Economic benefits of including Romania in the Visa Waiver
Articol de Radiojurnal, 09 Ianuarie 2025, 15:07
Romania's inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program will be officially marked on Friday with an event in Washington.
United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Romanian Ambassador Andrei Muraru will meet to mark Romania's accession to the US Visa Waiver Program.
On this occasion, technical details and the effective date of activation of the new travel regime will be communicated.
In Bucharest, Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu has already announced that Romanians will be able to travel visa-free to the United States from March, after the US authorities update the electronic travel authorization platform ESTA.
Romanian citizens will no longer have to undergo interviews at the US consulate.
The travel authorization will be valid for two years, with unlimited entry or exit from the United States.
The authorization can be used for visits of up to 90 days, and the cost is 21 US dollars, as opposed to the cost of issuing a visa, which is 185 dollars.
Romanians can also still apply for US visas, which have the advantage of being valid for 10 years and the duration of a trip is a maximum of six months.
The Foreign Minister also highlighted the economic advantages of including Romania in the Visa Waiver Program.
Beyond the improvement in the number of tourists, there will be more business travelers, investors traveling more easily, which will lead to increased trade, Emil Hurezeanu added.
Translated by: Radu Matei
