People traveling by air from Romania to destinations in the EU’s Schengen area will no longer stop at the Border Police booths but will go directly to the boarding gates, as the country is set to join the air and sea Schengen at the end of March. Travel conditions for minors starting from March 31 have also been altered.

In a few days, Romania's airports will effectively be part of the Schengen Area, meaning that travel will take place without border checks. Romanian police will still be present in airports to conduct random checks, despite the changes that will take effect from March 31. They will check the identity and legal situation of individuals if they have any suspicions.

"Henri Coandă International Airport in Bucharest is one of the 17 airports where, starting from March 31, border controls for Schengen state citizens will be lifted. From this date, controls at air and sea borders are eliminated, and individuals will be able to travel to or from other Schengen member states without undergoing border controls," declared the General Inspector of the Border Police, Cornel Laurian Stoica, in a press conference cited by Digi24.

Police will, nevertheless, remain vigilant. “Individuals who are generally or internationally wanted will be detained and handed over to the competent authorities, and those found to have committed crimes - possessing prohibited substances, false or forged documents, or those who are illegal migrants - will have preliminary criminal investigation documents prepared," Cornel-Laurian Stoica explained. 

Romanian citizens who are minors will not undergo border control and will, just like the adults, go directly to the boarding gate without needing any additional approval. 

"If the minor travels accompanied only by one parent or a third person, the following are required: a valid travel document; the other parent's consent if traveling with only one parent; both parents' consent when traveling with someone other than the parent; just the travel document if moving to a home/residence and providing proof of this; only one parent's consent when traveling for studies/competitions/medical treatment and providing proof of the declared purpose of the journey. If the minor is over 16 years old and travels unaccompanied, they will need: a valid travel document; consent from both parents; just the travel document if they provide proof of domicile/residence in the country they are traveling to," Stoica explained.

Companions of minors, other than the parents or legal guardian, are no longer required to present a criminal record certificate in physical format, as it is consulted electronically by the border police officer. However, if the border police officer finds that the minor's companion has committed certain crimes provided by law, they will not be allowed to leave the country with the minor. These crimes include murder; crimes against freedom and sexual integrity; crimes related to the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable persons; illegal deprivation of liberty; crimes concerning drug trafficking or precursors; trafficking in human tissues or organs; and terrorism.

When traveling to non-Schengen states, travel conditions remain unchanged, and document checks will be conducted at the Border Police control filters. 

Last year alone, Bucharest’s main airport was transited by approximately 15 million people, with an average of 43,000 people per day during the summer season, according to the head of the Border Police.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Roberto Pangiarella | Dreamstime.com)