U.S. Suspends Romania’s Visa Waiver Program Entry
President Trump revokes Romania’s Visa Waiver Program inclusion days before its launch, forcing travelers to obtain visas and raising tensions over security concerns.
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows travelers from participating countries to visit the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without obtaining a traditional visa—only an ESTA is required. It serves as a vital facilitator of cross-border exchanges and a potential economic driver, particularly for tourism.
In January 2025, shortly before President Donald Trump’s second term began, the Biden administration added Romania to the list of VWP-eligible countries, making it the 43rd member and the fourth added under Biden’s tenure, following Croatia, Israel, and Qatar.
The decision followed Romania’s fulfillment of strict security criteria, including ongoing partnerships with U.S. law enforcement to share information on terrorism and serious crimes. Implementation had been scheduled for March 31, 2025.
Reversal by the Trump administration
However, the Biden-era inclusion faced swift reversal. In March 2025, the Trump administration announced it would review Romania’s inclusion in the program, stating that it would do so "in accordance with the administration’s emphasis on securing the Homeland
By late March 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it was pausing VWP implementation for Romania to conduct a new security assessment. The DHS later concluded that revoking Romania’s designation was necessary to maintain the program’s integrity and ensure border and immigration security. The department cited "security concerns" in its decision.
On May 2, 2025, the Trump administration officially revoked Romania’s VWP admission in a DHS announcement that criticized the Biden administration’s initial decision. This move came just days before Romania’s presidential election run-off.
Acting DHS Secretary announcing the suspension of Romania from joining the Visa Waiver Program.
Impact on Romanian travelers
The immediate consequence of the revocation is that Romanian citizens must once again obtain a visa to travel to the United States. The process, which can take months and costs around $185, adds bureaucratic hurdles and may discourage some travelers.
This creates an imbalance in travel arrangements between the two countries, as American citizens remain eligible to visit Romania for similar durations without a visa. Travel industry experts anticipate a notable decline in Romanian travel to the U.S., potentially affecting airlines and tourism sectors serving this route.
Political timing amidst Romania’s turbulent election
The U.S. decision coincides with a politically volatile period in Romania. The announcement came just two days before the country’s presidential election run-off—a redo of the previous year’s annulled vote.
The initially annulled election had been won in a first round by Călin Georgescu, an ultranationalist with little public profile, amid allegations of illegal campaign activity and alleged Russian interference. Analysts describe the current election cycle as one of the most tumultuous in Romania’s post-communist history.
While the DHS did not explicitly cite the election in its decision, critics noted the timing. U.S. Vice President JD Vance had publicly criticized Romania in February for annulling the original presidential election.
Some Romanian political figures have commented on the situation in an electoral context. George Simion, a far-right presidential candidate who describes himself as a Trumpist and was expected to lead the first round of voting, predicted that the visa requirement for Romanians would soon be lifted, stating it would happen "once we restore democracy." Simion had met with DHS officials in Washington the previous month.
Despite the revocation, the DHS indicated that Romania "may be reconsidered" for VWP membership "in the future, should it meet the statutory eligibility criteria."
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed regret over the U.S. decision, asserting that Romania meets all visa-waiver requirements. The ministry called the move a "political decision within U.S. discretion reflecting current administration priorities."
It added that the Romanian government plans to continue working with the Trump administration and hopes a newly elected president "could present the best moment for our country to ask our U.S. partners to reconsider Romania’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program as soon as possible."
