Schengen visa multiple entry. Is it required to travel from Schengen state to get into Romania?
I have a multiple entry Schengen visa from Germany. Although I will enter during my return journey, onward journey is directly to Romania. Is it ok ? I am travelling on Sunday (24th Jan 2016)
Best Answer
Even though Romania is not part of the Schengen Area, holders of a Schengen visa can enter Romania without a Romanian visa, whether they entered the Schengen area or not, for 90 days within a 180-day window. Entering Romania will not count as entry into the Schengen Area.
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Can I enter Romania with a single entry Schengen visa?
The Schengen Visas Romania is not yet part of the Schengen visa agreement but Schengen Visa holders do not need to get a (special) Romanian visa to visit Romania as long as their Schengen visa allows at least two entries in Schengen space and the number of entries and/ or length of stay has not been not exhausted.Can I travel to other Schengen countries with single entry visa?
With one-entry visa you can travel the Schengen area only once. It is indicated in your visa as \u201c01\u201d. With two-entries or multi-entries you can respectively travel to the Schengen area twice or several times during the visa validity period. I HAVE A VALID LONG STAY VISA/ RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR A SCHENGEN AREA COUNTRY.Does Romania come under Schengen visa?
The Schengen Area is currently comprised of 4 non-EU states and the majority of European Union countries except for Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania.Should my first trip be to the country which issued my Schengen visa?
There is no general requirement that you must enter the Schengen Area through the country that issued your visa. Your main destination may be different than your first destination. To prevent complications, stick to your itinerary as best you can.Non European countries where you can GO with a Schengen Visa | Travel with Schengen Visa
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Answer 2
Being an EU citizen, I have no personal experience with this but the relevant documents (EU regulations, webpages from the Romanian ministry of Foreign Affairs – the later are unfortunately usually quite poorly translated) make no mention of any requirement to enter Romania from the Schengen area to be exempted from the visa requirement, but only to hold specific visas or permits from a Schengen country.
My understanding is that the logic behind the rules is that you must be a trusted traveller/be able to reenter the Schengen area to gain entry in Romania without Romanian visa (that's why a single entry Schengen visa is not enough). Your multiple entry visa is ample proof of that, whether you already used it or not so I would not be concerned about entering Romania first.
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