ROMANIA LEGAL DESK · IMMIGRATION
Romania residence permits and immigration
Romanian immigration is route-specific. Nationality, intended activity, family status, length of stay and the place from which the application is made determine the correct sequence. A company, employment offer or property purchase does not by itself replace the required visa and residence analysis.
Consultations and professional correspondence are available in Romanian or English. Other language versions of this website are provided for information.
- EU / EEA / SwissRegistration route after entry
- Non-EU nationalsPurpose-specific visa and permit
- Filing authorityGeneral Inspectorate for Immigration
- Residence deadlineNormally before lawful stay expires
01 · ORIENTATION
The route must match the real purpose of stay
Romania applies different regimes to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, their qualifying family members, and third-country nationals. EU free-movement cases generally use a registration-certificate procedure for residence exceeding three months. Non-EU cases may require a prior authorisation, a long-stay visa and then a temporary residence permit. The order matters: attempting to regularise a stay after using the wrong entry route can create delays or require a new application from abroad.
The analysis begins with facts rather than a preferred permit label. The applicant’s nationality, current location, intended role, Romanian sponsor, income, accommodation, insurance and family relationships should be mapped against the applicable route. Documents issued abroad may need authentication and Romanian translation, and their validity windows must be coordinated with appointments and statutory filing periods.
02 · SCOPE
What the immigration work can include
- Eligibility and route assessment based on nationality and purpose
- Employer, company, family or independent-means document checklist
- Long-stay visa and residence-permit application preparation
- Work authorisation coordination where the route requires it
- Review of accommodation, insurance and means-of-support evidence
- Guidance on renewals, family reunification and change of purpose
- Long-term residence eligibility review and continuity audit
03 · INPUTS
Common supporting evidence
- Valid passport and evidence of lawful entry or current status
- Purpose-specific documents: employment, company, studies or family relationship
- Romanian accommodation evidence
- Medical insurance and means of support where required
- Criminal-record, civil-status and authenticated foreign documents where applicable
04 · LEGAL ANALYSIS
EU free movement and third-country routes are not interchangeable
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens benefit from free movement but still have registration obligations when staying in Romania beyond the short-stay period. The basis may be employment, self-employment, study, sufficient resources or a qualifying family relationship. Non-EU family members of an EU citizen may follow a derived-right route, but the evidence of the relationship and the EU citizen’s Romanian residence remains important.
Third-country nationals are generally admitted for a defined purpose. Employment, secondment, commercial activity, family reunification, study, research and other purposes have different eligibility conditions. A short-stay presence cannot simply be treated as permission to work. Likewise, registering a Romanian company does not automatically give its foreign shareholder or director a right to reside in the country.
Employment applications changed in 2026
Emergency Ordinance no. 32/2026 introduced a revised digital framework connected to WorkinRomania.gov.ro. The current IGI employment-visa guidance distinguishes application categories and links parts of the process to the new platform. Depending on the case, the file may involve the Romanian employer, the employment authorisation, the long-stay employment visa and, after arrival, registration of the employment relationship in REGES-ONLINE and the residence permit.
The 2026 changes make older internet checklists particularly risky. A valid employment offer is only one component. The job, employer, salary, professional evidence, criminal record, medical insurance and means-of-support documents must satisfy the route applicable on the filing date. Before relying on an older approval or a generic list, the current IGI category and the electronic submission channel should be checked.
Deadlines, continuity and renewals
IGI instructs residence applicants to submit the extension request before the right of stay expires and, as a general rule, at least 30 days before the visa or permit deadline. Starting early is essential because foreign certificates, translations and appointments can take time. Late filing may expose the applicant to sanctions, loss of continuity or the need to leave and restart the procedure, depending on the circumstances.
Changes after approval also matter. A new employer, a changed role, loss of the sponsoring relationship, an address change or an extended absence can affect the existing status. Renewals should therefore review the underlying facts rather than repeat the previous form. A calendar of passport, visa, permit and supporting-document expiry dates is a simple but important compliance tool.
Long-term residence requires a continuity audit
For many non-EU nationals, long-term residence becomes relevant after five years of continuous lawful stay. IGI’s published conditions include limits on absences: ordinarily no absence longer than six consecutive months and no more than ten months in total during the reference period. Some periods are counted differently; study residence is generally counted at half, while certain short-term or diplomatic stays are excluded.
A proper eligibility review reconstructs the full travel and permit history and checks income, accommodation, insurance, public-order conditions and Romanian-language requirements where applicable. The five-year headline should not be treated as automatic approval. The residence category and every interruption should be verified before the application is filed.
05 · DELIVERY
A route-first immigration process
Eligibility
Map nationality, present status, purpose, sponsor and intended duration.
Sequence
Confirm whether authorisation, long-stay visa and residence filings are required.
Evidence
Prepare, authenticate, translate and submit the purpose-specific documents.
Continuity
Record renewal dates and assess any change of employer, address or status.
06 · TIMING
Timing depends on the route
Route-dependentAuthority processing, consular appointments, employment authorisation and foreign-document preparation differ by route. A written timetable is provided only after the applicant’s status and document origin are reviewed.
07 · FAQ
Does owning a Romanian company grant residence?
No automatic residence right arises from ownership alone. The applicant must qualify under a specific immigration route and follow its sequence.
Can I work while visiting Romania?
A lawful visit and a lawful right to work are different matters. The work route and any required authorisation should be confirmed before activity begins.
When should I start a renewal?
IGI generally instructs applicants to file at least 30 days before expiry. Earlier preparation is advisable where foreign documents or appointments are required.
08 · PRIMARY SOURCES
Official immigration sources
Legal review: 7 September 2026. Immigration rules and platform procedures can change quickly; the live IGI instructions control for filing.
AVOCAT BASUC
Choose the route before preparing the file
Send your nationality, current location, intended activity, expected arrival date and Romanian sponsor details. The first step is a written route and document assessment.