Schengen visa holder issued by the Italian embassy - getting into Romania via Frankfurt?
I'm planning to go to England, Romania and Italy in June.
I have applied for the English and the Italian visa and both were approved, But when I went to the Romanian embassy in Dubai, I was told that I don't need a visa to enter Romania because I hold a multiple entry Schengen visa and that will allow me to enter Romania for 4 days.
Now I have booked my tickets - Dubai - England, England - Romania via Frankfurt, Romania England via Frankfurt and then England - Italy.
My question is would I be fine traveling to Romania via Frankfurt, considering that I got my Schengen visa from the Italian embassy and that is not my first destination and I do not hold the Romanian visa?
Best Answer
Officially at least, the information you've received seems to be completely wrong.
As you're probably already aware, Romania is NOT a Schengen country.
They do however have special provisions to allow people with a Schengen Visa to transit through the country for up to 5 days, but only where the intent of the travel is for transit to a third country.
In your case, you will not be transiting - you'll be entering and leaving to/from the same country (England) and on flights to/from the same country (Frankfurt). What's more, the country you'll be coming from and going to (England) are NOT Schengen countries either, which likely breaks the rules of the "transit" provisions too.
I would suggest talking to the embassy again and point out your exact travel plans, and that you will not enter/leave Romania from/to a Schengen country.
Update: Here's the official answer from the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The relevant paragraph is :
In order for a uniform visa, a national visa, or a residence permit to be equivalent to the Romanian transit visa, under the conditions listed above, it is imperative that the transit through the territory of Romania naturally fit into a coherent itinerary to the country that issued that visa or residence permit, or into a return trip to their home country or country of residence.
In your case, none of those conditions are valid, and thus your Schengen visa almost certainly isn't valid for entry into Romania.
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Do I have to enter the country that issued my Schengen visa?
It does not need to be the country that issued you with a Schengen Visa, as you must apply with the nation where you are planning to spend the majority of your stay in the Schengen Area.Can Schengen visa holders enter Romania?
Yes, the Romanian government allows the holder of a valid Schengen visa to enter Romania, provided that the Schengen visa is still valid and has at least two more entries. You can only stay in Romania with a Schengen visa for the time that the visa is issued for or the time you have left.Can I enter Switzerland with a Schengen visa issued by German Embassy?
Yes. According to the Schengen rules, the Schengen visa is generally valid for all the countries in the Schengen area. Please note, however, that you always have to apply at the consulate of the country which is your primary destination (see FAQ no 5).Do I need a transit visa for Romania?
You must submit a completed and signed Schengen visa application form. In the online form indicate 'airport transit' as the main purpose of your journey. Each person travelling with you on your travel document must submit their own visa form.BRING YOUR SPOUSE OVER TO ITALY USING A SCHENGEN VISA+PROCEDURE+REQUIREMENTS
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Answer 2
Romania is not (yet) part of the Schengen area. Nevertheless, having a Schengen visa eases the entry to Romania.
As of the 1st of February 2014, if you stay less than 90 days in Romania and if you have a valid Schengen visa, you don't need a Romanian short-term visa.
A valid visa means here that the visa has to be valid when entering Romania and it still has to be valid when you leave Romania. Thus, you cannot enter Romania on the last day of your Schengen visa and then stay 90 days in Romania.
Source: Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
=> Do I need a visa to come to Romania? Conditions of travelling to Romania
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