Romania: Authorities to ease COVID-19-related domestic restrictions from May 15 /update 19

Romania to ease COVID-19-related domestic restrictions from May 15; international entry measures remain largely unchanged since mid-April.

Event

Authorities in Romania plan to ease the nation's domestic COVID-19-related restrictions following a significant decrease in infection rates. On May 15, authorities will lift the nightly curfew and the requirement on wearing a facemask in outdoor areas; facemasks will remain mandatory in crowded areas such as fairs, markets, or public transport stations. In addition, authorities will allow retail businesses to operate during normal working hours. Furthermore, spectators will be allowed to attend outdoor sporting events up to 25 percent of venue capacity. Authorities have also indicated plans to relax restrictions on indoor gatherings from June 1.

Authorities have extended the state of alert and some other COVID-19 restrictions until at least June 11. The following measures remain in place as of May 13:

Public gatherings of more than six people are prohibited.
In areas where the COVID-19 incidence rate is below 3 per 1,000 inhabitants, catering establishments and cultural and entertainment venues are permitted to operate provided they comply with strict hygiene and social distancing requirements.
Cultural centers, including museums, galleries, and libraries, are permitted to reopen subject to hygiene and social distancing requirements.
Facemasks are mandatory in all indoor public spaces.

Romanian officials include regional infection rates in their daily press releases on the government's official COVID-19 news website; as of May 13, Bucharest has an infection rate of around 1.4 per 1,000.

International Entry Restrictions
Under most circumstances, only travelers from European Economic Area (EEA) and EU countries are permitted to enter Romania. Exceptions are in place for family members of EEA citizens and residents, individuals traveling for essential work or study, individuals in transit, and individuals traveling for urgent reasons. Authorities keep and regularly update a list of "high-risk" countries. The list of high-risk countries includes Estonia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Cyprus, Sweden, France, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Turkey, and the Netherlands, among others.

Permitted individuals arriving from countries not included on the list of high-risk areas can enter without restriction. Individuals arriving from high-risk countries must provide a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken within the previous 72 hours and self-isolate for 14 days on arrival; this can be reduced to 10 days by testing negative for COVID-19 on day eight of self-isolation. Cross-border workers, transport workers, and individuals in transit remaining in Romania for less than 24 hours are exempt from the quarantine requirements. Individuals who can present proof they have received a full course of vaccination against COVID-19 no less than 10 days ago or have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 and recovered in the previous 90 days are also exempt from the quarantine requirements.

Authorities could reimpose, extend, further ease, or otherwise amend any restrictions with little-to-no notice depending on disease activity over the coming weeks.

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions.