The United States has officially withdrawn its invitation to Romania to join the Visa Waiver programme, which was approved by former President Joe Biden in January 2025.
According to the US Department of Homeland Security, the decision was made on 2 May in coordination with the State Department “to protect the integrity of VWP and ensure border and immigration security”.
Romania was to become the 43rd country whose citizens could travel to the US without a visa for up to 90 days. The invitation was issued on 9 January, less than two weeks before the end of the Biden administration.
In an official statement, Assistant Secretary of State Tricia McLaughlin stressed that the United States “highly values the partnership with Romania” and did not rule out that the issue would be revisited in the future.
At the same time, the Romanian government asked Washington to explain the reasons for this step, stressing the need for equal treatment of Romanian citizens, who, according to Bucharest, “deserve the same rights as other US allies”.
