Can I travel 100% safely with only my Identity Card from Romania to Svalbard? [duplicate]
This is my first trip outside the country, never been on a plane before.. and at the same time I’m going alone. So I’m scared and worried and trying to do as much research as possible. Many sources say that I should be able to go with my identity card, but our ministry’s site still recommends a passport and that stresses me. A passport isn’t free and I don’t want to throw money around.
So is there any 0,0001% chance that I could be stopped because I don’t have a passport?
Yes, I’ve read the Dutch Identity Card post before I came here, but it’s not the same thing, at least that’s how I see it. And I want to make sure it works for my country too.
Best Answer
From the Visit Svalbard website:
All guests with a foreign citizenship MUST bring their passports or national ID-card.
The website of the Governor of Svalbard says:
Everyone may, in principle, travel to Svalbard, and foreign citizens do not need a visa or a work or residence permit from Norwegian authorities in order to settle in Svalbard. Foreign citizens with visa requirements to the Schengen area do, however, need a valid Schengen visa if they travel through Schengen on their way to or from Svalbard. It is required with two entries in the traveller's visa to be able to return to the Schengen area (mainland Norway) after the stay at Svalbard.
(note: most of this doesn't apply to you, because as a Romanian citizen you have no visa requirements to enter the Schengen area)
and also says:
According to the Schengen regulations, all passengers passing through a Schengen boarder shall be controlled. Since Svalbard is not part of the Schengen area, everyone travelling between Svalbard and the Norwegian mainland must be controlled.
This section concludes with a link to more information from the Norwegian government:
Since Svalbard is not part of the Schengen area, anyone travelling between Svalbard and the Norwegian mainland must be controlled. From 1 February 2011 travelleres will be controlled both at entry and exit.
[...]
Passports or national identity cards will satisfy Schengen regulatory requirements for identity verification.
Your national ID should be fine.
(Although if you have some specific reason for believing that your situation is different from that with a Dutch ID card, you should explain why so that people can verify.)
Pictures about "Can I travel 100% safely with only my Identity Card from Romania to Svalbard? [duplicate]"
Can I travel with my Romanian ID card?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that Romanian citizens check, before traveling abroad, that their travel documents (passport or identity card) are valid at least six months longer than the expiry date of the visa they apply for.Can I travel to Norway with EU ID card?
Citizens of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) may travel between these countries without a passport, but must be able to prove their identity on request. You must carry a valid passport or national ID card to travel to any other country in the EU and Schengen area.Where can I travel with Romanian ID?
A Romanian national identity card is valid for travel to all EU countries, including Spain to which the Canary Islands belong. ("This identity card also serves as travel document of Romanian citizens within the European Union.")Are Romanian ID cards biometric?
Since 2011, the Romanian Government tried implementing the more secure Electronic (Biometric) Identity Cards in line with the requirements of European Commission for general use, but the project fell short for a variety of reasons including privacy, religious freedom, cost and implementation strategy.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Michael Steinberg, Leah Kelley, Julia Volk, Ethan Wilkinson