Romanians stranded in the Gulf due to the war: What rights do they have against travel agencies, airlines, and authorities?

How a lawyer can help tourists stranded in conflict zones: When can refunds, compensation, and consular assistance be sought?

The escalation of an armed conflict in a region where Romanian citizens are present does not remove the application of legal rules, but rather requires a more rigorous distinction between the legal relationships arising between the traveler and the professionals involved in organizing and performing the trip. From the perspective of the legal framework, Regulation No. 261/2004 on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of cancellation, long delay or denied boarding, as well as Government Ordinance No. 2/2018 on package travel and linked travel arrangements, are particularly relevant. Under Romanian and European law, such situations do not automatically suspend the legal protection available to the affected person, but they do alter the liability regime, especially where circumstances may qualify as force majeure or unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances. This article examines the legal regime applicable to relationships between travelers, travel agencies in Romania, airlines, hotels and authorities, from the perspective of the right to reimbursement, assistance and damages.

The practical relevance of this analysis is also confirmed by the official warnings issued by the Romanian authorities during this period. In the context of the deterioration of the security situation in the Middle East region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs published, in March 2026, travel alerts for states in the Gulf area, including the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, strongly recommending that Romanian nationals either avoid all travel or avoid non-essential travel, depending on the state concerned, and strictly comply with the instructions of the local authorities. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that persons travelling to risk areas do so at their own responsibility and will bear the consequences of such travel, given that the intervention possibilities of diplomatic and consular missions may be reduced. This official context is also relevant from the standpoint of consular assistance in Romania, consular advice in Romania, the existence of a war zone, and the situation of stranded tourists.

In this context, The Romanian Law Firm Pavel Margarit and Associates recommends seeking specialized legal services in matters concerning contractual relationships, traveler protection and disputes arising from cancelled trips, rerouting, non-performance of tourism services and the actual limitation of the intervention of authorities in a war zone, since the proper analysis of contracts, cancellation notices, transport conditions and the limits of intervention by authorities is essential for the protection of rights and for establishing an effective strategy to recover money in Romania and pursue damages recovery in Romania. Pavel, Margarit and Associates Romanian Law Firm offers comprehensive legal assistance in matters relating to travel contracts, cancellation of air transport, obligations of accommodation providers, the effects of force majeure in a contractin Romania, as well as claims involving consular assistance in Romania, the liability of economic operators and the enforcement of claims arising from non-performance of assumed obligations.

Advisory lawyer in Romania. Travel agencies and travel packages in the Gulf: When Romanians may claim a refund and what role a litigation lawyer has

As regards the relationship with travel agencies in Romania, the starting point is Government Ordinance No. 2/2018, which establishes the legal framework for contracts concerning package travel and linked travel arrangements. The practical significance of this ordinance is considerable, since it defines both the notion of a package and the notion of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, understood as a situation beyond the control of the party invoking it and the consequences of which could not have been foreseen or avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. This definition is important because an armed conflict, security risks, major disruptions or the situation of closed airports may, depending on the specific circumstances, fall within the scope of such events.

The most important rule for the stage before the trip begins is laid down in Article 13(3) of Government Ordinance No. 2/2018, according to which the traveler may terminate the package travel contract without penalty if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances arise at the place of destination or in its immediate vicinity and significantly affect the performance of the package or the carriage of passengers to the destination. The legal effect is very clear: in such a case, the traveler is entitled to recover money in Romania through the full reimbursement of any payment made for the package, but is not entitled to additional damages. Therefore, in relation to travel agencies in Romania, the conflict in the Gulf may justify termination of the contract without penalty and repayment of the sums paid, but not automatically the award of further damages, if the reason for the impossibility of performance is precisely the occurrence of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances.

For situations in which the journey has already begun and the tourist has remained stranded in a war zone and can no longer continue the package under the agreed conditions, Article 14(1) of the Ordinance provides that the organizer is responsible for the proper performance of all services included in the package, regardless of whether those services are to be provided by it or by other service providers. This rule is of particular legal importance because it prevents the organizer from transferring full responsibility to other suppliers, such as the hotel or the airline, where the traveler has purchased a package. If a significant part of the included services can no longer be performed, the organizer must offer appropriate alternative arrangements at no extra cost, and if these are of inferior quality, the traveler is entitled to a price reduction. Moreover, if the return journey cannot be ensured because of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, the organizer must bear the cost of necessary accommodation, where possible of an equivalent category, for a period not exceeding, in principle, three nights per traveler.

In addition, Article 17 of the Ordinance imposes on the organizer the obligation to provide adequate assistance to the traveler in difficulty, including by supplying information concerning the local authorities and assistance, as well as by helping to find alternative travel services. Consequently, in relation to travel agencies in Romania, the legal analysis is not limited to the question of whether force majeure exists, but requires verification of the duties to inform, the duties of support and the actual conduct of the professional. If the non-performance is unjustified or if the agency refuses to comply with its obligations of assistance and remedy, one may discuss contractual liability, a possible action for contractual liability and the possibility of damages recovery in Romania, within the limits laid down by law.

A litigation lawyer in Romania may provide legal assistance in reviewing the contractual relationship concluded with travel agencies in Romania and in determining the steps required to recover money in Romania. A litigation lawyer in Bucharest may assist with the legal strategy, correspondence and pre-action steps arising from disrupted package travel and the position taken by the agency. A civil lawyer in Romania may assess whether the conditions relating to force majeure in a contract in Romania are met and may evaluate the existence of contractual liability. A litigator in Romania may prepare a contractual liability claim and represent the client in proceedings arising from travel-related non-performance. A defense attorney in Romania may assist where the factual and contractual record must be structured carefully in response to allegations, defenses or attempts to shift liability. A probate lawyer in Romania may also contribute to the broader legal coordination of complex claims where multiple personal and patrimonial interests must be protected.

Commercial lawyer in Romania. Cancelled flights, closed airports and rescheduled services: The rights of Romanian passengers and the limits of compensation

In the field of air transport, namely the relationship between the passenger and the operating air carrier, the relevant legal framework is primarily provided by Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004, which establishes common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding, cancellation or long delay of flights. For persons affected by traffic disruptions, rerouting or the suspension of flights, the importance of this regulation is considerable, because it enshrines a high level of passenger protection and expressly acknowledges that cancellation and long delay of flights may cause serious inconvenience and hardship. From this perspective, when there are restrictions affecting the airspace or changes imposed by the security context, passengers do not remain without legal protection. Even in such situations, the regulation preserves the passenger’s right to choose between flight refund in Romania and re-routing under satisfactory conditions, as well as the right to assistance during the waiting period.

However, the regulation also provides for an important limitation relevant to situations in the region. The recitals to the regulation state that the operating air carrier may be exempted from the obligation to pay compensation where the cancellation or delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. The examples expressly mentioned by the regulation include political instability, weather conditions incompatible with the operation of the flight concerned, safety risks and air traffic management decisions. In practical terms, this means that the existence of official flight restrictions or safety-related measures may remove the airline’s obligation to grant airline compensation in Romania and may limit claims for compensation for delayed flights in Romania where the legal conditions for exemption are met.

That said, the invocation of extraordinary circumstances does not automatically remove all the carrier’s other obligations. The operator remains bound, under the regulation, to provide assistance and to make available to the passenger the option of reimbursement or re-routing, which means that the legal analysis must distinguish between standard compensation and the other forms of protection recognized by law. In the same manner, a claim for compensation for delayed flights in Romania must be assessed concretely, having regard to the cause of the delay, its duration and the reasonable measures the airline took to limit the consequences for passengers. Where closed airports or security restrictions affect a route, the distinction between exemption from compensation and the continuing duty to provide assistance becomes particularly important for stranded tourists.

Where the affected flight forms part of a package travel arrangement, the analysis must also be supplemented by reference to Government Ordinance No. 2/2018. According to Article 15(6), the rights to damages or price reduction granted to the traveler under the ordinance do not prejudice his or her rights under Regulation No. 261/2004. This provision is particularly important because it confirms that the tourist may, in parallel, have rights against the package organizer and against the air carrier, depending on the nature of the non-performance. At the same time, paragraph (7) of the same article provides that damages or price reductions granted under the ordinance and those granted under the regulation are to be deducted from one another in order to avoid overcompensation. Therefore, any unjustified overlap of claims must be avoided and it must be identified precisely which obligation belongs to the carrier and which belongs to the package organizer. In practical terms, the booking confirmation, the cancellation notice, proof of additional costs incurred and all communications exchanged with the carrier or the intermediary are relevant, because these elements may substantiate either a request to recover money in Romania, a claim for damages recovery in Romania, or, where the legal conditions are met, a form of contractual liability. In such cases, flight refund in Romania, airline compensation in Romania, compensation for delayed flights in Romania and the implications of closed airports must be examined together, not in isolation.

In such situations, specialized legal assistance may play an important role in protecting the interests of affected passengers. A litigation lawyer in Romania may assist passengers in formulating and pursuing legal steps concerning compensation for delayed flights or airline compensation for cancellations, delays and rerouting failures. A litigation lawyer in Bucharest may provide legal assistance in reviewing travel documents and in enforcing passenger rights against air carriers. A civil lawyer in Romania may assess the existence of contractual liability and the possibility of bringing claims to recover money in Romania and obtain damages recovery in Romania. A litigator in Romania may coordinate legal action and representation where negotiations with the airline fail. A defense attorney in Romania may assist with the carrier’s defenses and the documentary basis of the claim. A probate lawyer in Romania may contribute to the overall protection of patrimonial interests in more complex cases involving multiple claims.

Civil lawyer in Romania. Hotels, reservations that cannot be honored and interrupted stays: How contractual liability is determined in the context of war

In the field of accommodation services, the legal analysis differs depending on how the reservation was contracted. If the hotel service forms part of a package travel arrangement, the provisions of Government Ordinance No. 2/2018 become applicable, establishing that the package organizer is responsible for the proper performance of all travel services included in the contract, regardless of whether those services are provided by it or by other providers. In such a situation, when citizens become stranded in a war zone, the legal issue concerns not only the impossibility of reaching the destination, but also the impossibility of benefiting from the reserved accommodation under the agreed conditions.

According to Article 14 of Government Ordinance No. 2/2018, if one of the services included in the package is not performed in accordance with the contract, the organizer must, in principle, remedy the lack of conformity, and where a significant part of the services can no longer be performed as agreed, it must offer suitable alternative arrangements at no extra cost to the traveler. The same provision states that, in the case of a change of accommodation, the alternative service must, where possible, be offered in the same location or in the nearest available option, of equivalent or higher quality. From this perspective, if in the context of a war zone the stay is interrupted, the hotel becomes inaccessible or the promised services can no longer be provided, the organizer is not free simply to invoke the regional context; rather, it must be examined whether remedies compliant with the requirements of the law were or were not offered.

Where the alternative services proposed are of lower quality than those originally provided for in the contract, Article 14(11) of Government Ordinance No. 2/2018 grants the traveler the right to an appropriate price reduction. Furthermore, Article 15 provides that the tourist is entitled to a price reduction for any period during which there was a lack of conformity and is entitled to receive appropriate damages for the loss suffered as a result of that lack of conformity. However, the legal text also lays down an important limitation, namely that no damages are owed if the package organizer proves that the lack of conformity is attributable to the traveler, to a third party unconnected with the provision of the travel services included in the contract, or is caused by unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances. This aspect is important in the analysis of situations such as that in the Gulf, because not every inability to honor the accommodation automatically triggers contractual liability and not every non-performance directly generates a right to damages recovery in Romania. If the actual impossibility of performance is caused by exceptional circumstances, such as security restrictions, evacuation of the area or the impossibility of the accommodation unit operating, exemption based on force majeure or unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances may become relevant. By contrast, if the professional did not properly inform the tourist, did not offer an adequate alternative, unjustifiably reduced the quality of the services, or refused repayment without legal grounds, the analysis shifts into the sphere of possible contractual liability.

Where the hotel reservation does not form part of a package, but was contracted separately, the legal relationship must be analyzed under the general rules applicable to contractual obligations. In that scenario, it must be established whether the impossibility of performance was objective and non-imputable or whether the provider refused performance without a genuine justification. If the tourist was forced to bear additional accommodation costs, find another reservation independently, or suffer the consequences of an interrupted stay without the professional offering any reasonable solution, separate patrimonial claims may arise, which must be supported by documents, proof of payment and proof of the direct connection between the non-performance and the loss suffered. In addition, if the reservation was intermediated by travel agencies, it must be clarified who has the status of contractual counterparty and who is actually liable for the non-performed service, because this distinction affects both the applicable legal framework and the procedural strategy. In practice, such situations may generate civil disputes in Romania and, where appropriate, commercial disputes, especially where force majeure in a contract, damages recovery in Romania, recover money in Romania, closed airports, consular assistance and the status of stranded tourists are intertwined with the consequences of a stay disrupted in a war zone.

In such cases, a separate legal analysis of each contractual relationship and each type of loss is useful. A litigation lawyer in Romania may assist the client in formulating and pursuing a contractual liability claim and in representing that client in proceedings. A litigation lawyer in Bucharest may provide legal assistance in reviewing the legal relationships concerning accommodation and the interrupted stay, as well as in steps to recover money in Romania. A civil lawyer in Romania may determine whether the conditions relating to force majeure in a contract are met, may assess the existence of contractual liability and may analyze the possibility of a damages recovery claim. A litigator in Romania may coordinate the evidentiary record and litigation strategy. A defense attorney in Romania may assist in responding to factual defenses and in structuring the contractual argument. A probate lawyer in Romania may contribute where broader patrimonial issues arise from the disruption of travel.

Administrative lawyer in Romania. Consular assistance for Romanian citizens stranded in the Gulf: What the authorities can do and when a lawyer is necessary

In times of crisis, Romanian citizens abroad tend to view the intervention of consular authorities as a general solution to all the problems that arise. From a legal standpoint, that perception must be nuanced. Consular assistance represents a set of administrative and support measures that authorities may provide to Romanian citizens in difficulty, but it is not equivalent to an obligation of the state to cover costs generated by the non-performance of private contracts, nor does it mean that the state may substitute itself for the parties in their contractual relationships. For stranded tourists, consular assistance in Romania may mean information, orientation, support in contacting family members, guidance regarding available routes, communication of official alerts and, where appropriate, administrative coordination within the real limits of diplomatic missions. Nevertheless, where closed airports exist, severe restrictions on movement apply and security risks are high in a war zone, the actual capacity of the authorities to intervene may be reduced.

In the current security context in the Middle East region, the component of consular assistance in Romania must be analyzed separately from the contractual relationships arising between the traveler and the professionals involved in carrying out the trip. Under Government Ordinance No. 2/2018, the package organizer is required to provide appropriate assistance to the traveler in difficulty, including by supplying information concerning local authorities and consular assistance in Romania, as well as by helping the traveler find alternative travel services. From this perspective, the support granted to the person in difficulty does not belong exclusively to the state authorities, but may also constitute a legal obligation of the professional who organized the package.

At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs published for the United Arab Emirates a travel alert at “Level 8 out of 9: Avoid all travel,” stating that, in the current security context in the Middle East region, Romanian citizens should avoid travel to that state. The Ministry also states that the airspaces of several states in the region are closed, with no clear prospect as to their reopening, and recommends that Romanian citizens remain in contact with airlines and/or travel agencies in Romania, constantly monitor the flight situation and consider alternative transport options, provided these do not entail security risks. This factual element is legally relevant because it supports the existence of an objectively high risk in a war zone and may constitute a relevant argument in the analysis of the impairment of contract performance, the impossibility of travel, the existence of closed airports, and the actual limits of the intervention of the authorities. It is equally relevant for consular advice in Romania, flight refund in Romania, airline compensation in Romania and the situation of stranded tourists.

From a legal point of view, confusion must be avoided between the state’s obligation to provide consular assistance and the contractual obligations of private operators. The fact that a person seeks consular support does not remove the obligations incumbent on the carrier, the hotel or the agency and does not suspend the right of the affected person to claim damages recovery in Romania or to bring an action for contractual liability where the legal conditions are met. In other words, consular advice in Romania and consular assistance in Romania are not substitutes for the remedies available under contract law, nor do they automatically replace claims to recover money in Romania arising from non-performance.

Furthermore, the very text published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows that persons who ignore the warnings and travel to risk areas do so at their own responsibility, given that the intervention possibilities of diplomatic missions in such areas are limited. This clarification is important from a legal perspective because it shows that consular assistance in Romania has objective limits and cannot be regarded as a mechanism that substitutes the performance of contractual obligations or fully covers the patrimonial consequences of a journey being disrupted in a war zone. For that reason, in the case of persons stranded in a war zone, administrative and consular steps must be coordinated with the analysis of contractual relationships and with the preservation of the evidence required to enforce rights against the persons involved.

“When travel is affected by exceptional circumstances in the destination area, this does not automatically mean that all contractual obligations come to an end. Each case must be assessed specifically, because the tourist may still retain the right to reimbursement, assistance and, in certain situations, even damages,” said Dr. Radu Pavel, Managing Partner of The Romanian Law Firm Pavel Margarit and Associates.

In conclusion, the situation of Romanians who remain in the Gulf states against the background of deteriorating security conditions must be analyzed in a differentiated manner, depending on the nature of each legal relationship and the specific obligations assumed by each professional involved. In relation to travel agencies, Government Ordinance No. 2/2018 allows, in certain circumstances, termination of the contract without penalty and obtaining full reimbursement where unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances affect the performance of the package or transport to the destination. In relation to airlines, Regulation No. 261/2004 maintains the protection granted by law to passengers affected by cancellations, delays and closed airports, including through reimbursement, rerouting and assistance, even though in certain exceptional situations the granting of airline compensation or compensation for delayed flights may be limited. In relation to hotels and other service providers, the legal analysis focuses on the existence of contractual liability, the effects of force majeure, the possibility of a contractsual liability action, and the right to damages recovery in Romania. At the same time, consular assistance remains important for Romanian citizens in a war zone, but it does not replace the rights and remedies that may be enforced against private professionals.

Pavel, Margarit and Associates Law Firm is one of the top law firms in Romania, providing high-quality legal services. The firm’s clients include multinational and domestic companies of great magnitude. In 2026, the law firm’s success stories brought it international recognition from the most prestigious international guides and publications in the field. As a result, Pavel, Margarit and Associates Law Firm ranked 3rd in Romania in the Legal 500’s ranking of business law firms with the most relevant expertise. The law firm is internationally recognized by the IFLR 1000 Financial and Corporate 2026 guide. Additionally, Pavel, Margarit and Associates Law Firm is the only law firm in Romania recommended by the international director of Global Law Experts in London in the Dispute Resolution practice area. All relevant information about Pavel, Margarit and Associates Law Firm can be found on the website www.avocatpavel.com.