Romania’s Foreign Ministry – MAE recently released a draft project to reintroduce a series of fees for consular services.
The new fees will apply for certain categories of consular services at Romania’s diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad and will be published for public consultation on the MAE website.
The new measures come as the government is striving to increase revenues and cut operating costs across the board. If the newly proposed consular fees had been applied this year, the total amount collected is estimated at over EUR 38 million, said the Director General of the Consular Department, Oana Darie, during a press briefing.
“If we refer to the services provided in 2024, revenues from the new fees would have amounted to EUR 38.8 million, of which approximately EUR 18 million would represent fees collected from long-stay visas, and, logically, EUR 9 million would have gone to the MAE budget. In second place would have been the fees collected from notarial acts,” she added, cited by Digi24.
Among the changes is the reintroduction of the fee for travel documents, of EUR 55, except in cases where the passport or identity card has been stolen. The fee for the long-stay visa is to increase from EUR 120 to 200, and the one for the legalization of translations from EUR 20 to 30.
On the other hand, the fees for civil status services will be eliminated.
The project also modifies the urgency fee for services provided at the counter on the same day, which does not apply to itinerant consulates.
“Through the new draft, the fees charged will constitute direct revenue to the budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Additionally, regarding the projected visa fees, 50% of the revenue will go to the state budget, and 50% to the MAE budget,” explained Darie.
According to the official, the new revenues will allow the ministry to continue and implement more easily and more efficiently the projects aimed at the digitalization of consular services, the streamlining of consular activity in general, and the easier and faster resolution of problems.
In turn, the Secretary General of the MAE, Lucreția Tănase, emphasized that this proposal for modification represents a return to “a correct and balanced approach in the provision of consular services.” She pointed out that Romania has the largest number of citizens living, working, or studying abroad in the European Union. According to her, the newly proposed fees will allow all essential services to remain free.
If the project is adopted, the provisions will be applied starting January 1 of next year.
(Photo source: Inquam Photos | Octav Ganea)
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