The list of the countries that are part of the United States Visa Waiver Program will expand on January 10 to include its 43th member, Romania.
The decision has been confirmed through a statement provided by the Romanian Embassy in the US, VisaGuide.World reports.
On January 10, 2025, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, will meet in Washington with the Romanian Ambassador to the United States, Andrei Muraru, to formalize Romania’s accession to the US Visa Waiver Program.
It paves the way for Romanians to travel visa-free to the US for business or tourism purposes for up to 90 days.
Officials from the two countries will mark Romania’s designation in the visa waiver program, reviewing the efforts of both parties for our country’s accession, as well as the forms of cooperation regarding the further fulfilment of the requirements of reciprocity and information exchange.
On November 27, 2024, the US State Department of State said that Romania met one of the main criteria to become part of the US Visa Waiver Program by recording a visa refusal rate of 2.61 percent in the fiscal year 2024 (October 1, 2023- September 30, 2024).
The formalization of this process comes after years of hard work, according to the Romanian Ambassador to the United States, Andrei Muraru.
Friday’s event (January 10) is the culmination and final result of years of hard work by Romanian and American officials. The designation of Romania in the US visa waiver program is an important recognition of our common economic and security interests. Romania thus consolidates its status as a strategic partner of the United States, being the first country in the Black Sea region admitted to the Visa Waiver Program.
Travel Process for Romanians to US Less Time-Consuming
Becoming part of the US Visa Waiver Program means that Romanians will be excluded from the requirement of undergoing interviews at a US consulate, making the travel process for Romanians less time-consuming.
The travel authorization offers Romanians an unlimited number of entries/exits from the US during this period for visits of up to 0- days, while the cost of a travel authorization is $21.
Nationals of countries that are part of the US Visa Waiver Program who want to travel to the United States are required to register with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to traveling to the US. They are also required to meet additional measures and, therefore, are urged to carefully follow the requirements.