Romanian Passport Renewal in the U.S. — 2026 Guide

Romania runs everything through a single national consular portal, and the rules it publishes are unusually explicit. Two of them decide how you plan: applications cannot be submitted by proxy or by post, and you choose where to collect the passport at the moment you apply — the same consulate, a different one, or an office in Romania.

Quick facts

Applications are decided and the booklets produced in Romania. The statutory clock starts on the day you submit, and files opened abroad take longer than the fifteen working days allowed for applications made at home.

Fees breakdown

The temporary passport exists for urgent cases. It carries no fingerprints, whatever the holder’s age, and only the electronic signature is captured at submission.

How to apply

1. Create an account on the national consular portal and start the application there.
2. Select the consulate and the appointment slot.
3. Decide where you want to collect the document, and say so when you apply.
4. Attend in person: neither a representative with a power of attorney nor the post is permitted.
5. Pay the fee in the accepted form.
6. Collect at the location you chose, or change it later through the proper request.

Required documents

• Current or most recent Romanian passport.
• Romanian identity card, where you hold one.
• Romanian civil status certificates, transcribed if the events happened abroad.
• Proof of address in the United States.
• Documents supporting any name change.
• For minors: parental consent and documents as the portal specifies.

Where to apply

At the embassy or a career consulate, with the file opened on the national portal beforehand.

Additional notes

One valid passport at a time

Romanian citizens may not hold two valid passports. Anyone who ends up with both an electronic and a temporary one must surrender one within five days of the situation that justified it ending.

No extensions

The ten-year passport cannot be extended. When it expires you apply again, which is why the collection flexibility matters for people who travel.

Collect it in Romania

If you are travelling there anyway, choosing a Romanian office for collection can save weeks and a second consular trip.

The right to travel

Passports are issued to citizens who are not subject to a legal suspension of the right to travel abroad, which is checked as part of the decision.