Romanian Parliament opens the way to granting non-EU citizens the right to drive

Romania’s Chamber of Deputies adopted an emergency ordinance on Wednesday, December 3, regulating the right to drive motor vehicles on public roads for persons who hold a driving license issued by a state that is not a member of the European Union.

The normative act creates the legal premises for granting the right to drive in Romania, without the condition of holding an international driving license, according to Agerpres. It primarily targets citizens of NATO and OECD states, but also states with which Romania has a strategic partnership.

The right will be given under conditions of reciprocity and for a determined period, to persons who hold a national driving license issued by the authorities of a state that is neither a member of the Convention on Road Traffic nor a member of the European Union, or with which Romania has not concluded a treaty regarding the mutual recognition of driving licenses.

According to the draft, both the driving periods and the states of the issuing authorities of the driving licenses will be established by government decision, from among the following: states with which Romania has strategic partnerships, states that are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The draft also targets granting the right to drive motor vehicles on public roads for members of diplomatic missions, consular offices, and representations of international organizations accredited in Romania, for the duration of their accreditation.

“Holders of national driving licenses issued by the authorities of other states may drive on the territory of Romania, for a determined period, if they also hold a valid passport issued by that state,” the ordinance states.

The normative act was also adopted by the Senate, and the Chamber of Deputies is the decision-making body in this case.

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