Romanian Prime Minister Affirms Visa-Free Travel to US by 2025: Progress and Challenges Ahead

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu of Romania has reiterated his commitment to granting Romanian citizens visa-free access to the United States for tourism and business purposes by 2025. Speaking during an interview on the Sinteza Zilei TV program, Ciolacu expressed confidence in Romania's ability to join the Schengen Area by land before the end of 2024 and highlighted the significance of the country's forthcoming membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) by 2026.

"I guarantee you that, by the end of this year, Romania will enter Schengen land. Next year, Romania will no longer have visas with America, and in 2026, Romania will enter the OECD," reassured Prime Minister Ciolacu.

These assertions echo similar statements made by Ciolacu during his visit to the US in late December 2023, where he indicated that the formalization of the visa-free agreement would occur within the same year. In September 2023, Romanian Ambassador to the US Andrei Muraru had also suggested that Romanians could potentially enjoy visa-free travel to the US by 2025, albeit cautioning that this might be the earliest possible timeline.

"We have no doubt that it will not happen. In the case of Romania, an official announcement is expected around February 2025, with the implementation taking place within the same year," noted Ambassador Muraru.

However, despite these optimistic projections, no official statement regarding visa-free travel to the US has been issued in February, contrary to Ambassador Muraru's expectations.

Romania currently finds itself among the three EU countries, alongside Bulgaria and Cyprus, whose citizens require visas to travel to the US for tourism and business. One of the main obstacles to Romania's entry into the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is its visa denial rate, which must be below three percent.

US Ambassador in Bucharest Kathleen Kavalec previously confirmed that the earliest possible entry date for Romania into the Visa Waiver Program would be early 2025, provided that the country meets the necessary conditions.

"It can’t be earlier than 2025 because we have to measure the rejection rate annually, from October 1 to October 1. If everything goes well, probably be early 2025. It depends on many things, but I think we are on the right track," Ambassador Kavalec remarked.

Recent data from the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the US Department of State reveals that in January 2024 alone, 3,648 Romanians obtained B1/B2 visas for entry into the US for tourism or business purposes. This highlights the significant demand for travel to the US from Romania.

The most recent countries to join the US VWP were Israel and Croatia, with Croatia's entry occurring in October 2021.

In conclusion, while Romanian officials remain optimistic about securing visa-free travel to the US by 2025, concrete steps and efforts are required to meet the necessary conditions outlined by the US government. Addressing visa denial rates and navigating bureaucratic procedures will be critical in realizing this goal and facilitating smoother travel between Romania and the US.

By fLEXI tEAM