Romania is not only Transylvania with its mists, but also modern ski resorts, the endless beaches of Mamaia, and picturesque Bucharest, which is rightly called 'Little Paris'. Since the country finally established itself in the Schengen Area, entry rules have become stricter but more transparent. Let's break down the facts on how to prepare your documents so that your trip doesn't end at the application review stage.

What type of visa is needed for Romania

Forget about the old national visas that only allowed you to travel around the Carpathians. Since March 31, 2024, Romania has joined the Schengen Area, and since then, Russian citizens need a uniform Schengen visa to travel to the country. This means that with a Romanian 'Schengen' in your passport, you can legally go for a coffee in Vienna or for a walk in Rome. The main rule: Romania must be the first country of entry or the country of the longest stay. If you already have an open multiple-entry visa from any other agreement country, the path is open, and you don't need to arrange anything extra.

What types of visas are available for Romania

The choice of visa depends on your goals. The consulate offers three main options:

1. Transit (types A and B). Only needed if you are at Bucharest airport awaiting a flight to a non-Schengen country and do not plan to leave the airport.

2. Short-stay (type C). The most popular option. Issued for tourism, visiting relatives, attending conferences, or short business meetings. It allows you to stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within a 6-month period. The term of such a visa cannot be extended.

3. Long-stay (type D). This is more serious. Such a visa is issued for specific purposes, for example, for employment, family reunification, scientific research, study, and so on.

What documents are needed for a Romanian visa

Romanian consuls are known for their meticulousness, so the document package must be perfect. You will need:

• Biometric international passport. Make sure it has at least two blank pages and its validity expires no earlier than three months after your departure home.

• Annotated application form. Filled out online on the portal. Important: write everything in Latin characters, as in your passport. You will also attach all necessary documents there.

• Photographs. Two pieces, 3.5 x 4.5 cm. The face on a white background should occupy 70-80% of the picture. No dark glasses or massive jewelry.

• Photocopies of Schengen visas for the last three years. Even if they remained in an annulled passport, still make a copy, as well as of the main pages.

• Photocopies of the internal passport, all important pages – registration address, military duty, marital status, children, previously issued passports.

• Medical insurance. Whether it will be checked upon entry into the country or not is an open question, but it's better to have one in any case for emergencies. Minimum coverage amount – 30,000 €, validity period – for all dates of the trip.

• Proof of employment. Employed individuals provide certificates from their place of work and form 2-NDFL + bank statement; students – a certificate from the educational institution, a sponsorship letter; pensioners – an ID, an extract of employment history for the last 10 years. The work certificate must be on company letterhead, indicating position, length of service, and salary. Freelancers can provide a self-employment certificate or a statement of funds movement.

• Financial guarantees. Romania wants to be sure you have enough money for souvenirs. A bank statement showing the account balance is usually required (calculated at no less than 50 € per person per day, but the total amount must not be less than 500 €).

• Route confirmation. Round-trip ticket bookings, hotel bookings (preferably paid or with payment confirmation), description of the entire travel plan.

What documents are needed for minors

Traveling with children requires a separate folder of papers:

• Child's own international passport (if they are already 14 years old).

• Birth certificate (original and copy are mandatory).

• Consent to travel. If the child is traveling only with the mother, the father must go to a notary and sign a permit. In 2026, the requirements for the wording in the consent became stricter – it is mandatory to indicate that travel is permitted specifically to Schengen Agreement countries, including Romania.

• Certificate from school or kindergarten.

• Visa of the accompanying parent, if it is not being processed simultaneously.

How to apply for a visa to Romania

The process is half online, half in reality. First, you upload all scanned documents to the website, from where they are redirected to the Romanian embassy. The system checks them, and if everything is okay, the application status changes to «Validated». After verification, you will receive an email inviting you to schedule an appointment.

You must come with the original documents. The consular fee is 80 € for adults, 40 € for children aged 6 to 12, payable in cash at the embassy (also in euros). Children under 6 years old are exempt from it.

Tips for submitting documents

A Romanian visa is a rare stamp in Russian passports; it is issued reluctantly and with many difficulties. Travelers note that they often receive no response to their submitted application, or they receive a reply stating that some documents are missing from the application, but without specifying which ones. Therefore, they advise preferring another country where the visa application situation is more transparent and simpler.

How to get to Romania from Russia in 2026

There are no direct flights, so if you really need or want to go to Bucharest, take tickets with a layover – the optimal available options are Istanbul, Antalya, Belgrade. As usual, 'MIR' cards and domestic Visa and MasterCard will not work, so you'll have to rely on either cash or foreign bank cards.