Romania's admission to the Visa Waiver Program under review

The US government has announced that Romania's recent inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is under review. During this review, Romania's implementation into the Electronic System For Travel Authorization (ESTA) is suspended.

Entry into force and duration

The suspension of ESTA implementation for Romanian nationals is effective immediately and will remain in effect until the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has completed the vetting process. It is not known when these measures will be completed.

Background

This decision is based on a re-examination of Romania's compliance with the program's safety requirements.

Consequences

Visa-free entry for Romanian nationals has been put on hold for the time being and for now, and until further notice. Romanian travelers to the USA who wanted to use ESTA from the end of March 2025 will have to apply for a US visa instead. For business or leisure travel to the United States, B-1 / B-2 Visitor visas are still required, which must be applied for at a US embassy or US consulate.

Valid B-1 / B-2 visas that have already been issued remain valid and can still be used for travel to the United States.

The Biden administration initially confirmed the admission on January 10, 2025 and announced implementation by the end of March 2025 at the latest.

This is due to the fact that Romania met an important requirement for participation in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) in November 2024: One of the decisive factors was the rejection rate for B-1 / B-2 visas in the US Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, which was 2.61 % and therefore below the required threshold of 3 %.

The 2024 US Fiscal Year is between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024, during which time Romanian nationals worldwide filed 80,596 applications for B-1 / B-2 visas, twice as many as the previous year. According to the Romanian embassy in the USA, 78,000 of these visa applications were approved.