Chinese passport · Romania · Schengen C visa

Romania Schengen Visa 2026: Interactive Guide for Chinese Passport Holders

Romania has been a full Schengen member since 1 January 2025. A uniform C visa issued by Romania is in principle valid across the whole Schengen Area — within the sticker's validity, entries and duration, and the 90/180 ceiling (LTV visas excepted).

Rules verified on 17 September 2026. Informational page, not legal advice; the consul decides.

The consul decides everything: the list below systematises the EU harmonised list for China. The consul may ask for more or waive items (Visa Code Art. 14(6) / Art. 21(8)). Before lodging, check the MFA and mission websites.

Step 1: routing — where do you lodge?

Three questions determine competence. Any answer landing in “special case” means: ask official channels, do not use this checklist.

Question 1: is Romania the sole destination or the longest stop of this Schengen trip?

Pick one. Rule: sole destination → that state; longest stay → that state; equal days → first-entry state (European Commission page).

Question 2: which consular district holds your legal residence?

Pick one. Verify districts on the mission sites. Hong Kong and Macao appear in neither published district, and there is no representation arrangement — contact the Beijing consular section.

Question 3: purpose of travel?

Pick one. This checklist covers only tourism, business and family-visit C visas; the rest below.

Routing verdict: answer all three. Without scripts, judge yourself: (Romania competent + Beijing/Shanghai + tourism/business/family) leads to step 2; otherwise see special cases.

Special cases (outside this checklist)

Lodge elsewhere: another Schengen state with the longest stay (or first entry at equal days) — this list does not apply.
Hong Kong, Macao, abroad: no Romanian mission and no representation arrangement (MFA list: Angola, DR Congo, Sri Lanka etc.). Ask Beijing.
D visa: orientation only — a D visa authorises long stay only in Romania but allows 90/180 short visits elsewhere in Schengen (EU Immigration Portal).
Everything else: work, study, diplomatic/service passports, EU/EEA/Swiss family, airport transit, cascade, LTV visas, fee waivers — official channels.

Step 2: your baseline document list

From the EU harmonised list for China, C(2024) 6135. Baseline means the consul may add or waive. Pick a profile; without scripts the full baseline shows.

Passport: valid beyond the trip, recently issued, blank pages (Borders Code: issued within 10 years).
Form: filled online in eViza, then lodged in person with originals.
Photo: 35×45 mm, white background (harmonised Schengen standard). Note: 3×4 cm is the dead national-visa format — do not use it.
Hukou (户口本): all used pages. Harmonised list: no translation needed.
Bank statements: last 3 months showing flows (not just a deposit certificate).
Employer letter (在职证明): in English, or Chinese+English; stamp + signature, company contacts, name/title/salary/seniority, leave approval.
Business licence copy (营业执照): as required by the harmonised list.
Retirement + pension proof.
Spouse employment/income + marriage notary WITH Apostille: spouse's job and income proof; marriage notarised with a Chinese MFA Apostille (附加证明书； Hague Convention in force for China since 7 Nov 2023).
Student card + school letter.
Family-relation notary WITH Apostille; travelling alone/with one parent needs a travel-consent notary too.
Tourism pieces: round-trip reservation + whole-stay accommodation + travel programme.
Business invitation + solvency: Romanian invitation (programme, cost bearer, return guarantee) + company solvency; work-permit cases separate.
Family ties + invitation: kinship proof + Romanian invitation (consul may ask for more).
Travel medical insurance: minimum COVER €30,000 (cover, not premium), whole trip. The “€50,000” on agent blogs is wrong.

Purpose filter: Profile and purpose combine; default is the full baseline.

Fee, insurance, means: three separate sums

Read separately — never as one “visa total”
Visa fee (non-refundable)	Adults and 12+: €90; 6 to under 12: €45. The 6th and 12th birthdays are the band edges (MFA fees page; waivers out of scope).
Insurance (cover, not cost)	Minimum cover €30,000. No premium stated — it varies.
Means (reference arithmetic)	MFA/IGI materials of 2020–2024 used €50 × days, min €500 as a subsistence reference (stay + return). Note: the current eViza page says only “sufficient means” with no figure — the reference's current force is unverified. The calculator below is arithmetic only.

eViza: online first, then in person

File online: exclusively via evisa.mae.ro; other channels are not processed (Embassy page).
File specs: ≤2 MB each; jpeg/jpg/tif/png/bmp/txt/rtf/pdf; Latin filenames. Drafts kept 30 days.
Translations: non-RO/EN documents with Romanian or English translations (hukou: all used pages, no translation).
In-person lodging with originals: every applicant appears in person; the examination clock starts at appearance, not at online filing.
Window: no earlier than 6 months, no later than 15 days before travel; normal examination 15 days (Commission + MFA FAQ). The leftover “2 weeks/3 months” on the eViza homepage is stale text.
Fraud warning: appointments are free; beware self-declared “partners” of the mission (Embassy warns: fraud/identity theft). The real address is evisa.mae.ro; evisa-* domains are lookalikes.

Three expired claims (dated corrections)

“A Romanian visa is only good for Romania”: Expired. Since 1 January 2025 the uniform C is in principle valid across Schengen (sticker + 90/180, no LTV). Pre-31-March-2024 guides are dead.
“Insurance must cover €50,000”: Wrong. The MFA uniform-visa page says minimum cover €30,000 (Visa Code Art. 15). The €50,000 figure circulates on agent blogs.
“Visa on arrival / visa-free”: Wrong. Ordinary Chinese passports need a visa in advance; borders check Borders-Code conditions, and since April 2026 the EES runs fully (border biometrics, no more systematic stamping).

90/180 helper (enter ALL Schengen stays)

Rule: at most 90 days in any 180-day window — Romanian days add up with French, German and other days, and never exceed the sticker duration. This helper only adds for illustration; the Commission's official calculator decides (without scripts, use it directly).

Frequently asked

Can a Romanian-issued Schengen visa take me to France or Germany?: A uniform C visa, in principle yes — within the sticker's validity, entries and duration, under the 90/180 ceiling. Exception: LTV visas — read the remarks.
Beijing or Shanghai?: By legal residence: Shanghai, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang → Shanghai; the rest of mainland China + Beijing/Tianjin/Chongqing → Beijing (verify on mission sites). Hong Kong/Macao/abroad → ask Beijing.
Must I appear in person?: Yes. After online filing, every applicant lodges in person with originals; examination runs from appearance.
How far ahead?: Earliest 6 months, latest 15 days; normally 15 days. This page does not check live slots.
How much in the bank statements?: The list wants 3 months of flows (not just a deposit certificate). The old €50 × days (€500 floor) reference is arithmetic only — current pages give no figure.
Does the hukou need translation or notary?: No: all used pages, no translation. Notary + Apostille only in set cases: marriage (no own income), minors' kinship (plus travel consent).
How much insurance?: Read the cover, not the premium: minimum €30,000, whole trip, whole Schengen.
Refunded if refused?: No (€90/€45 by age). That is why routing comes before the file.

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