Romanian citizens can travel to 178 destinations without obtaining a visa in advance, placing the country’s passport in 11th place in the Henley Passport Index, which measures travel freedom.

Last year, Romania had the 15th strongest passport in the world, and the 13th in 2024, although each place is shared with other countries. The 11th place obtained in 2026 is Romania’s best-ever result. Romania is just behind the United States, which ranks 10th with access to 179 destinations.

For Romanian citizens, this means access to more than 86% of the world’s destinations without needing a visa in advance. In 2006, the country was in the 34th place. 

Interim interior minister Catalin Predoiu highlighted the result in a message on Facebook. "This development is the result of a national effort, supported by European integration, the development of international partnerships, and the strengthening of state institutions,” he said.

“The Ministry of Internal Affairs contributes directly through the security of travel documents, border management at Schengen standards, combating illegal migration and cross-border crime, as well as through permanent police cooperation with European and international partners," he added.

Predoiu emphasized that every secure travel document, every better-protected border, and every completed international operation strengthen confidence in Romania and the freedom of movement of Romanian citizens.

Among the visa-free destinations for Romanians are all EU and Schengen member states (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), the United Kingdom, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Moldova, Ukraine, Turkey, Japan, China, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Thailand, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Tunisia, and Hong Kong.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Akeksandr Berdyugin|Dreamstime.com)