What Country is ROU? The Surprising History Behind the Code

Ever looked down at a luggage tag or a passport stamp and wondered what country is ROU? You aren't alone. It’s one of those weird three-letter codes that doesn't quite match the English name of the place it represents.

Basically, ROU is the international ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 code for Romania.

If you were expecting "ROM," you’re actually thinking of the old version. The switch from ROM to ROU happened years ago, and it wasn't just some random bureaucratic whim. It was a deliberate move by the Romanian government to avoid confusion with other terms and to align more closely with the country's name in French—Roumanie.

Why Did the Code Change from ROM to ROU?

For a long time, the world knew Romania as ROM. It made sense in English, right? But the Romanian government actually petitioned the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to change it.

The transition was finalized around 2002, though it took a few years for every database—from the Olympics to shipping manifests—to catch up. By 2007, the UN and various international transport agencies had fully moved over to ROU.

One of the big reasons for the change was linguistic clarity. In many Romance languages, including French (which used to be the primary language of international diplomacy), the name is spelled with an "ou." Since the country's own name in Romanian is România, ROU feels like a bridge between the local spelling and the international French-inspired version.

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There’s also a more social reason often cited by historians and officials. The code ROM was frequently confused with "Romani" or "Roma" people. While the names sound similar, they refer to different things—one is a nation-state, the other is an ethnic group. By switching to ROU, the state created a distinct identity in digital databases and on passports.

Where You’ll See the ROU Code Today

You’ll encounter ROU in several specific places:

1. Passports: If you hold a Romanian passport, or you're looking at a visa issued by Romanian authorities, "ROU" will be the "Country Code" listed right there on the biodata page.
2. The Olympics: During the opening ceremonies, when the athletes march in, the TV graphics display ROU. They actually used to use "ROM" until the mid-2000s, then briefly "RUM" in the 60s, before settling on the current standard.
3. International Shipping: If you're tracking a package from Bucharest or Cluj-Napoca, the flight manifest or the customs declaration will likely use the ROU designation.
4. ISO Standards: This is the big one. Almost every computer system in the world that needs a three-letter country identifier uses the ISO list.

Honestly, the two-letter code is much more common for everyday stuff. That would be RO. You see it in web addresses (like .ro domains) and on those oval stickers people put on the back of their cars. But whenever a three-letter version is required, ROU is the king.

Fast Facts About Romania (The Country Behind the Code)

Romania is way more than just a three-letter code on a screen. It’s a massive, diverse country in Southeastern Europe that people often overlook.

• The Capital: Bucharest. It was once called "Little Paris" because of its elegant architecture.
• The Currency: The Romanian Leu (plural: Lei). Even though they are in the EU, they don't use the Euro yet.
• The Neighbors: It’s bordered by Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary.
• The Landscape: You’ve got the Carpathian Mountains cutting through the middle and the Black Sea to the east.

Common Misunderstandings About ROU

People often mix up ROU with other countries. No, it isn't Rwanda (that's RWA). It isn't Russia (that's RUS). And it definitely isn't Uruguay, which used to have a similar-looking code in some old systems but officially uses URY.

Another weird thing? The telephone code. Even though the ISO code is ROU and the two-letter code is RO, the international calling code is +40. If you're trying to call someone in Romania, the "ROU" abbreviation won't help you much there. You’ll need that +40 prefix, followed by the area code (like 21 for Bucharest).

Logistics and Travel: Using ROU in 2026

If you are traveling to Romania this year, you might see ROU on your boarding pass or your ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) paperwork. Since Romania joined the Schengen Area by air and sea in early 2024, the way people move in and out of the country has changed, but the ROU identifier remains the constant.

When filling out immigration forms, always use ROU if it asks for a three-letter country code. If you type in ROM, some older systems might still recognize it, but newer, more "smart" forms might throw an error or tell you the code is invalid. It’s better to just stick to the modern standard.

Actionable Next Steps for Travelers

• Check your documents: Ensure your travel insurance or visa applications use ROU to avoid any database mismatches.
• Update your contacts: If you’re saving Romanian phone numbers, use the +40 format instead of just the local 07xx numbers so they work across borders.
• Learn the two-letter version: For most online shopping or shipping, the two-letter RO is what you’ll actually need.