Romania and Bulgaria Visa Requirements for Citizens (2026 Schengen Update)
Browse more guides: Bulgaria travel | Europe destinations Romania and Bulgaria became full Schengen members on 31 March 2024 for air and sea borders, and full land-border Schengen members on 1 January 2025 . That single change rewired the visa rules for both countries. If your last Romania-Bulgaria trip was pre-2024, almost everything you remember about visas, border stamps, and overland transit is now different. This guide gives you the 2026 reality - who needs a Schengen visa to enter Romania or Bulgaria, who is visa-free, how the new rules apply to citizens of major countries, and what actually happens at the borders. Short answer EU/EEA/Swiss citizens : No visa required. Free movement applies. Visa-free Schengen nationals (US, UK, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, UAE, etc.): No visa for short stays up to 90 days within a 180-day rolling period across the entire Schengen Area, including Romania and Bulgaria. Visa-required Schengen nationals (India, P...