By the end of 2017, citizens of Romania and Bulgaria will no longer need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) in order to visit Canada. The development was referenced in the EU-Canada Summit Joint Declaration, which was released over the weekend. Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos hailed the move as “an important moment” for Romanian citizens, as well as for business people.
The government of Canada plans on removing the visa requirement in two stages, partially from May 1, 2017, and fully from December 1, 2017.
The first stage of visa liberalisation between the countries will allow Romanian and Bulgarian citizens who had previously been issued a TRV within the past 10 years to enter Canada without needing to apply for another visa. Instead, citizens of these countries will be asked to obtain an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), Canada’s new system for pre-screening visitors from visa-exempt countries.
As of December 1, 2017, all Romanian and Bulgarian citizens will join the ranks of people around the world who are not required to obtain a TRV to enter Canada.
The EU-Canada Summit Joint Declaration states, ‘We welcome and recognize the value of enhanced mobility, including through visa-free travel between the European Union and Canada for all of our respective citizens, as envisaged in the Canada-EU SPA. The decision of Canada to lift, in late 2017, visa requirements for all Bulgarian and Romanian citizens will further facilitate the strong cultural, educational, family and business relations that exist between Canada and Europe.’
For his part, the Romanian PM Ciolos stated that “This is an important moment to Romania, and not only because access opens for Romanian nationals to the benefits of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada(CETA), but also because this way the last discrimination against Romanian nationals in relation with the other EU citizens is repealed when it comes to border-free travel to Canada.
“I also believe that the visa liberalisation will generate significant opportunities for Romanian businesspeople seeking to develop projects with Canadian counterparts. I want to thank Mr Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his personal involvement in negotiating this objective of Romania and for his openness showed in our discussions this year on lifting the visa requirements,” Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos added.
Earlier this year, Canada lifted a similar requirement on citizens of Mexico.
To learn more, review our comprehensive electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) FAQ.
