The Romanian government on Thursday urged Romanians to renew their expired US visas as part of efforts to join the Visa Waiver Program, which allows visa-free travel to the United States, euractiv.com informs. The campaign, entitled “Qualify Romania in the Visa Waiver Program”, will be promoted through TV, radio and online platforms. Romanians with visas that have expired in the last four years are encouraged to renew them by 30 September. The Romanian authorities aim to meet the technical criteria required to join the programme before the end of the US fiscal year 2024. A key criterion is to achieve a refusal rate of less than 3% for US B1/B2 visas – business and tourist visas – issued to Romanian citizens during this fiscal year. Romanians, Bulgarians, and Cypriots are the only EU citizens still needing a visa to enter the US. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu believes mobilising as many Romanians as possible for this campaign will enable visa-free travel to the US starting next year. There are indications that Romania is close to meeting the 3% refusal rate. This campaign serves as a “safety net” to ensure that all previous efforts are not in vain, according to Valentin Vatajelu, the national coordinator for Romania’s accession to the Visa Waiver Program. Last month, Romanian Ambassador to the U.S., Andrei Muraru, announced that Romania is in the final stages of meeting the Visa Waiver Program’s admission criteria. He noted that the rejection rate for the last fiscal year, ending October 1, 2023, was over 8%, but expressed optimism that it could fall below 3% this year. The US Embassy has issued a substantial number of visas this year, with estimates approaching 50,000 to 60,000. Muraru mentioned in an interview with Agerpres that there is ”a high volume of applications from both private and governmental sectors, and we have a very good chance”.
While half of Romanian households manage to save money each month, 57% of these savings are kept in cash, according to the 2024 Debt Barometer, a study conducted by IRES in partnership with KRUK Romania. The research looks at financial habits, spending priorities, and debt payments, highlighting a pressing need for economic education and tailored […]
Romania’s national football team defeated Cyprus, 4-1 (2-0), on Monday, November 18, and consolidated its position as leader in Group C2 of the Nations League. The match began in Bucharest’s National Arena, and Romania scored immediately through forward Daniel Bîrligea. Cyprus responded with their own attacks but Romania scored again right before halftime. Back on […]
In an official statement marking 1,000 days since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, US ambassador to Bucharest Kathleen Kavalec said the United States and Romania "stand together to counter the threats posed by Russia in Ukraine and in Europe" and thanked Romania for its support for Ukraine and its citizens. "Romania has shown […]
Radiology and dental tomography network DigiRay has acquired the three Maraffka clinics in Ploiești, a city 60 km north of Bucharest. This is DigiRay's third acquisition after buying the Dental Scan centers in Bucharest in 2021 and YTS Dental View in Oradea, in northern Romania, this year. DigiRay (Clinică Dentară S.A) was founded in 2011 […]
BeeFast, the Romanian tech startup specializing in instant delivery management solutions, announces securing a USD 450,000 investment. The funds will be used to accelerate BeeFast's international expansion and further develop its SaaS (software as a service) platform, which is revolutionizing the way companies manage their ultra-fast delivery fleets. Amid a consistent and organic increase in […]
A new online tool allows the location of Romanian passenger trains, Profit.ro reported. On the Bilete.infofer.ro platform, under the heading "My train/Trenul meu," one can track the position...
