Romania Employment Visa Process for Foreign Applicants
The Romania employment visa process is a chain of separate decisions, and each link is handled by a different actor: your employer or a placement agency, a Romanian consulate abroad, and the General Inspectorate for Immigration (Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrări — IGI) once you arrive. Understanding who files what, where and in which order is the best way to avoid months of delay. The process has recently moved online: the former work authorisation (aviz de muncă) has been replaced by a single application (cerere unică) lodged on the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform, followed by a D/AM1 or D/AM2 long-stay visa and a residence permit. This EU Helpers guide walks foreign applicants through that sequence, with realistic timelines. Candidates who have not yet found an employer can explore Romanian opportunities through EU Helpers. For context, Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007, entered Schengen for air and sea travel in March 2024 and became a full Schengen member from 1 January 2025, and uses the Romanian leu (RON) rather than the euro.
Essential Context: Romania's Distinctive Character
Romania's procedure reflects its labour market: chronic shortages in construction, manufacturing and services, balanced against a political wish to control numbers. The result is a process built around quotas, approved employers and online filing.
| Consideration | Romania Reality |
|---|---|
| Who starts the process | The employer or an authorised placement agency, never the worker alone |
| Filing channel | WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform for the single application |
| Visa issued by | Romanian embassies and consulates (Ministerul Afacerilor Externe) |
| Residence permit issued by | IGI regional offices after arrival |
| Quota | Annual contingent for general workers, most recently approximately 90,000 |
| Typical end-to-end time | Roughly two to four months, depending on consulate workload |
The most important practical point is that your own role starts only after the employer side has been approved, so the speed of the process depends heavily on choosing an organised employer.
Romania's Immigration Framework
Four institutions shape the procedure. The Ministry of Labour (Ministerul Muncii și Solidarității Sociale) publishes the List of Shortage Occupations and the contract templates used in recruitment. The National Agency for Employment (Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă — ANOFM) authorises placement agencies and employers that hire general workers directly. Romanian consulates decide on the long-stay visa, collecting fingerprints and a facial image. IGI then issues the residence permit, assigns the personal numeric code (cod numeric personal — CNP) and monitors compliance.
The reform was introduced by Government Emergency Ordinance No. 32 (Ordonanța de urgență a Guvernului nr. 32). Applications already lodged under the old aviz procedure are finished under the previous rules, which is why some applicants still hold an aviz rather than a single-application approval.
Main Romania Work Visa Routes
The route decides who may file the application and whether the quota applies.
| Route | Purpose | Best Suited For |
|---|---|---|
| D/AM2 via placement agency | Agency files the single application for a shortage occupation | Workers recruited abroad by licensed agencies |
| D/AM2 via authorised employer | Large employer files directly after ANOFM authorisation | Workers hired by established manufacturers or builders |
| D/AM1 | Any registered employer files for priority categories without quota | Highly qualified staff, teachers, researchers, athletes |
| EU Blue Card | Highly qualified entry followed by a Blue Card from IGI | Graduates with salaries above the threshold |
| Secondment and intra-corporate transfer (D/DT) | Simplified visa and residence procedure for assignments | Staff of multinational groups |
The D/AM2 Procedure: Agency and Employer Filing
For most general workers the sequence starts with an employer registered on the platform. If the employer works through a placement agency, the parties sign a service agreement and a tripartite placement agreement in Romanian and in a language you understand. The agency or authorised employer then files the single application for a vacancy on the shortage list, within the quota, and posts any required financial guarantee, typically approximately EUR 1,000 per worker for employers hiring directly.
You should receive the key terms of employment, including pay, hours and accommodation, at least ten days before you travel. Once the application is approved, you take the confirmation to the consulate. Agencies are not allowed to charge you a commission or fee, and accommodation provided by the employer may not cost more than about 25 percent of net pay.
The D/AM1 and Blue Card Procedure
Highly qualified applicants follow a lighter path. Any registered employer can file for the D/AM1 visa without agency involvement or quota limits, which usually shortens the employer phase to a few weeks. Under the old system, the visa application had to be lodged within 60 days of the work authorisation being issued, and similar discipline still applies: apply promptly once the employer side is approved.
After entering Romania on the long-stay visa, a qualifying professional asks IGI either for a work residence permit or for an EU Blue Card (Cartea Albastră a UE). The Blue Card file adds proof of higher education or equivalent experience and a salary at or above the threshold linked to the average gross salary.
Required Documents
Each stage has its own file. The table shows the documents that travel through the whole process.
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Single-application approval or aviz | Proves the employer side has been accepted |
| Passport and photographs | Identity for the consulate and IGI |
| Bilingual employment contract | Sets out pay and conditions; required for every foreign employee |
| Criminal record certificate (cazier judiciar) | Checked at the visa stage |
| Medical certificate and insurance | Fitness for work and cover until you join CNAS |
| Accommodation proof | Lease (contract de închiriere) or loan-for-use agreement (contract de comodat) |
Application Process Step-by-Step
Step 1 — Accept a firm job offer. Agree the role, gross and net salary and accommodation with a registered employer.
Step 2 — Employer confirms the route. The employer checks whether the job falls under D/AM1 or under a shortage occupation for D/AM2.
Step 3 — Sign placement documents. For agency recruitment, sign the tripartite placement agreement in a language you understand.
Step 4 — Filing of the single application. The agency or employer lodges the cerere unică on WorkinRomania.gov.ro, within the quota where applicable.
Step 5 — Prepare your visa file. While the employer phase runs, legalise and translate your criminal record certificate and other papers.
Step 6 — Book the consulate appointment. Use the Romanian eVisa system and book an appointment at the consulate covering your country of residence.
Step 7 — Attend the visa interview. Submit the file, give biometrics and pay the visa fee; the D/AM visa is typically valid for 90 days.
Step 8 — Enter Romania and start work. Travel, sign the contract and have it registered in REVISAL; the employer sends a copy to IGI within about ten days.
Step 9 — Apply for the residence permit. File at the IGI office for your address at least 30 days before your visa expires; decisions typically take around 30 days.
Step 10 — Collect your card and CNP. Receive the residence card with your CNP, then register for tax with ANAF and for health insurance with CNAS.
Fees and Costs
Applicants mainly pay the long-stay visa fee, now approximately EUR 300, plus residence permit and card charges in Romanian lei, translation and apostille costs at home, and travel. The employer bears the financial guarantee and agency service fees. Daily costs are moderate: rents in Bucharest (București) and Cluj-Napoca typically run approximately EUR 450 to 750 for a one-bedroom flat, with Timișoara, Iași, Brașov and Constanța somewhat cheaper. Keep at least one month of living costs available for the gap between arrival and first pay.
Romania's Distinctive Character
Romania lies on the Black Sea, with the Carpathian Mountains forming a great arc through its centre and the Danube creating a long southern border before reaching its delta. Bucharest is the capital and largest economy, while Cluj-Napoca and Iași are university and technology hubs and Constanța is the country's main port.
The economy has grown quickly since EU accession. Automotive production by Dacia and Ford Otosan, energy companies such as OMV Petrom, and a strong technology scene that includes UiPath and Bitdefender all draw on a workforce that domestic supply alone cannot fill.
Pathway to Permanent Residence and Citizenship
Process discipline pays off later. Renewing your residence permit on time, typically at least 30 days before expiry, keeps your legal residence continuous. After about five years of uninterrupted legal stay, IGI can grant long-term residence (drept de ședere pe termen lung) if you prove income, accommodation, health insurance and basic Romanian. Gaps caused by late renewals can reset this count.
Citizenship applications go to the National Authority for Citizenship (Autoritatea Națională pentru Cetățenie — ANC) and generally require about eight years of legal residence, or about five for spouses of Romanian citizens, plus a language and civic knowledge interview.
Final Guidance
Think of the Romanian employment visa process as a relay: the employer or agency runs the first leg on WorkinRomania.gov.ro, the consulate runs the second, and IGI runs the last. Your job is to have documents ready before each handover, so no time is lost waiting for papers from home. Ask your employer early which route they are using and whether they are authorised or using an authorised agency. Never pay a recruitment fee to an agency. Keep copies of every approval, visa and receipt. Rules introduced by the reform are still being applied in practice, so confirm current details with IGI and the consulate. To find an employer who can start this process for you, explore Romanian opportunities through EU Helpers.
FAQs
The employer or an authorised placement agency first files a single application on the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform. Once it is approved, you apply for a D/AM1 or D/AM2 long-stay visa at a Romanian consulate. After entering Romania you start work under a bilingual contract, and then apply to IGI for a work residence permit before your visa expires. Finally, you receive a residence card showing your personal numeric code (CNP).
Romania has been a NATO member since 2004 and an EU member since 2007. It joined Schengen for air and sea borders in March 2024 and became a full member from 1 January 2025, so its long-stay visas and residence permits now allow short trips across the Schengen Area. Romania is not in the eurozone and uses the leu (RON). The work permit procedure itself remains national, run by Romanian authorities.
For the D/AM2 visa, only an authorised placement agency or an employer authorised by ANOFM can file the single application. Most employers recruit through agencies, which sign a service agreement with the employer and a tripartite agreement with you. Direct filing is reserved for larger employers with at least about 50 staff and two years of activity. In every case the job must be on the List of Shortage Occupations and within the quota.
A registered employer files for the D/AM1 route on your behalf, which is not subject to the general quota. You then apply for a long-stay work visa at the consulate and, after arrival, request the EU Blue Card from IGI. The file must show a higher education qualification or equivalent experience and a salary meeting the threshold linked to the average gross salary. Blue Card holders from another EU state can often follow a simplified procedure.
Yes. Digital nomads do not need a Romanian employer, a single application or a place in the quota. You apply directly at the consulate, showing remote employment or business ownership abroad, income of at least about three times the Romanian average gross salary over the previous six months, insurance and a criminal record certificate. You may later ask IGI for a residence permit to extend your stay.
Use the employer phase to prepare your passport, criminal record certificate, diplomas, medical certificate, insurance and proof of accommodation. Most foreign documents need an apostille or consular legalisation and a certified Romanian translation. EU Helpers recommends starting with the criminal record certificate, because it often takes longest to obtain and has a limited validity. Having everything ready lets you book the consulate appointment as soon as approval arrives.
The General Inspectorate for Immigration (Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrări) receives your residence permit application, takes biometrics and issues your card, typically within about 30 days. It assigns your CNP, records your address and registers any change of employer. Employers must also notify IGI if your contract ends early or if you are absent from work without reason for several consecutive days.
In Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, a one-bedroom flat typically costs approximately EUR 450 to 750 per month, plus utilities. Timișoara, Brașov and Iași are usually somewhat cheaper, and towns such as Craiova or Oradea cheaper again. Groceries and public transport are affordable by EU standards. Plan for a deposit, the first month of rent and visa fees before your first salary is paid.
Construction companies, automotive and component manufacturers, hotels and restaurants, logistics and transport firms, and agricultural employers sponsor the largest numbers of general workers. Major employers include Dacia in Mioveni and Ford Otosan in Craiova, as well as their supplier networks. Technology companies such as UiPath and Bitdefender and service centres in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Iași sponsor highly qualified staff through D/AM1 and the Blue Card.
EU Helpers explains each stage of the process so you know what your employer, the consulate and IGI expect from you. We help you check whether your employer is registered on WorkinRomania.gov.ro and whether your route is D/AM1, D/AM2 or the EU Blue Card. EU Helpers can guide you through preparing your criminal record certificate, apostilles and translations, booking the eVisa appointment and filing the residence permit. We also explain how CNP registration, ANAF tax registration and CNAS health insurance fit in after arrival.
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