Dummy Ticket for Romania Visa: What the Flight Rules Really Say

Romania is the Schengen member where Indian applicants most often get caught out, and it is rarely the flight that causes it. The bigger surprise is an invitation rule that Romania's own visa portal still lists for Indian citizens. This guide starts there, then walks through what the official lists say about flights, what the border officer at Otopeni can ask, and when a held reservation is the right document. Everything below is taken from Romanian government or EU pages, linked in the Sources list at the end.

Romania visa key facts

Who needs a visa for Romania?

If you hold an Indian passport, you need one. Romania follows the EU visa list, and the e-Viza portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs puts India on it.^[3] Since 2024 Romania issues the same uniform Schengen visa as Germany or Italy, so one sticker covers Romania and the rest of the area for up to 90 days in any 180.^[6]

Two shortcuts are worth knowing. First, if a different Schengen country is your main destination and you are just adding a few days in Bucharest, apply to that country; its visa lets you into Romania too. Second, the reverse applies. A Romanian Schengen visa lets you travel on to the rest of the area, but the portal reminds applicants to ask the country of the main destination.^[6] Our which-country-to-apply guide works through mixed trips.

Passport holders from countries on the EU visa-free list (for example the UK, the US or Japan) do not need a visa for short stays. Gulf residents who hold Indian, Pakistani or other visa-required passports still need one, applied for where they legally live.

The Romanian invitation rule: check this first

This is the part most travel blogs skip. The e-Viza list marks India with an asterisk. The footnote says citizens of those states can apply "only on the basis of an invitation" approved by the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI), shown in original when you file a short-stay application.^[3]

The tourism checklist explains how it works. For a tourist visa, the invitation comes from a Romanian company with a tourism licence, which files it at an IGI office. IGI has up to 45 days to decide, extendable by 15. Groups of at least 20 booked through members of Romania's national travel agency association get a 30-day decision. Once approved, you have 30 days to lodge the visa application.^[4]

There are exemptions, and many Indian travellers fall into one. The portal says the invitation is not needed for, among others:^[4]

• holders of a valid residence permit from an EU, EEA or Schengen state;
• holders of a valid residence permit from a country whose citizens are visa-free for the EU;
• people with visas from EU, EEA or Schengen states in their passport, or from countries whose citizens need no EU visa (in that case the Romanian visa cannot run longer than that visa);
• spouses, parents and minor children of Romanian citizens, and certain family of foreigners living lawfully in Romania.

In plain terms: if you already hold, say, a valid US or UK visa, or a used Schengen visa still in date, read the exemption list carefully before you chase an invitation. You prove an exemption with documents, and being exempt does not remove any other item on the checklist.

What do Romania's checklists say about flights?

There are three relevant pieces of wording on the e-Viza "supporting documents" page, and they do not all ask for the same thing.^[4]

• General list (all applicants): under evidence of your intention to leave, the first item reads "rezervarea sau existența unui bilet de întoarcere sau a unui bilet dus-întors". That is: a reservation, or possession of a return ticket or a round-trip ticket.
• Tourism (C/TU): no flight line at all. It asks for an accommodation "voucher sau rezervare fermă" (a voucher or firm booking), a travel itinerary if you want more than one entry, money, insurance and, for drivers, car papers.
• Visit (C/VV) and business (C/A): a line headed "BILET DE CALATORIE" reading "Biletul de avion valabil până la destinaţie", an air ticket valid to the destination.

So which applies to you? For tourism, a reservation fits the general list exactly, because the word "rezervarea" comes first. For a family visit or business trip, the wording names a ticket rather than a reservation. A reservation may still be accepted in practice, but we can't promise that, and nor can anyone else. If you are applying for C/VV or C/A, ask the centre whether a reservation will do. Where the answer is no, buy a refundable fare.

The full document list, in the order an officer reads it

Here is the tourism file as the portal lays it out, with the official source behind each line.^[4]

The portal adds two handling rules that trip people up. Documents must be in Romanian or English, translated by an authorised translator if not. And you bring originals plus copies to the in-person appointment.^[7]

Romania timing: the application window and the reservation date

Brussels lets you lodge the file as early as six months out and as late as day 15 before the flight; a normal decision takes 15 days.^[9] The e-Viza home page still says to apply at least two weeks before travel and no more than three months ahead.^[7] If you need an IGI invitation, start much earlier, since its own decision can take 45 days.

The reservation should be one of the last things you arrange. A reservation from us holds for up to two weeks; how long exactly is the airline's call. Say your appointment is on 18 November: book on the 15th or 16th, check it on the airline's site the evening before, and take the printout with you. Booking it in October "to be safe" only means it may have lapsed by the time the officer looks.

Routes into Romania, and where you actually enter Schengen

Bucharest Henri Coandă airport (code OTP, usually called Otopeni) is where most visitors land. Flying from India means at least one change of plane, and that change decides where your passport is checked.

• Connect outside Schengen (a Gulf hub or Istanbul, for example): you enter Schengen at Bucharest, and the Romanian border police check you there.
• Connect inside Schengen (say Vienna, Munich or Frankfurt): you enter Schengen at that hub. Its officer checks your visa and may ask about the trip, and the flight to Bucharest is then an internal one.

Either way, your reservation should show the full route as you mean to fly it. Our multi-city sample below happens to include a Vienna to Bucharest leg; it shows how each segment, date and booking reference appear on one document.

A note on airport transit. The e-Viza list also flags India with "(1)", meaning Romania counts it among nationalities that need an airport transit visa to change planes at a Romanian airport.^[3] That only matters if you route through Bucharest to a country outside Schengen. Our transit visa guide covers how exemptions usually work.

What happens at the Romanian border?

A visa gets you to the desk; it does not guarantee entry. The e-Viza "conditions of entry" page says officers may ask how long you'll stay and why, and that the visa's validity and your earlier Schengen days are both checked against the 90/180 rule.^[8] You must also be able to show money for the stay and for your return or onward journey, and give biometrics for the EU Entry/Exit System when asked.^[8]

The same page recommends carrying copies of the documents you used for the visa, such as the invitation or the confirmation of your trip.^[8] Before departure, swap the reservation for a paid ticket home. Keep the original reservation in your folder too, so an officer can see that the plan didn't change.

Held reservation or paid ticket: which fits your Romanian application?

How to prepare the flight part of your Romania file

1. Settle the invitation question. Exempt or not? If not, the IGI process sets your timeline.
2. Fix the dates. Pick entry and exit dates that sit inside your hotel booking and insurance.
3. Choose the route you'd really fly. Show the hub, so the officer can see where you enter Schengen.
4. Reserve 48 to 72 hours ahead of the appointment. Enter every name as printed in the passport.
5. Verify it. On the carrier's website, enter the PNR plus your last name under "Manage booking". Our verification guide shows each step.
6. Describe it honestly. Your cover letter should use the words "flight reservation". See cover letter and flight itinerary.
7. Buy the real fare after the visa. Keep both documents for the border.

What we charge, per traveller, for one-way or return routes:

A multi-city plan is charged that amount for every two legs; see the price page. Indian customers can use UPI; cards and netbanking also work, all processed by Razorpay. Follow your order on the tracking page.

Romania visa and flight reservation: common questions

Is a held flight booking enough for a Romanian tourist visa?

For tourism, yes, on the official wording. The general list on Romania's e-Viza portal asks for "a reservation" or a return or round-trip ticket, and the tourism list itself has no separate flight line. Make sure the reservation is genuine, matches your hotel and insurance dates, and is still live on the day you submit. The consulate makes the final call.

Do Indians need an invitation for a Romanian visa?

The e-Viza portal marks India for the invitation procedure, meaning an IGI-approved invitation unless you are exempt. Key exemptions include holding a valid visa from an EU, EEA or Schengen state, or from a visa-free country such as the US or UK. Confirm with the Embassy in New Delhi, because parts of the portal are dated.

Is my Schengen visa from another country valid for Romania?

Yes. Since Romania joined Schengen, a uniform visa issued by any member state lets you visit Romania within the visa's dates and the 90/180 rule. Visas Romania issued before 31 March 2024 were national visas and did not work this way. Apply to the country where you will spend most of your trip.

How long is the reservation valid?

Up to two weeks at most, and each airline fixes its own hold period. Hence our advice to book in the final days before the appointment. If your appointment moves, book a fresh one closer to the new date instead of hoping the old hold survives.

Should I buy a ticket for a family visit visa?

The visit (C/VV) list names an air ticket valid to the destination. A reservation may be accepted, but the wording doesn't say so. Ask your application centre before you submit. If they want a paid ticket, pick a fare you can cancel or change, so a refusal costs you little.

What do Romanian border police check?

Your passport, visa, earlier Schengen days, purpose of stay and money for the stay and the trip home. The e-Viza page suggests carrying copies of your visa documents. By then you should hold a paid ticket for your return or onward flight, since the visa stage is over.

Can I travel to Bulgaria from Romania on the same visa?

Yes, both are full Schengen members, so a valid uniform visa covers both. Every day spent in either country counts toward the same 90-day allowance, so add them up before you book. The border between the two no longer has routine passport checks, which makes a combined trip by road or rail straightforward. See our Bulgaria visa guide for that country's own wording.

Related country guides: Bulgaria, Slovakia and Cyprus. Shared Schengen rules are in our Schengen visa guide, and the country table is on requirements by country. New to this? Start with flight reservation for visa or the home page.

Sources

All sources last checked: October 2026. Translations from Romanian are our own.

1. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, Schengen area.
2. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, Bulgaria and Romania join the Schengen area (January 2025).
3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, e-Viza, Nationalities that need a visa to cross the external borders (in Romanian).
4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, e-Viza, Documents required for a visa application (in Romanian).
5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, e-Viza, Visa fees (in Romanian).
6. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, e-Viza, Q&A: Schengen (in Romanian).
7. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, E-Viza portal home page.
8. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, e-Viza, Conditions of entry (in Romanian).
9. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, Applying for a Schengen visa.