Romania removed from U.S. Visa Waiver Program; B-1/B-2 required

(RUMANIA) Romania’s brief brush with visa-free travel to the United States 🇺🇸 ended on May 2, 2025, when the Department of Homeland Security, after consulting the State Department, rescinded the country’s designation for the Visa Waiver Program. As of August 26, 2025, Romanian citizens must apply for a B-1/B-2 visa for business or tourism, and all existing or pending ESTA approvals are invalid.

Officials cited “border and immigration security” and “program integrity” concerns, leaving travelers and companies to rebuild plans around standard consular processing. The move forces families, students, and executives to revert to the traditional visa pathway.

Timeline: What happened and when

• January 9–10, 2025: President Biden’s team announced Romania’s entry and slated rollout for March 31.
• March 25, 2025: President Trump paused implementation for further review.
• May 2, 2025: DHS revoked Romania’s VWP designation, effective immediately.
• August 26, 2025: Official public guidance confirms Romanian travelers must obtain a B-1/B-2 visa; ESTA is unavailable.

The back-and-forth disrupted travel plans for campus visits, family trips, and business schedules. Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the reversal “political,” linking it to broader disputes including human trafficking cases and election controversies.

Important: Romania is NOT a VWP country and ESTA is NOT available to Romanian nationals. Romanian citizens must secure a B-1/B-2 visa before boarding a plane or ship to the United States. Existing B-1/B-2 visas remain valid.

Expect increased pressure on consular interview slots; timelines depend on staffing and workload, so build extra time into wedding, conference, or supplier-visit plans.

Policy reversal and official rationale

The January designation followed years of pressure from Bucharest and EU partners; Romania was an outlier in Europe for not being in the Visa Waiver Program. Romanian officials argued the country had:

• Tightened border controls
• Boosted information sharing
• Met the single‑year visa refusal rate threshold in FY2024

However, U.S. law requires a two‑year average visa refusal rate under 3% for program entry. According to VisaVerge.com, that two‑year metric remained the technical hurdle.

When implementation was paused on March 25, DHS framed the move as protecting “program integrity.” By May 2, working with the State Department, DHS concluded removal was warranted and highlighted “border and immigration security” concerns — without publishing granular metrics (a common practice in sensitive security matters).

Those phrases typically point to issues such as:

• Data or reporting gaps
• Document security concerns
• Watchlist vetting or overstay risk patterns

Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the decision as political and tied it to diplomatic friction. In June, Bucharest officials referenced human trafficking cases and electoral disputes to explain why the timing felt punitive. Some U.S. lawmakers continued to support eventual Romanian entry — noting the Romania Visa Waiver Act of 2023 had bipartisan interest but stalled in committee.

Behind the scenes, consular teams in Bucharest shifted from planning ESTA outreach to ramping up interview capacity for B-1/B-2 visas. Travel agents and corporate travel departments warned clients to build extra lead time for U.S. trips.

What Romanian travelers must do now

The process returns to basics: the B-1/B-2 visa is the standard visitor visa for business and tourism. It covers:

• Meetings and conferences
• Limited training
• Short family or leisure stays

It does not authorize work or provide a path to residence.

Key points:

• ESTA is not an option for Romanian citizens at this time; prior ESTA approvals are void.
• Existing B-1/B-2 visas remain valid until their printed expiration dates, unless canceled.
• First-time adult applicants generally must have an in-person interview.

Step-by-step process (typical)

1. Complete Form DS-160 online and print the confirmation page with the barcode. File via the State Department portal: Form DS-160.
2. Pay the nonrefundable fee — as of August 2025, $185 for a B-1/B-2 visa — and save the receipt. Fees can change; confirm at scheduling.
3. Book an in-person interview at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest. Expect higher demand than usual.
4. Attend the interview with:
   • Passport
   • DS-160 confirmation page
   • Appointment letter
   • Supporting documents (work letters, conference invites, travel bookings, proof of family/property)
5. Wait for processing and visa printing. Timelines vary; avoid nonrefundable tickets until your passport is returned with the visa foil.

Practical tips:

• Start early if travel dates are fixed.
• Prepare documentation that shows ties to Romania and purpose of visit.
• Families with mixed documents should verify each traveler’s status well in advance.
• Employers should prepare standard travel letters to smooth consular review.

Business and personal impacts

Companies that regularly send Romanian staff to U.S. clients should:

• Reset internal calendars to account for consular processing
• Keep HR letters ready that explain job role, trip purpose, and duration

Consequences by sector:

• Small firms: a delayed single trip can push delivery dates or postpone pilot projects.
• Large firms: can usually absorb delays via internal policies.
• Travel agents: higher volume of itinerary changes and rescheduling.
• Airlines: customers may face rebooking and change fees if visas are delayed.

For families, the change can mean postponing life events (graduations, weddings) or rebooking leisure travel. Medical second-opinion visits must align appointment, travel, and visa timing carefully.

Wider impact and outlook

The VWP tradeoff is straightforward: faster travel (ESTA) in exchange for stringent cooperation on border security, data sharing, and low visa refusal rates. In Romania’s case, Washington says statutory benchmarks and security standards weren’t met across required periods; Bucharest counters that progress is sustained.

Technical points to note:

• U.S. law examines a two-year average visa refusal rate (must be under 3%).
• Even single-year improvements may not offset a prior high year.
• Metrics feeding DHS risk models include overstay patterns, watchlist hits, and timely reporting to U.S. systems.

Diplomatic consequences:

• Romania is a long-standing NATO ally; Bucharest expected VWP access to reflect that partnership.
• Washington argues the law’s thresholds reduce risk at scale; decisions are framed as technical rather than personal.
• DHS has indicated Romania may be reconsidered once it satisfies legal criteria but offered no timeline.

For travelers and employers, the practical implication is clear: ESTA access is off for Romania; only a B-1/B-2 visa will grant boarding into the U.S.

Key takeaway: The safest plan is to check official sources and confirm visa requirements before buying tickets.

For up-to-date program details, DHS maintains an overview of the Visa Waiver Program here: Department of Homeland Security — Visa Waiver Program. That page explains eligibility rules, security partnerships, and the structure of ESTA for qualifying countries. Romania is not listed, reflecting the May 2, 2025 rescission.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, travelers and employers should plan, gather documents, and expect interview queues to ebb and flow as demand adjusts through 2025.