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I have an upcoming journey with a layover at Bucharest Otopeni Airport.

  • Departure: Dubai (DXB) on 10th November at 21:55 (Wizz Air Malta, Flight W43268)
  • Arrival in Bucharest: 11th November at 01:30
  • Layover Duration: 4 hours 30 minutes
  • Connecting Flight: Bucharest to Brussels (Charleroi) on 11th November at 06:00 (Wizz Air Malta, Flight W43081)
  • Final Destination: Belgium (Brussels Charleroi), arrival at 08:05

I hold a valid single-entry Schengen visa issued by the Belgian Embassy, along with a UAE resident visa. As a Pakistani citizen, am I required to obtain a Romanian transit visa for this layover, given that I will remain within the airport for the entire duration of my connection?

Community
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Naqash Sattar
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1 Answers1

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Romania and Belgium are both in the Schengen Area.

This means you will enter the Schengen Area when you arrive in Bucharest. They will check your passport and visa there, and stamp you in.

After that the flight from Bucharest to Brussels/Charleroi is an internal Schengen flight. There should be no checks (but there probably will be), but you're already in the Schengen Area.

You don't need an additional visa for Romania.

Note however that since the flights are operated by Wizz Air, which is a point-to-point low cost airline, the two flights are operated independently (this is a "self-transfer"). If you have checked luggage, you will have to reclaim it, then go to departures to check it in (before the check-in deadline), and then to security.

If you miss your connection, you are probably on the hook to buy a new ticket. Your first flight is often over an hour late (probably due to the situation in the Middle-East and the frequent detours they have to make), which will eat up on your connection time.

jcaron
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