Romania's inclusion in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program is seen in Romania as a formidable act of friendship on the part of the United States, which comes to strengthen the two countries' shared commitment to transatlantic security and prosperity, Romania's ambassador in Washington Andrei Muraru told a ceremony organized on Friday at the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to mark this moment, Agerpres reports.
"On behalf of my country, of the Romanian institutions and of all those who believed in this dream, we welcome today's success and the exemplary way in which our teams have made it come true," Muraru said as cited in a statement released on Saturday on the embassy's Facebook page.
During the ceremony, which was attended by representatives of the U.S. Homeland Security and State Departments, and of the Romanian Embassy in Washington, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas congratulated Romania on this successful journey and commended the consistency and remarkable effort of the Romanian side to perform at the high standards set by the American program."The way we worked together with our Romanian colleagues has set a model for the partnerships we will establish in the future within the Visa Waiver Program. Romania's joining the program benefits both countries and we are very proud of the success of this effort," Mayorkas said, as cited in the statement.
Having determined that the requirements set out in U.S. law have been fully met, the American authorities have granted Romania the privileged status of Visa Waiver Program participating country, meaning that as of March 31, 2025, Romanian citizens will be able to travel to the United States through a simplified procedure, without the need for a visa.