Obtain an invitation-based short-stay Romanian visa

Citizens of certain countries can obtain a short-stay (Schengen, type C) visa for Romania only on the basis of an invitation approved in advance by the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI).

Below, our Romanian lawyers outline the general steps for this process. Those who have questions can reach out to us for more details.

How can you apply for the short-stay invitation visa?

The list of states for which the citizens need to apply for a visa before entering Romania also include those for which the citizens need to obtain an invitation approved by the General Inspectorate for Immigration, Ministry of Internal Affairs (IGI-MAI), when applying for C / type visas VV, C / TU and C / A.

We recommend consulting the list of states for which the citizens need to obtain a short-stay visa only on the basis of an invitation, approved in advance by the General Inspectorate for Immigration. Under Order of the Minister of Foreign Affairs no. 1743/2010, as amended by Order no. 645/2024, citizens of the following third countries need this invitation: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, the Russian Federation, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Yemen. The list may change; the current version is published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

If you are a foreign national of one of these states, our immigration lawyers in Romania can assist you.

The invitation template can be downloaded online.

The model rules for writing the letter of guarantee can be downloaded, and the model letter of guarantee can also be downloaded online. However, applicants may need assistance for filling the application. If this is the case, if the language is a barrier, please reach out to our Romanian lawyers who specialize in visa matters.

The letter of guarantee will be submitted, in the original copy, to the following address:

• Consular Department, Legalization Office
• Str. Aleea Alexandru, no. 24 Sector 1, Bucharest
• Working hours with the public: as published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.mae.ro).

What are other situations in which the invitation is required?

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

The invitation, accompanied by a series of documents, depending on the purpose of the trip, shall be completed in two copies and submitted to the headquarters of the territorial formations of the Immigration Inspectorate, for approval. Invitations are approved within approximately 45 days from the submission date. In duly justified cases, where a further examination of the application is necessary, the time limit may be extended by 15 days. For foreigners who wish to enter the country for tourism purposes, in organized groups of at least 20 people, at the request of companies governed by Law no. 31/1990 (the companies law) that are members of the National Association of Travel Agencies in Romania, the invitations are approved within 30 days from the date of submission.

In case of approval, a copy of the invitation will be handed to the inviting person, in order to be sent to the invited foreigner for original presentation at the diplomatic mission or at the consular office where he requests the granting of the Romanian visa. The foreigner can apply for a visa within 30 days of the approval of the invitation. A new invitation submitted by an applicant shall not be approved, regardless of its purpose, if one of the persons previously invited by him has not left the territory of the country within the validity period of the visa.

What are some exceptions to the invitation requirement?

The exceptions to the invitation procedure approved by the General Inspectorate for Immigration, Ministry of Internal Affairs (IGI-MAI) are listed below by our attorneys in Romania.

It will be taken into account that the situations mentioned below must be proven with appropriate documents, attesting them. At the same time, keep in mind that the fulfillment of at least one of the following conditions does not exempt the visa applicant from the obligation to present the supporting documents that constitute the application file, depending on the purpose of the trip and the type of visa requested

For the categories of aliens listed below, the visa can be requested without obtaining, in advance, an IGI-MAI invitation (according to the provisions of art. 40 paragraph 1 of GEO no. 194/2002 republished, with subsequent amendments and completions:

1. the minor alien whose parent is a beneficiary of refugee status or has subsidiary protection or is in possession of a residence permit in Romania, provided that it is valid for at least 90 days from the date of granting the entry visa;
2. the spouse and parents of the foreign beneficiary of refugee status or who has subsidiary protection or who is in possession of a residence permit in Romania, provided that it is valid for at least 90 days from the date of granting the entry visa;
3. the foreigner whose parent is a Romanian citizen;
4. the foreigner, parent of a Romanian citizen.

Also, short-stay visas can be granted without fulfilling the IGI-MAI invitation procedure, for the following categories of foreigners (according to the provisions of art. 40 paragraph 2 of GEO no. 194/2002 republished, with subsequent amendments and completions:

• foreigners married to Romanian citizens;
• foreigners, minor children of Romanian citizens;
• aliens holding a residence permit valid in one of the Member States of the European Union, the European Economic Area or in the States party to the Schengen Agreement, without the validity of the visa exceeding the validity of the residence permit;

Contact our law firm in Romania for more information as well as assistance as needed.