Visiting Romania for Kenya nationals or Kenya passport holders usually requires getting a valid visa before leaving home — but did you know you can enter, transit or stay visa-free in Romania for 90 days in any 180-day period if you have a two or multiple entry Schengen visa? Kenyans can visit Romania visa free as long as you have used your multiple entry Schengen visa at least once and it is still valid for the period you intend to stay in Romania.
I’ve wanted to visit Romania for a long time, but the hassle of getting a visa deterred me. But a short visa-free journey to Bucharest? Yes please. Bucharest’s Palace of the Parliament has long been on my bucket list. Who wouldn’t want to see the heaviest building on the planet – according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
So when we docked off Athen’s Piraeus port following 10 days on a Cruise from Spain to Greece, I bought me a cheap Ryan Air ticket from Athens to Bucharest.
entering romania with schengen visa
Having confirmed from the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that I could actually enter Romania visa free as a Kenyan passport holder with a Schengen visa, I confidently board my flight.
On arrival at immigration, I queued like everyone else, assuming it would all be a breeze like everybody else ahead of me – most of them EU passport holders. I handed in my passport to the immigration officer. She took some time as she swapped glances between my passport and screen.
“Is there a problem?” I interjected.
“Yea, I have to hand you over to my boss for further questioning”, She said.
So she motioned me to move over to a section of the room.
In about 2 minutes, another officer came over. He wanted to know why I was visiting, how long I was staying, etc. Since I had already shared this information with the first officer, it felt rather awkward. And probably evident from my body language.
“How much money do you have on you to cater for your stay in Romania?”
“About 20€.”
“What?”
“why, is that a problem?”, I responded.
“Yes, you need at least 50€/day of stay.”
Well, I tried to argue my case that I had already paid up for most of my expenses e.g. flights and accommodation and that I would use my Visa Card for any additional expenses. But he couldn’t hear of it.
Well, to cut the long story short, after about another 30 minutes, I managed to convince him. But for the first time since I started my frequent international travels, the reality of “the final decision for entering the country always rests with the border control officials” dawned on me.
So next time before you embark on a trip to any Schengen state or use your Schengen visa to gain entry into another country, make sure that in addition to your visa you have the following:
- Print out or soft copy of your travel Insurance policy document. The minimum coverage should be EURO 30 000 (or equivalent in Ksh). The travel insurance must be valid throughout the Schengen territory and for the entire duration of your stay and must include your name and date of birth of the visa applicant. You can buy coverage through this list of approved Schengen travel insurance companies in Kenya or purchase directly online via credit/debit card. I like to be in control while out so I purchase my coverage online from World Nomads.
- Print out or soft copy of your flight booking or bus ticket out of Romania.
- At least 500 euros in cash or evidence of having the same. I was asked for my bank/credit card statement. So ensure you have your latest statement either printed out or in soft copy.
- Evidence of hotel booking. My preferred hotel booking site is Booking.com due to their wide coverage (for instance 1,700+ hotels in Bucharest alone!) and the option of free cancellations on most accommodation in the unfortunate event that you don’t get a visa.
Lesson learned
To always carry copies of all the supporting documents of my visa application when I travel.
