The visa is an authorization applied for on a border crossing document that allows the holder to present himself at the Romanian border crossing points, in order to request the transit or temporary stay in Romania, for a determined period.

According to the legal provisions, the representatives of the Romanian border police request, to each foreigner, to prove the fulfillment of the conditions of entry and stay in Romania. If the fulfillment of these conditions for stay is not proven, the foreigner may be denied entry into Romania.

The short-stay visa is a visa that allows foreigners to apply for entry into Romania, for reasons other than immigration, in order to stay uninterrupted or for several stays whose duration does not exceed 90 days during any period of the previous 180 days each day of stay in Romania.

This type of visa can be granted with one or more entries, so the foreigner can enter and leave the territory of Romania several times, depending on how many entries he applies for and obtains when issuing the visa.

Exceptionally, for foreigners who travel frequently to Romania, for business relations or cooperation, at the request of administrative authorities or companies, the short-stay visa can be granted for a period of 1 to 5 years.

A short-stay visa may be granted for the following purposes:

1. Mission - to foreigners who, for reasons related to their political, administrative, or public utility function, must travel to Romania. For example: foreigners holding positions in governments, public administrations, or international organizations. This type of visa can also be issued to family members who accompany them.

2. Tourism - for the foreigner who is going to visit Romania for tourist reasons.

3. Visit - for the foreigner who intends to travel to Romania on a visit, to Romanian citizens or foreign citizens holding a valid residence permit.

4. Business - for the foreigner who intends to travel to Romania for economic purposes, for negotiations, for commercial contracts or industrial cooperation, as well as for the foreigner who is or will become an associate or shareholder of a Romanian company.

5. Transport - for the alien who is to travel for short periods, in order to carry out an activity related to the transport of goods or people.

6. Sports activities - for the foreigner who is to enter Romania for a limited period of time, in order to participate in occasional sports activities.

7. Cultural, scientific, humanitarian activities, short-term medical treatment, or other activities that do not contravene Romanian laws - in the conditions of justifying the presence in Romania.

It should be mentioned that the right of residence on the territory of Romania, granted to the foreigner through the short-stay visa, cannot be extended.

In order to obtain such a visa, it will be necessary, among other things, to make an appointment to present a series of documents, as well as a notarial invitation from the person visited, for some states even an invitation approved by the General Inspectorate for Immigration from Romania.

The settlement of the application for such a visa can take between 3 - 15 days depending on the consular post or diplomatic missions where the visa is requested, and the presence of the visa applicant is mandatory.

Author: Attorney at law Cristian Badea, Law Office Grecu & Partners.

This is native content supported by Grecu & Asociatii.