Today, I am going to answer two important questions you might have about Romania: is Romanian part of the EU (European Union)? Also, is Romania part of the Schengen zone?
While these two questions refer to two different things, many people believe that if a country is a a member of the European Union, it already is part of the Schengen zone, and vice-versa – if it’s not part of the EU, it’s not in Schengen. Well… that’s not the case!
This is especially useful for those who like to travel around Europe and respect the Schengen travel rules (you are allowed to stay 90 days within a 180-day period) or better plan their itineraries if they only have a visa for Romania or the Schengen area.
Help me keep Romania Experience alive. Become a Patreon supporter today! You can also read my article detailing the situation here. Thank you for your continued support!
Is Romania in the European Union?
Yes, Romania has been a member of the European Union since 2007, when it joined together with neighboring Bulgaria.
The two countries are among the newest members of the EU. Croatia is the only country that joined afterward, in 2013.
But even though Romania is a member of the European Union, it has still not switched to using the EURO, which is always delayed to “a later date” – so nothing is set in stone and probably it will be years before it will happen.
In other words, if you are planning to visit the country, prepare to visit an exchange office first and get some Romanian Lei – the country’s national currency, as it would be difficult to pay with anything else, even though Romania is indeed an EU member.
Or use one of the more modern approaches to banking – like getting a Wise card or Revolut or anything similar to instantly switch between currencies.
Is Romania in the Schengen area?
Since March 31st 2024, Romania was partially allowed into Schengen, together with Bulgaria – by air and sea only.
In January 2025, Romania becomes a full member of the Schengen area, by land also. However, at least for six months after the full ascension, there will still be border checks between Romania and Bulgaria, and Romania and Hungary.
There are already no border checks if you’re getting to Romania through one of its main international airports, but pretty soon you will also be able to drive in Romania from a fellow Schengen member state without having to go through customs.
The main change brought by Romania joining the Schengen area is the fact that any days spent in the country will count toward your Schengen days, as you’re only allowed to spend 90 days within 180 in any Schengen country.
Before that, people would spend 90 days in a Schengen area country, then switch to a non-Schengen one like Romania or Bulgaria, and keep doing this. Now, you will have fewer options for this.
Why does it matter if Romania a Schengen member or not?
The Schengen zone functions as a huge area comprised of multiple countries (26 at the moment) that share a common visa policy and act as a single entity for travel purposes.
This further means that you can travel freely between countries in the Schengen area, with no border and passport controls of any sort – even though of late, some countries have re-introduced temporary border checks for various reasons.
But everything is simplified here – as long as you hold a Visa to get into a Schengen country, you can travel to any other Schengen country freely, although work visas remain valid for the one country originally issued for.
However, with a Romanian visa, you can enter non-Schengen EU countries like Bulgaria or Cyprus. (Thanks to our reader Demet for drawing attention upon this matter.
If you have any other questions regarding Romania and the Schengen area (or the country being part of the European Union), let me know by commenting below.
- Best Christmas Markets in Romania: The Ultimate Winter Wonderland - December 9, 2024
- Romania’s Presidential Election Annuled by the Constitutional Court: ALL the Details - December 7, 2024
- Who Is Elena Lasconi: Romania’s Potential New President - December 3, 2024
I’m always amazed that so many experienced travelers (to Europe) have no clue about the Schengen zone or don’t understand/grasp the concept that being in the EU does not necessarily mean that you use the Euro. The EU, Eurozone, Schengen Zone – 3 different things entirely! Sometimes a country is in all 3 (Slovenia, France, Germany), sometimes just two (Ireland – not in Schengen) and sometimes only one.
Things are still complicated, even though they are a lot easier than they were a few decades ago. Hopefully this article will help those who don’t really know about the current situation.
Enjoyed your article. I hop around Schengen and non-Schengen countries as you stated. I am an American that actually understands the rules, and wish there were more non-Schengen countries in Europe.
For some, not being in Schengen is really a bonus. Those who live in a non Schengen country definitely feel different, as traveling from one place to another without going through border checks is awesome 🙂
Hi !
Such an informative article, thank you !
I just want to make sure about the visa requirement between Bulgaria and Romania. In the example you give above, you say that with a visa for Romania, one can’t visit Bulgaria. As far as I know, if you are holding a visa for Croatia, Cyprus and Romania, you can enter Bulgaria. Is this agreement / status changed or abolished lately ?
Thank you
It was an error on my side and I have corrected it in the article. I was just trying to use an example showing that you can’t visit other Schengen countries with a Romanian visa and Bulgaria was the first to come to mind 🙂
But yes, you can indeed visit a couple of other countries with a Romanian visa – mainly Bulgaria and Cyprus. Croatia has joined the Schengen area now and it’s no longer part of the deal. However, I would still advise people to double check and make sure that they meet any other potential requirements for visiting other countries with a Romanian visa.
Thank you for the very informative article. I know, from what you said, that if you are a resident of Romania (temporary or permanent) that it has no effect on if you’d be able to travel to countries within the Schengen Zone. That is understandable. My question is, when Romania does eventually join the Schengen Zone, will that change anything for the non-citizens, but residents in Romania?
I think that things will change drastically once Romania joins the Schengen area. Since there will no longer be any border checks, anybody will be able to travel to any other Schengen country – this will be easiest via train, bus or car.