When making travel plans for a foreign country, there are quite a lot of things that need to be considered. Most importantly, whether you will be allowed to enter the country freely, where you will be staying and for how long. All of these things, along with your citizenship status, will greatly influence your potential need for a visa when travelling to a new country.

If you are a non-EU citizen who wants to come to Romania, getting a visa can be quite a lengthy process. One of the most important things you need to prove is that you will not be staying illegally in the country and sometimes a visa invitation letter is mandatory in the process.

What is the purpose of the Romanian invitation letter?

According to the Romanian law, with respect to short term visas, there are 3 types of procedures based on your citizenship status:

• Visa-free travel –the citizens of certain countries are considered to comply with the minimum conditions of travel to Romania and usually cannot stay here for more than 90 days within 180 days.

For example: Australia, Canada, USA, South Korea, Japan.

• Notarized invitation – for the citizens of other countries, the Romanian state considers that there is a probability their citizens will not leave Romanian land at the legal term, so a notarized invitation is required as a guarantee.

For example: South Africa, Philippines, Russia.

• Immigration approved invitation – according to statistics, citizens of certain countries usually do not leave Romania on time, as per their visas. And in order to make sure they will do so, a Romanian citizen will need to send them an invitation letter. They will also have to prove they can reimburse costs of expulsion, if the need arises.

For example: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Siria.

The invitation is required to apply for the following types of short-stay visa: visit visit, tourism and business.

• Visit visa – in case you are coming to Romania to visit a friend or family member, then this person must make the legal formalities.
• Travel visa – in this case, usually you come to Romania just to visit our country. If you need an invitation letter, the tourism agency should handle the invitation procedure.
• Business visa – this is applicable if you need to visit Romania for a business event. If you need an invitation letter, then the Romanian business that invites you over will handle the legal formalities.

According to Art. 40 of the Romanian Government Emergency Ordinance no. 194/2002, certain categories of foreigners can apply for a visa without first obtaining an IGI-MAI Invitation (General Inspectorate for Immigration – Ministry of Internal Affairs). You can see if you fit the criteria by checking out the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website. But these usually only apply for country officials.

So, how does it work?

The invitation, along with a few more documents, depending on your purpose of travel will be prepared in two counterparts and submitted to the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) for approval. Invitations are approved within 60 days from the date of submission.

If it is approved, a copy of the invitation will be handed to the Romanian citizen who makes the invite. They will need to pass it on to the invited foreigner, to be presented in original at the diplomatic mission or the consular office where he requests the Romanian visa. The foreigner can apply for a visa within 30 days from the approval of invitation.

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If you would like to address more questions or if you need a legal consultation, you can contact us at office@rrpb.ro or by accessing our site www.rrpb.ro for more information.

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