What you need to enter Romania with a Belgian passport

Authorization system

None operational yet (ETIAS delayed)

Romania has been part of the Schengen area since 1 January 2025 (full accession, including land borders) and of the future European ETIAS system (a travel authorization for nationalities exempt from a Schengen visa). As of the verification date, ETIAS is NOT operational. Once launched: cost €20, validity 3 years, applicable to passport holders from countries exempt from a Schengen visa.

What ETIAS is, who it will affect and when it starts →

Fee

Doesn't apply until ETIAS is operational. For consular Schengen visas, the fee depends on the visa type and hasn't been verified specifically for Romania.

Required documents

• A valid passport or travel document, issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a))
• A valid visa, if your nationality requires one. It is not needed if you hold a valid residence permit or long-stay visa issued by a Schengen State (Art. 6(1)(b))
• Documents justifying the purpose and conditions of the intended stay: an accommodation booking or a declaration of invitation from your host, and a return or onward ticket (Art. 6(1)(c) and Art. 6(3), which points to the non-exhaustive list in Annex I)
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole stay and for the return to your country of origin, or of being in a position to acquire such means lawfully. They are assessed according to the duration and purpose of the stay, by reference to average prices for board and lodging in budget accommodation (Art. 6(1)(c) and 6(4)). Cash, traveller's cheques, credit cards and declarations of invitation or of sponsorship all count as proof (Art. 6(4))

Vaccinations

• No mandatory vaccines for entry: no international certificate of vaccination (yellow fever included) is required under the International Health Regulations.
• Recommended, not checked at the border: Romania is going through a large measles outbreak declared a national epidemic. Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly recommends checking before traveling that you have the complete MMR vaccine schedule (measles, mumps and rubella).

Health insurance

Not mandatory for this visa-exempt entry, though it's strongly recommended. The border officer may still ask for proof of sufficient funds and accommodation for your stay — a separate requirement from insurance.

Transit rules

Schengen rule: a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area. Although internal border controls between Romania and the rest of Schengen were lifted on 1 Jan 2025, Romanian police may carry out spot identity checks up to 30 km from the border line — a valid ID document must be carried at all times within that strip.

Why isn't your passport being stamped? The EES system →

Customs limits

Cash

Declare to the Romanian Customs Authority if entering or leaving the EU with €10,000 or more in cash (or the equivalent in another currency, including the Romanian leu), a threshold harmonized across the whole EU by Regulation (EU) 2018/1672.

Alcohol

Arriving from outside the EU (age 17+): 1 liter of spirits over 22% alcohol, or 2 liters under 22% (including sparkling and fortified wines); plus 4 liters of still wine and 16 liters of beer — floor limits set by Directive 2007/74/EC, the same across the whole EU.

Tobacco

Directive 2007/74/EC sets a general limit of 200 cigarettes (or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250g of smoking tobacco) when arriving by air, but lets each Member State set a lower limit (as low as 40 cigarettes) for those entering by land or sea. It hasn't been confirmed which of the two options Romania applies at its land border (with Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, Hungary and Bulgaria) versus its airports — check the exact allowance for your point of entry before traveling with tobacco in quantity.

Overstay penalties

Emergency Ordinance no. 194/2002 (aliens regime) treats anyone who stays beyond their authorized period as being in an irregular situation and requires them to leave the country; a "decizie de returnare" (return decision) can be issued together with a re-entry ban to Romania and the rest of the Schengen/EEA/Swiss area, with a duration depending on the severity and history of the case. A fixed fine amount generally applicable to tourists who overstay could not be confirmed — only the immigration consequence (return + possible entry ban), not a quantified penalty scheme.

What happens if you stay past 90 days →

Common reasons for denial

• Producing a false or falsified travel document, or reasonable doubts arising about the authenticity of the supporting documents submitted or the truthfulness of their content (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 32(1)(a)(i) and 32(1)(b)).
• Failing to justify the purpose and conditions of the intended stay (Art. 32(1)(a)(ii); the same entry condition appears in Art. 6(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/399, so it is also checked at the border).
• Failing to provide proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole intended stay and for the return to the country of origin or residence, and not being in a position to acquire such means lawfully (Art. 32(1)(a)(iii)).
• Having already used up the 90 days of stay within the current 180-day period on the territory of the Member States (Art. 32(1)(a)(iv)).
• Being the subject of an alert in the Schengen Information System (SIS) for the purpose of refusing entry (Art. 32(1)(a)(v)).
• Being considered a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or the international relations of any Member State (Art. 32(1)(a)(vi)).
• Failing to provide proof of adequate and valid travel medical insurance, where applicable (Art. 32(1)(a)(vii)).
• Reasonable doubts arising about the reliability of the statements made or about the applicant’s intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the visa applied for expires (Art. 32(1)(b)).