Romania Visa from Dubai: eVisa, the Dubai Consulate, Fees and Documents

The short answer: Emiratis don't need a visa for Romania: they can stay up to 90 days in any 180. Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals living in the UAE need a Schengen visa, because Romania has been a full member of the Schengen area since 1 January 2025. You apply online on Romania's eVisa portal, then hand in your documents and attend an interview at the Consulate General of Romania in Dubai, which handles visas for residents of every emirate. There is no VFS or BLS centre for Romania in the UAE. The visa fee is EUR 90 for adults, and the consulate advises starting three months before you travel.

Bucharest, the medieval towns and castles of Transylvania, and the painted monasteries of Bucovina are why most UAE residents go. Romania now issues Schengen visas, so a Romanian visa also covers the other Schengen countries, as long as Romania is your main destination.

Romania visa for UAE residents at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Emirati passport	No visa, up to 90 days in any 180
India, Pakistan, Philippines, Egypt, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka	Schengen visa before travel
Schengen member	Fully since 1 January 2025
Where to apply	Online on evisa.mae.ro, then in person at the Consulate General of Romania in Al Safa 2, Dubai, for residents of every emirate
Visa fee	EUR 90 adults, EUR 45 children aged 6 to 11, free under 6
Appointment	Free, sent by email after the consulate checks your online application
Processing	Up to 21 days after your interview, according to the consulate
Start	About 3 months before you travel

Who needs a visa for Romania

Whether you need a visa depends on your passport. UAE citizens have been able to visit the Schengen area without a visa since May 2015, and that has covered Romania since it joined: first for air and sea travel on 31 March 2024, then fully on 1 January 2025. Emiratis will need the EU's ETIAS travel authorisation once it starts; it hasn't yet, and the EU says it will announce the date several months ahead.

Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals need a Schengen visa, and so do most other nationalities living in the UAE. EU rules say you apply in the country where you legally live, so UAE residents apply in the UAE, not at home.

Apply to Romania if it is your main destination, where you spend the most nights. Five nights in Bucharest and Brașov and two in Budapest is a Romanian application; the reverse is a Hungarian one. See our Schengen visa guide for how the rule works. If you already hold a valid Schengen visa from another Schengen country, you can visit Romania on it, within its dates and its days.

A short-stay visa never lets you work. A job in Romania needs a work permit that your employer gets from Romania's General Inspectorate for Immigration, then a long-stay work visa from the consulate. The consulate says most of the applications it receives are for work visas, which is one reason appointments take time.

How to apply from Dubai or Abu Dhabi

1. Fill in the online application on Romania's eVisa portal, evisa.mae.ro, choosing the Consulate General in Dubai, and upload your documents. Documents must be in Romanian or English, or translated by an authorised translator.
2. Wait for your appointment email. The consulate checks the online file first, then emails an appointment date. It says this usually takes a few working days, but 20 to 45 days in busy periods, and that the interview itself can be two to six weeks later in summer and at the end of the year. Appointments are free, and the consulate warns that no third party can guarantee one, or a visa.
3. Attend your interview at the consulate in Villa 8, 16A Street, Al Safa 2, Dubai. Applications and interviews run Monday to Thursday, 10am to 2pm. Bring the originals and copies of everything you uploaded, and pay the visa fee. The interview is in English; if you don't speak English, bring a translator.
4. Wait for the decision by email. The consulate emails the result once Romania's authorities have decided, and asks applicants not to call or email to chase it. Passports are handed back from 2pm to 3pm.

The Romanian Embassy in Abu Dhabi moved all its consular work to the Dubai consulate in March 2017, so Abu Dhabi and Al Ain residents apply in Dubai too. The consulate moved to its building in Al Safa 2 in 2021. Some directories, including the European Commission's consular directory, still give its old address, Villa 44 on Street 12b in Jumeirah 1: go to Villa 8, 16A Street, Al Safa 2 (Community 357), the address Romania's foreign ministry and the consulate give.

Documents

The eVisa portal shows the list for your visa type when you apply. For a tourist or family visit, UAE residents are usually asked for:

• Passport issued within the last ten years, with at least two blank pages, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen area
• Recent passport photos on a white background
• Your UAE residence visa and Emirates ID. Romania doesn't publish a minimum validity for tourists; plan on at least three months beyond your return date, which is what most Schengen states ask.
• The completed eVisa application
• Return flight reservation
• Proof of accommodation: a hotel booking for every night, or an invitation if you stay with family or friends
• Proof of your work: a letter from your employer or NOC and salary certificate, or your trade licence if you own a business
• Bank statements, usually for the last three to six months
• Travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 of cover for the whole Schengen area and your whole stay, including repatriation

The consulate's visa page also says Pakistani nationals need a polio vaccination certificate, even if they haven't travelled recently, and that the vaccine is available at Ministry of Health clinics.

Visiting family or friends

Your host in Romania writes an invitation that covers your stay. For Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Egyptian and Sri Lankan nationals, the invitation is reported to need approval first from the General Inspectorate for Immigration in Romania, which can take 45 to 60 days. Your host applies for it there. Ask the consulate before you rely on a notarised invitation alone, and start this step before you book flights.

How much money you need to show

The consulate's tourism visa page asks for EUR 50 for each day of your stay, and at least EUR 500 in total, even for a short trip. If a host covers your costs, their invitation says so.

Fees and processing time

• Visa fee: EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11, the Schengen-wide fee since June 2024. Children under 6 pay nothing. Romania doesn't publish its dirham amount; other Schengen missions in the UAE charged about AED 365 to 376 for EUR 90 in October 2026.
• Service charge: none. You apply at the consulate directly, so there is no visa centre in between.
• Processing: up to 21 days from your interview for a short-stay visa, according to the consulate's contact page, and longer if Romania's authorities need more checks.

The waits before the interview are what make the three-month advice sensible: the appointment email, then the interview date, then the decision. Romania's eVisa portal says you lodge an application no more than three months and no less than two weeks before you travel. Fees aren't refunded if you are refused.

At the border

Since April 2026, Romania and every other Schengen country register non-EU visitors in the EU's Entry/Exit System. On your first trip since it started, you give fingerprints and a photo at passport control instead of getting a stamp.

Flights from the UAE

• flydubai flies non-stop from Dubai to Bucharest, twice a day as of its last route announcement, in about five and a half hours. Emirates sells seats on the same flights. A flydubai and TAROM partnership connects onward to other Romanian cities on one ticket.
• Wizz Air suspended its UAE flights in 2026 and has announced a return; part of its Abu Dhabi restart has been pushed back to January 2027.

Flights between the UAE and Europe were disrupted for much of 2026, so check your flight with the airline before you book, and make sure the reservation you submit matches your application dates.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I apply for a Romania visa in Dubai?

Online on Romania's eVisa portal, then in person at the Consulate General of Romania in Al Safa 2, Dubai. It handles visas for residents of every emirate, and there is no VFS or BLS centre for Romania in the UAE.

Do Abu Dhabi residents apply at the Romanian Embassy?

No. The embassy moved all consular services to the Dubai consulate in March 2017, so Abu Dhabi and Al Ain residents apply in Dubai too.

How long does a Romania visa take from Dubai?

Up to 21 days after your interview, according to the consulate. Getting the appointment and the interview can take weeks more, so start about three months before you travel.

Can I enter Romania with a Schengen visa from another country?

Yes. Romania has been a full Schengen member since 1 January 2025, so a valid Schengen visa from another Schengen country covers it, within the visa's dates and days. Apply to Romania itself if it is your main destination.

How much bank balance do I need for a Romania visa?

The consulate asks for EUR 50 a day of your stay, and at least EUR 500 in total. Bring bank statements for the last three to six months.

Do Emiratis need a visa for Romania?

No. UAE citizens can visit Romania without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180. They will need an ETIAS travel authorisation once the EU starts it.

Planning a trip to Romania

Five days covers Bucharest with a day trip to Peleș Castle in Sinaia; a week adds Brașov, Bran and Sibiu in Transylvania. Budapest is a short flight away and in Schengen too, so one visa covers both. See our Schengen visa services for help preparing your Romania application, browse holiday packages, or talk to us about flights and hotels.

Related guides

• Schengen visa for UAE residents
• Hungary visa from Dubai
• Greece visa from Dubai
• Serbia visa for UAE residents

Last checked 9 October 2026 against the websites of the Consulate General of Romania in Dubai and the Embassy of Romania in Abu Dhabi, Romania's eVisa portal, the EU Council decisions on Romania joining Schengen, the EU Visa Code and fee regulation, the European Commission's ETIAS page, eu-LISA on the Entry/Exit System, flydubai's announcements and airline reports. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements with the Consulate General of Romania in Dubai before you apply.