EURO 2020 Special
Football fans who want to watch the four EURO 2000 matches to be hosted by Bucharest will have to take into consideration a number of rules, in particular relating to the Covid-19 pandemic
România Internațional, 09.06.2021, 13:55
The European Football Championship starts on Friday, June 11th. As of Sunday, Bucharest will be one of the cities hosting the competition. Four games will be played in the Romanian capital, and the football fans who want to watch them in the stadium will have to take into consideration a number of rules, in particular relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.
To enter Romania
The first thing to check is if you need a visa to cross the Romanian border. Citizens of EU member states, for example, and those from countries that have agreements with the EU, such as North Macedonia or Ukraine, do not need a visa.
By air, most fans are expected to enter through Henri Coandă Airport, located in the town of Otopeni, near Bucharest. Covid-19 prevention rules differ, depending on the country of departure of the respective flight. The first thing to check is whether the country is on the red, yellow or green list. This can be checked on the website of the National Institute of Public Health.
Upon arrival from a red-listed state, the passenger must present either a certificate of vaccination or a certificate of immunity issued following an infection, or proof of a negative RT-PCR test in an international language, and the stay on the Romanian territory must be limited to 72 hours. The same documents are required for passengers coming from countries on the yellow list, but in this case, it is no longer required to limit the duration of the stay. The vaccination certificate must show that the booster dose was administered at least ten days before, in the case of two-dose immunization. The anti-COVID test must have been carried out no more than 72 hours before entering Romania. Before arriving from either area, the passenger must complete a questionnaire that can be found (online) at the web address https://chestionar.stsisp.ro. No special anti-COVID documents are required upon arrival from the green area.
To the city
From the Henri Coanda Airport there are multiple possibilities to get to Bucharest. There are trains every 40 minutes to the North Station. Normally, a journey takes 20 minutes. A trip costs 4 lei, the equivalent of 80 eurocents. By taxi, a trip to the center of Bucharest can take between half an hour and an hour, depending on traffic. The price can vary between 50 and 100 lei, which is 10-20 euros. There are also two buses that connect the airport to the city: bus number 780, which goes to the North Station, and bus number 783, which goes to the historical center.
More details on: https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/event-guide/bucharest/plan-your-trip/travel-transport/
To the National Arena
Those who have football tickets have free access to the Bucharest public transport on the day of the match and the next day. UEFA accredited staff, volunteers and media representatives will benefit from this facility throughout the EURO 2020 Championship, depending on the work schedule, based on an official ID card issued for the UEFA accredited staff. Special transport lines will be introduced on match days. For the transportation of the fans from the airport directly to the stadium, there will be a special bus line, number 700. For the fans who want to visit the center of the capital, 6 transport lines have been added: express line 783, bus lines 104 and 123, trolleybus lines 86 and 90 and tram line 40.
In the stadium
A special bracelet is required for access to the National Arena, which costs 5 lei (about 1 euro). It can be issued at several special points, including at Henri Coandă Airport, by EURO 2020 volunteers. There are also accredited medical centers where access bracelets can be found. Their list can be found here:
https://www.frf.ro/en/list-of-euro-2020-accredited-medical-centers/
To get the bracelet, one must present the electronic access ticket, along with a vaccination certificate, an immunity certificate issued following an infection or proof of a negative COVID-19 test. The test can be a RT-PCR, carried out no more than 72 hours before arrival, or a rapid antigen test, carried out no more than 24 hours before. The rapid antigen test can also be performed in the medical centers mentioned above and costs 40 lei (about 8 euros). Entry into the stadium is allowed within the time frame allotted to each ticket holder. Once in the stands, the spectator must wear a surgical or FFP mask. Masks made of plain cloth, scarves, etc. are not accepted. Distancing rules must also be observed. Spectators must sit or stand at least one and a half meters away from each other and avoid physical contact, according to the rules published by UEFA at:
https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/event-guide/bucharest/stadium/COVID-19-guidance/
The Romanian Football Federation has published a guide for the first match, Austria-North Macedonia, on June 13, which you can find here: https://www.frf.ro/en/fans-guide-for-the-uefa-euro-2020-match-austria-v-north-macedonia/
