Romania–Bulgaria border — no border checks

About the border: Romania–Bulgaria border

For most of its length the Romanian-Bulgarian border follows the Danube; only in the east, in Dobruja, does it turn overland and run to the Black Sea. Since 1 January 2025 both countries have been full Schengen members at their land borders as well, so today this is an internal border on which systematic document checks have been abolished. As anywhere in the zone, controls may be temporarily reintroduced – check current announcements before leaving and always carry an ID card or passport.

The crossings fall into three groups. On the Danube there are two road-and-rail bridges: the Friendship Bridge at Giurgiu–Ruse, the shortest route from Bucharest into Bulgaria, and the New Europe Bridge at Calafat–Vidin in the west. Between them are river crossings such as Bechet–Oryahovo and Zimnicea–Svishtov, which depend on water levels and weather. On land, in Dobruja, lie Ostrov–Silistra, Negru Vodă–Kardam and the coastal Vama Veche–Durankulak.

We see real queues mainly at the Giurgiu–Ruse bridge, especially towards Romania on weekend afternoons; at the other crossings our estimates are usually low and even. In summer traffic rises at the crossings leading to the Bulgarian coast, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays towards Bulgaria and on Sundays back. Check that the ferries are running before you leave, as sailings are sometimes reduced or suspended when the Danube is low.

Romania's national roads require the rovinieta vignette and Bulgaria's an electronic vignette. The Danube bridges charge separate tolls, and the ferries require a ticket. When Giurgiu is jammed, compare times with the Calafat bridge or the Dobruja crossings.

There are no border checks at this crossing

We deliberately show no number here. There is no queue to measure, so a calculated waiting time would be invented. Checks at internal Schengen borders are sometimes reintroduced temporarily — when that happens, waiting times will return to this page. Last verified: 2026-08-18.