Romania Work Authorization Guide for Non-EU Workers
For third-country nationals, the right to work in Romania is never automatic. Citizens of the EU, the European Economic Area and Switzerland can take a job freely, but everyone else needs a legal basis, whether that is an employment visa, an EU Blue Card, a family residence permit, a student permit or long-term residence. This EU Helpers guide gives non-EU workers the big picture: every main route to work authorisation, the rights you gain once you hold a permit, how families can join you, and how temporary residence can grow into long-term status and citizenship. It also explains the new single application (cerere unică) that has replaced the former work authorisation (aviz de muncă) and the role of the General Inspectorate for Immigration (Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrări — IGI). If you want to see which employers are hiring, you can explore Romanian opportunities through EU Helpers. Romania has been a NATO member since 2004 and an EU member since 2007; it entered Schengen for air and sea borders in March 2024 and became a full Schengen member from 1 January 2025, while keeping its own currency, the Romanian leu (RON).
Essential Context: Romania's Distinctive Character
Romania is both a country of emigration and, increasingly, a country of immigration. Millions of Romanians work elsewhere in Europe, and employers have turned to workers from South and South-East Asia, Africa and neighbouring non-EU states to fill the gap.
| Consideration | Romania Reality |
|---|---|
| Who needs authorisation | All third-country nationals without another legal basis to work |
| Employment routes | D/AM1 (priority categories) and D/AM2 (shortage occupations) |
| Highly qualified route | EU Blue Card (Cartea Albastră a UE) |
| Work without a separate visa | Long-term residents, family members with residence permits, protection beneficiaries and others |
| Equal treatment | Pay and conditions comparable to Romanian employees |
| Long-term status | Long-term residence after about five years |
| Citizenship | Generally about eight years of legal residence |
Neighbouring countries enjoy a special position: under the reform, citizens of Moldova, Ukraine and Serbia on full-time contracts fall within the D/AM1 category rather than the quota-based route.
Romania's Immigration Framework
IGI, part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ministerul Afacerilor Interne), is the central authority for third-country nationals: it issues residence permits and Blue Cards, assigns the personal numeric code (cod numeric personal — CNP), handles family reunification and grants long-term residence. The National Agency for Employment (Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă — ANOFM) authorises placement agencies and direct-hiring employers. The Ministry of Labour sets the List of Shortage Occupations, and the government fixes an annual quota (contingent) for newly admitted workers, most recently approximately 90,000.
Government Emergency Ordinance No. 32 (Ordonanța de urgență a Guvernului nr. 32) moved employer filing onto the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform. After arrival, the work residence permit acts as a single permit (permis unic) combining residence and the right to work.
Main Romania Work Visa Routes
The table brings together the main legal bases available to non-EU nationals.
| Route | Purpose | Best Suited For |
|---|---|---|
| D/AM2 work visa | Employment in shortage occupations within the quota | Skilled trades, factory, hospitality and logistics workers |
| D/AM1 work visa | Priority categories outside the quota | Highly qualified staff, academics, athletes, Moldovan, Ukrainian and Serbian citizens |
| EU Blue Card | Highly qualified employment with EU mobility | Graduates and senior professionals |
| Intra-corporate transfer and secondment | Temporary assignment within a group | Managers and specialists of multinationals |
| Digital nomad visa | Remote work for foreign employers | Higher-earning remote workers |
| Family reunification | Joining a resident family member | Spouses and children of permit holders |
| Study residence | University studies with permitted part-time work | International students |
Employment-Based Authorisation: D/AM1, D/AM2 and the Blue Card
Most non-EU workers enter through employment. The D/AM2 route requires a job on the shortage list, a place in the quota and an employer working through an authorised placement agency or holding its own ANOFM authorisation. The D/AM1 route is open to any registered employer for highly qualified and other priority categories, without quota limits. Pay must be at least the national minimum gross wage, approximately RON 4,325 per month, and highly qualified staff typically need at least the average gross salary.
The EU Blue Card gives the strongest employment-based status. It requires a higher education qualification or equivalent experience and a salary meeting the Blue Card threshold. Blue Card holders benefit from faster family reunification, can move to another EU state after 12 months, and may count residence in several member states towards EU long-term status.
Rights, Employer Changes and Family Members
Once authorised, you are entitled to the same pay and working conditions as comparable Romanian employees, a bilingual contract, payment into a Romanian bank account and social security coverage, including public health insurance through the National Health Insurance House (Casa Națională de Asigurări de Sănătate — CNAS). Employer-provided accommodation may not cost more than about a quarter of net pay. General workers are usually expected to remain with their first employer for an initial period, after which a change requires a new employer to handle the formalities.
Family reunification (reîntregirea familiei) lets a permit holder bring a spouse and minor children, usually once the sponsor holds a residence permit valid for at least one year and proves income and housing. Family members enter on a D/VF visa and, once they hold a residence permit, can sign an employment contract without a separate work authorisation.
Required Documents
Whatever the route, the core evidence is similar.
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Passport | Identity and nationality |
| Employment contract, Blue Card offer or family link proof | Legal basis for the stay |
| Criminal record certificate (cazier judiciar) | Good conduct check |
| Diplomas or experience evidence | Qualification for employment routes |
| Proof of income | Required for family reunification, Blue Card and digital nomad routes |
| Accommodation and medical insurance | Address registration and health cover |
Application Process Step-by-Step
Step 1 — Identify your legal basis. Decide whether you will work through employment, the Blue Card, family ties, study or remote work.
Step 2 — Check quota exposure. If you fall under D/AM2, ask your employer how much of the annual quota remains.
Step 3 — Confirm employer status. Make sure the employer is registered on WorkinRomania.gov.ro and authorised or using an authorised agency.
Step 4 — Prepare core documents. Collect an apostilled criminal record certificate, diplomas and translations.
Step 5 — Wait for the employer approval. The single application is filed for you; D/AM1 cases usually move faster than quota-based D/AM2 cases.
Step 6 — Obtain the long-stay visa. Apply at the Romanian consulate for D/AM1, D/AM2, D/DT or D/VF, as appropriate.
Step 7 — Register after arrival. Sign the bilingual contract, have it entered in REVISAL and arrange accommodation.
Step 8 — Secure the residence permit. Apply to IGI for the work residence permit or Blue Card and receive your CNP.
Step 9 — Bring your family. When eligible, file for family reunification with IGI so relatives can apply for D/VF visas.
Step 10 — Plan for long-term status. Renew on time and keep tax, salary and address records to support long-term residence.
Fees and Costs
Workers typically pay a long-stay visa fee of approximately EUR 300, residence permit and card fees in lei, and the cost of document legalisation and translation; agencies are not allowed to charge workers recruitment fees. Romania is affordable by EU standards. One-bedroom flats in Bucharest (București) and Cluj-Napoca typically cost approximately EUR 450 to 750 per month, while Timișoara, Iași, Brașov and Constanța are somewhat cheaper. Families should also budget for school-related costs and a larger home.
Romania's Distinctive Character
Covering roughly 238,000 square kilometres, Romania is one of the largest countries in South-Eastern Europe, bordered by Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine, with access to the Black Sea through the port of Constanța. Bucharest is the political and business capital, Cluj-Napoca the centre of Transylvania's tech scene, Timișoara a western industrial hub and Iași the main city of the north-east.
Growth sectors include automotive manufacturing at Dacia and Ford Otosan, energy led by OMV Petrom, technology companies such as UiPath and Bitdefender, and construction, logistics and agriculture, all of which rely on non-EU workers.
Pathway to Permanent Residence and Citizenship
After about five years of continuous legal residence, non-EU workers can apply to IGI for long-term residence (drept de ședere pe termen lung). Applicants generally show stable income at least at minimum wage level, health insurance, accommodation and basic Romanian. Long-term residents can work for any employer without further authorisation and enjoy broad equal treatment.
Citizenship is granted by the National Authority for Citizenship (Autoritatea Națională pentru Cetățenie — ANC), typically after about eight years of legal residence, or about five for spouses of Romanian citizens. Candidates must speak Romanian, know basic history and the Constitution, and show good conduct.
Final Guidance
As a non-EU worker, your first task is to choose the right legal basis: D/AM2 for shortage occupations, D/AM1 or the EU Blue Card for highly qualified roles, or a family, study or remote-work route. Each has different quota exposure, rights and paths to long-term status. Choose employers who are registered and authorised, insist on a bilingual contract and never pay recruitment fees. Keep your residence continuous, because long-term residence and citizenship depend on it. Confirm current details with IGI, since rules are still being implemented. To begin with real job openings, explore Romanian opportunities through EU Helpers.
FAQs
Non-EU workers need a legal basis to work, most commonly a D/AM1 or D/AM2 long-stay work visa followed by an IGI work residence permit, or an EU Blue Card. Employers must be registered on WorkinRomania.gov.ro, and general workers must be hired in a shortage occupation within the annual quota. Pay must be at least the national minimum gross wage. Other bases include family reunification, long-term residence and international protection.
Romania is a NATO member since 2004 and an EU member since 2007. It joined the Schengen Area for air and sea borders in March 2024 and became a full member, including land borders, from 1 January 2025. It is not part of the eurozone and uses the Romanian leu (RON). EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can work freely, while non-EU workers need authorisation.
D/AM2 is the main route for non-EU workers in occupations on the List of Shortage Occupations, covering permanent, seasonal and cross-border work. It is subject to the annual government quota, recently approximately 90,000 newly admitted workers. Applications are filed by authorised placement agencies or by employers authorised by ANOFM. After the visa, workers receive a work residence permit from IGI that acts as a single permit.
The EU Blue Card is aimed at highly qualified non-EU nationals with a degree or equivalent experience and a salary meeting the threshold linked to the average gross salary. It is not limited by the quota. Holders enjoy faster family reunification, can move to another EU state after a period of residence, and can combine residence in several member states towards EU long-term status. EU Helpers often recommends comparing it with D/AM1 before applying.
Yes. Romania's digital nomad visa is for non-EU nationals employed by, or owning, a company outside Romania. Applicants typically show income of at least three times the Romanian average gross salary over the previous six months, health insurance and a clean criminal record. The visa does not allow work for Romanian employers. It can lead to a residence permit but follows different rules from employment routes.
Most routes require a valid passport, an employment contract or other legal basis, an apostilled criminal record certificate and diplomas or proof of experience. You will also need proof of accommodation, medical insurance and, for some routes, proof of income. Foreign documents generally need authorised Romanian translations. Family reunification files add marriage and birth certificates, also apostilled and translated.
The General Inspectorate for Immigration (Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrări) is the central authority for non-EU nationals in Romania. It issues and renews work residence permits and EU Blue Cards, assigns the CNP, approves family reunification and grants long-term residence. It also monitors employers, who must report early contract terminations and unexplained absences. IGI has offices in every county and in Bucharest.
Living costs are moderate. A one-bedroom flat in Bucharest or Cluj-Napoca typically costs approximately EUR 450 to 750 per month, while Timișoara, Iași, Brașov and Constanța are usually cheaper. Food and public transport are affordable. Workers on lower wages often use employer accommodation, which legally may not cost more than about a quarter of net pay.
Construction, hospitality, food processing, manufacturing, logistics and transport employ the largest numbers of non-EU workers. The automotive industry around Dacia in Mioveni and Ford Otosan in Craiova supports many suppliers. Technology companies such as UiPath and Bitdefender recruit international specialists, and agriculture and healthcare also offer opportunities. Most vacancies are concentrated around Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara and Iași.
EU Helpers gives non-EU workers a clear map of the Romanian system, from D/AM2 and D/AM1 visas to the EU Blue Card, digital nomad visa and family reunification. We explain how the WorkinRomania.gov.ro single application, the shortage list and the quota affect you, and what IGI, ANOFM and Romanian consulates each require. EU Helpers can help you plan apostilles and translations, the residence permit, CNP registration, ANAF tax registration and CNAS health insurance, and outline the path to long-term residence and citizenship.
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EU Helpers guides non-EU workers through Romania’s work authorization. From IGI and ANOFM coordination to Long-Stay Visa Type D/AM with Work Permit, EU Blue Card and Digital Nomad Visa, we make your Romania move seamless with distinctive Southeastern European EU member positioning.