On January 10, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the addition of Romania to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. Under the Visa Waiver Program, qualifying foreign nationals may travel to the United States as tourists and business visitors for up to 90 days without first obtaining a visitor visa from a U.S. embassy or consulate. Travelers are still required to apply for and receive advance permission for travel through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). The addition of Romania follows prior expansions of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, with the additions of Qatar, Croatia, and Israel since 2021.
DHS expects ESTA’s online and mobile applications to open to Romanian citizens on or around March 31, 2025.
The U.S. Visa Waiver Program
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, may designate certain countries as eligible for the Visa Waiver Program if certain requirements are met. Those requirements include an evaluation of refusal rates for U.S. visas, the existence of reciprocal privileges for U.S. citizens, information sharing agreements, and security reviews, among other factors.
Romania’s admission brings the total number of eligible countries in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program to forty-three. At present, the designated countries in the Visa Waiver Program are Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
Citizens of these countries are eligible to forgo the visa application process in favor of applying for ESTA, the U.S. government’s automated, online system that determines travelers’ eligibility to visit the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. The ESTA application collects biographic information and answers to specific eligibility questions, including information about past travel and criminal history.
Practical Considerations for Travelers
Romanian citizens with existing visitor visas may continue using them for as long as they remain valid. Romanian citizens may also continue to apply for visitor visas if ineligible for ESTA.
ESTA approvals are valid for up to two years. It is recommended that travelers apply for ESTA as soon as they begin preparing travel plans or prior to purchasing airline tickets, subject to the estimated March 31 effective date for Romanian citizens.
ESTA approval does not guarantee entry into the United States. Immigration officers from U.S. Customs & Border Protection retain discretion to refuse admission to travelers on ESTA if their request for entry is found to be in violation of U.S. immigration law.
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