, and where will you stay?, etc.
To check the detailed address of the Romanian consulate in your country, please visit the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website here: Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Romanian missions abroad.

Please make sure to arrive at the consulate on the date scheduled, with at least 10 minutes in advance of the scheduled time.

Also, please keep in mind that the visa may not be approved and stamped into your passport on the same day, so you may have to leave your passport in the Romanian consulate until the visa is approved and stamped.

Once you get the visa, you can travel to Romania as scheduled. While traveling, please remember to have with you copies of the invitation letter issued by your host, as the document may be requested by the border police.

Have a safe trip!

All resources from category: Immigration & Travel

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Ovidiu Ivanof

Lawyer

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