Romania announced a last-minute decision taken by the MAI, and implemented through an emergency decision adopted by the Romanian Government this week, regarding Romania's accession to Schengen from March 31, and this because it includes a series of provisions related to how minors can travel in the Schengen Area.
Romania will no longer require minors to check their documents every time they travel to other countries in the Schengen Area with only one of their parents, although normally a power of attorney from the one who is not present would be needed to establish the right to travel of the minor, but he can do it randomly at any time.
Romania had this provision included in an Emergency Ordinance that the MAI wanted adopted, but due to the fact that the measure would have generated queues at airports, it was decided that for trips in the Schengen Area, random checks should be made for minors accompanied by a single parent, or unaccompanied, they must have the mandatory legal documents.
"With the exception of the provisions of para. (1), the minor who has reached the age of 16, ... may travel unaccompanied by an adult natural person, if he presents to the border police bodies a statement given under the terms of para. (7) by both parents
Underage Romanian citizens may leave Romania to states that fully apply the Schengen acquis, hereinafter referred to as Schengen states, by air or sea, if they meet the conditions set forth in this article. In order to verify that minor Romanian citizens fulfill the conditions for exiting Romania to the Schengen states, by air or sea, the border police bodies can carry out non-systematic checks in ports, airports, airfields and heliports."
