What you need to enter Romania with a Vatican passport
Vatican citizens do not need a visa to travel to Romania: a passport is enough, for stays of up to 90 days.
- Maximum stay
- 90 days
- Processing time
- Not applicable: direct entry with your passport.
- Entry cost
- Free
- Minimum passport validity
- 3 months after departure
Last verified: 5 September 2026
Verified practical details
You don't need a visa to enter Romania, but here are some practical details worth knowing before you travel:
Authorisation 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 authorisation 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.
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))
Health insurance
Not mandatory for this visa-exempt entry, though it's strongly recommended.
When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓How long you can stay
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.
Calculate your available Schengen days →More Romania rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Romania page:
Official portal: https://igi.mai.gov.ro/. Destination data verified on 5 September 2026. Sources: igi.mai.gov.ro (General Inspectorate for Immigration); European Commission statement on Romania and Bulgaria's full Schengen accession (ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner, 1 Jan 2025); EUR-Lex, Directive 2007/74/EC arts. 8-9 (tobacco and alcohol allowances) and Regulation (EU) 2018/1672 (€10,000 cash threshold); legislatie.just.ro, Emergency Ordinance no. 194/2002 (aliens regime, consequences of irregular stay); exteriores.gob.es (Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs travel advice for Romania: spot checks up to 30km from the border, measles outbreak) (checked 5 September 2026).
Travel insurance for Romania
It isn't listed as mandatory for this entry, but without insurance, medical care during the trip can get expensive.
See IATI's international site →IATI sells its policies according to the country you live in. Where do you live?
If your country isn't listed, try IATI's international site.
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Things to see and do in Romania
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Romania can enter Vatican visa-free. See the Romania → Vatican page.
All 16 passports from Southern Europe that VisaRadar tracks can enter Romania visa-free. Same result as Vatican: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece and Italy.
With a passport from Vatican, in the rest of Eastern Europe you can enter Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Russia.
A passport from Vatican ranks 54 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 135 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Vatican citizens need a visa for Romania?
No. You can enter Romania with just your passport, for up to 90 days.
How long can I stay in Romania?
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counting every stay in the Schengen area, not only those in Romania.
What minimum passport validity is required?
At least 3 months of validity beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area, and issued within the previous ten years (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a)).
Do I need travel insurance to enter the Schengen Area?
It's not mandatory for a visa-exempt entry, though it's strongly recommended.
What do Vatican passport holders need for the countries near Romania?
With a passport from Vatican, in the rest of Eastern Europe you can enter Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Russia.
Related pages
See Romania requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.