Bulgaria and Romania will issue Schengen C visas from April, after partially joining the Schengen area for travellers arriving by air and sea. These short-stay visas allow for entry and stays for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.
The new border laws for air and sea travellers will allow people and businesses to benefit from free movement entering or leaving Bulgaria or Romania. The EU Commission has said that the date of the countries’ complete inclusion in the Schengen area will be announced after air and sea borders are lifted at the end of March.
Romanian international airports have stated their readiness to operate Schengen and non-Schengen passenger flows. The National Company Bucharest Airports (NCBA) issued a press release stating that preparations at the Bucharest Henri Coandă and the Băneasa Aurel Vlaicu international airports were completed by the end of 2022.
Since then, the NCBA has had to ensure the processing of passenger traffic which, in the last 11 years, has doubled.
