How to Get a Romania Work Permit: Categories, Quota, and Fees

To work in Romania as a non-EU national, you need a Romania work permit issued by the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) before you can enter the country. Your Romanian employer files the application, proves the job cannot be filled locally, and pays the fee. Once the IGI issues the permit, you have 60 days to apply for a long-stay employment visa (type D/AM) at a Romanian consulate, and after arriving you apply for a temporary residence permit that matches the length of your contract.¹ Romania caps new foreign worker authorizations each year; the 2026 quota is 90,000, so early applications matter.

Who Needs a Work Permit

The permit requirement applies to nationals of countries outside the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland. Citizens of EU and EEA member states can work in Romania on the same terms as Romanian nationals and do not need separate authorization.²

Several groups are exempt. People with long-term residence rights in Romania, foreign nationals whose home country has a bilateral labor agreement with Romania, and directors appointed to run a Romanian subsidiary of a foreign company (where the employer doesn’t already have another foreigner in that role) do not need a permit. Asylum seekers gain labor market access once their application reaches a certain stage. Family members holding a reunification residence permit can work part-time, up to four hours per day, without a separate work permit.

The Permit Categories

The type of permit shapes the fee, the salary threshold, and how long you can stay. The IGI recognizes several categories.³

Permanent worker: the standard category for ordinary long-term employment. The labor market test applies.
Seasonal worker: for jobs tied to seasonal cycles, mainly agriculture and tourism. Valid for a maximum of six months in any twelve-month period.⁴
Highly qualified worker: requires at least a three-year university degree or equivalent professional experience, and a gross salary of at least four times the national average gross wage. With the average gross monthly salary at roughly RON 9,200–9,500 in early 2026, that puts the floor above RON 37,000 per month.⁵
Intra-corporate transferee (ICT): for managers, specialists, and trainee employees moving from a non-EU company to its Romanian branch or subsidiary.⁶
Cross-border worker: for foreign nationals who live in a neighboring country and commute to Romania.
Trainee worker: for professional training with a Romanian employer.
Au pair: for young people placed with a host family.

The EU Blue Card is a separate track for highly qualified non-EU workers. Romania requires Blue Card applicants to earn at least twice the average gross annual salary in the country, and to hold a university diploma of at least three years or equivalent experience. The card is issued for the length of the work contract plus three months, offers easier mobility to other EU states after the initial period, and can lead to long-term residence.⁷

What the Employer Must Prove

The application will fail if the employer is not in order. The company must be current on all taxes and social contributions to the state, evidenced by a fiscal attestation certificate from the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF). It must have no recent sanctions for undeclared work or illegal employment. And its business activities must be compatible with the position; sponsoring a software developer through a bakery with no tech operations will not stand up.¹

The employer must also run a labor market test: register the vacancy with the regional employment agency, conduct recruitment, and document that no qualified Romanian, EU/EEA national, or permanent resident is available.³ The test is waived in several situations, including company directors (when no other foreigner already holds the role), highly qualified workers, and workers seconded to Romania from their employer abroad.

What You Need to Show as the Worker

Your qualifications or experience must match the job description. You need a medical certificate confirming fitness for the specific type of work and a criminal record certificate from your country of origin or residence showing no convictions incompatible with the job.³ The employment contract must guarantee a gross monthly salary at least equal to Romania’s national minimum gross wage, which rises to RON 4,325 per month from July 2026. Highly qualified workers face the much higher salary threshold described above.

Documents in the Application File

The employer assembles and submits the file. Missing pieces delay or derail the process.¹

From the employer:

A motivated application explaining why a foreign worker is needed and why this individual was selected.
The ANAF fiscal attestation certificate.
Proof of the labor market test: registration of the vacancy and evidence that recruitment produced no qualified local candidate.
A draft employment contract with job title, duties, and a compliant salary.
The employer’s own criminal record.

From the worker:

A valid passport with sufficient remaining validity.
Education certificates and diplomas, translated into Romanian and, depending on origin, apostilled or legalized.
A criminal record certificate from the country of origin or most recent country of residence, translated and legalized. It has a limited validity window, so time the request against the filing date.
A CV, photos, and a written statement of medical fitness and at least basic knowledge of Romanian or an international language.

Degree Recognition Through CNRED

Where the role requires specific academic qualifications, the National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas (CNRED) evaluates your foreign degree against the Romanian education system, assessing level, field of study, and specialization. Standard processing is 30 working days, though additional verification can stretch it.⁸ Degrees from EU, EEA, and Swiss institutions are recognized without compensatory exams unless the profession is regulated, like medicine or law. CNRED will only recognize a foreign specialization where a matching one exists in the Romanian system, which can complicate niche fields.

The 2026 Quota

Romania sets an annual ceiling on new foreign worker authorizations. For 2026 the government set the quota at 90,000 work and secondment permits for non-EU, non-EEA, and non-Swiss nationals. That is a reduction from prior years, reflecting a tightening of controls after rapid growth in foreign worker admissions. Once the quota is exhausted, new applications are effectively frozen until the next cycle. If your role is in demand, apply early in the year.

Fees and Processing Time

The employer files the complete file at any territorial unit of the IGI and pays the fee with the application.³ Fees depend on the permit type:

Permanent, cross-border, trainee, highly skilled, or au pair worker: RON equivalent of EUR 100.
Seasonal worker: RON equivalent of EUR 25.

Standard processing runs about 30 days from the date the file is accepted. The IGI can extend that if background checks or internal verification take longer. Once approved, the permit is issued to the employer, who forwards it to you.

From Permit to Visa to Residence Permit

The work permit is the first step, not the last. Once you receive it, you have 60 days to apply for the long-stay employment visa (type D/AM) at a Romanian embassy or consulate in your home country or country of residence.¹ Miss the window and the permit expires unused; the employer would need to start over. The consular fee for a D-type long-stay visa is approximately EUR 120.

After you land in Romania on the D/AM visa, you must register your presence with the nearest police station or immigration office within three days.⁹ Once you have signed the employment contract and started work, you apply at the IGI territorial bureau for a temporary residence permit valid for up to one year, tracking the term of your contract.¹ You will need a valid employment contract, proof that your salary meets at least the minimum gross wage, a medical fitness certificate, a valid travel document, and proof of accommodation such as a registered lease or property ownership. The permit is renewable, but you must file the renewal at least 30 days before it expires. A late filing risks penalties and gaps in your legal status.

Bringing Family to Romania

Once you hold a temporary residence permit valid for at least one year, an EU Blue Card, or an ICT permit, you can apply to bring family.¹⁰ Eligible relatives include your spouse, unmarried minor children (including adopted children), the spouse’s minor children if under the spouse’s care, dependent parents who cannot care for themselves, and unmarried adult children unable to support themselves for medical reasons.

You start by obtaining a certificate of approval from the IGI. The application requires proof of the family relationship, adequate accommodation, health coverage for each family member, and financial means at least equal to the national gross minimum wage per person sponsored. Once approved, each family member applies for a family reunification long-stay visa (type D/VF) at a Romanian consulate, then applies for a temporary residence permit after arrival. In many cases, family members gain the right to work once their residence permit is issued.

What Non-Compliance Costs

Enforcement has tightened. Emergency Ordinance No. 32/2026 introduced fines from RON 5,000 to RON 40,000 for administrative violations related to foreign worker employment, some applied per worker. Employers using placement agencies face additional exposure: conducting placement during a license suspension can trigger fines of RON 15,000 to RON 20,000 for each foreign national placed.

Employers must also post a financial guarantee of EUR 2,000 per foreign worker. If your residence status lapses and removal becomes necessary, the National Agency for Employment can enforce that guarantee to cover the costs. Employers who accumulate violations can lose their authorization to hire foreign workers, and the guarantee funds become state revenue. For the worker, illegal employment usually means removal from Romania and difficulty obtaining future authorizations. The design puts the employer at the center of compliance, which is why choosing a well-organized sponsor matters as much as your own paperwork.

1
European Commission. Employed Worker in Romania
2
EURES. Living and Working Conditions: Romania
3
General Inspectorate for Immigration. Employment and Posting
4
European Commission. Seasonal Worker in Romania
5
European Commission. Highly-Qualified Worker in Romania
6
European Commission. Intra-Corporate Transferee (ICT) in Romania
7
European Commission. EU Blue Card in Romania
8
National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas. Higher Education Studies
9
U.S. Embassy Romania. Getting a Romanian Residence Permit
10
European Commission. Family Member in Romania