Good news for anyone planning a flight to Bulgaria or Romania: From March 31 onwards, there will be no more passport checks for people flying in from other Schengen area states. What does this mean for travellers? First and foremost, it will save time at the airports - for example for anyone on holiday at the Black Sea coast and flying to Burgas or Varna, as there is one less queue to join before take-off and after landing. Does this mean I don't need a passport? No. There is still a requirement to carry a valid passport or identity card when leaving and re-entering countries within the Schengen area. Even in the Schengen area, countries can carry out spot checks under certain conditions - which is another reason why it is always advisable to have identification with you. What if I'm not flying and crossing a land border into Bulgaria or Romania instead? The end of passport checks only impacts internal air and sea borders. Anyone travelling by car or coach from another Schengen state, for example from Hungary to Romania or Bulgaria to Greece, will still have to show their passport. During busy holiday periods, you can even expect to have to wait several hours at the border before being checked. The Schengen area is intended to guarantee the unrestricted movement of people in Europe. Border checks between the 27 Schengen members are largely suspended allowing people to travel, work and live in another member country without visas or permits. So far, 23 of the 27 EU member states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are part of the Schengen area. Romania and Bulgaria had been waiting to join Schengen since 2011. Apart from Bulgaria and Romania, Ireland and Cyprus are the only EU countries that are not part of the Schengen area. (Source:https://www.dpa.com/en/international-news)
The private medical sector is also making waves in real estate, according to an analysis by iO Partners, which says that major chains of private clinics and hospitals in Bucharest currently occupy spaces totaling over 215,000 sqm. About 40% of this area, equivalent to 86,000 sqm, comprises spaces leased in modern office buildings, often strategically […]
Romanian emotions/emoții românești, a special temporary exhibition on wildlife in Romania, opens this week at the Antipa Museum in Bucharest. The opening of the show, which features 30 images captured by photographer Rareș Beșliu, is scheduled for Thursday, May 16. The images are part of the emotions/emoții photobook, where readers...
Romania, one of the main source countries for victims of human trafficking in Europe, launched this week a new national strategy to tackle the phenomenon over the 2024-2028 period. According to prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, who was present at the launch on May 13, roughly 500 Romanians fall victim to human trafficking each year. "Unfortunately, […]
Primark announced plans to open its fourth store in Romania in 2025, in Cluj-Napoca. This will be the fashion retailer’s first location in the northwest region of the country. The new store will cover 3,700 square meters across two floors in Vivo! Shopping Center. Maciej Podwojski, Head of CEE at Primark, said: “It’s an exciting […]
American singer Jason Derulo will headline the VIBE Festival in Targu Mures, which will take place July 4-7, according to the organizers. Dubfire, Traumer, Alan Fitzpatrick, and many other international stars will also be on stage. The festival, now at its sixth edition, will take place on the banks of the Mures River and will […]
Freedom. Memories 1954-2021, the long-awaited memoirs covering the personal and public career of Germany’s former chancellor, Angela Merkel, is to be published in more than 30 countries on November 26, including in Romania. Cora Radulian signs the translation from German. According to local publishing house Litera, the 700-page book is already available for pre-order online, on […]
