Romania · long-stay visa routes and official sources
4 routes tracked · last reviewed · every route links to its official government source
Long-term visa difficulty for Romania: Medium (54/100, lower is easier). Most practical route: Digital nomad / student / work residence.
Common questions
What is the most practical long-term visa route to Romania?
Based on our July 2026 review, the most practical route is usually: Digital nomad / student / work residence. Overall difficulty is rated "Medium" (54/100, lower is easier).
Can I move to Romania without a local job offer?
Yes — 2 of the 4 tracked routes do not require a local employer: Digital nomad long-stay visa; Student residence. Each has its own income, funds, or admission requirements.
Digital Nomad Visa / long-stay visa for remote workers
Foreign-company employees or qualifying owners working remotely, with a monthly income test and separate visa and residence steps.
Typical timeline / duration: Long-stay visa: 90 days. The first digital-nomad residence extension is six months; later renewals require continuing eligibility.
Show an employment contract with a company registered outside Romania, or ownership and remote administration of your own foreign company registered for at least three years. Provide the authenticated Romanian translations required by IGI.
Prove activity-derived income of at least three times Romania's average gross monthly earnings for each of the six months before the visa application and for the visa period. Confirm the authority's applicable RON reference; a six-month average or a fixed euro estimate does not replace the monthly test.
Prepare company identification/contact information, an explanation of the intended Romanian stay, the required tax-compliance certificate, travel arrangements, accommodation and authenticated criminal records, with the prescribed translations.
Provide medical insurance covering at least €30,000. The published long-stay visa fee is €300. For residence after entry, also provide the foreign-work/company evidence, continuing income, housing, health cover and medical/fee documents.
Full-time study after ministry acceptance, followed by a 90-day entry visa and a separate study residence permit; qualifying permit holders can work part-time up to six hours daily.
Typical timeline / duration: Study visa: 90 days. Residence may cover the total study duration; exchange pupils have a separate maximum-one-year rule.
For higher education, provide the Ministry of Education acceptance for full-time study at an accredited or provisionally authorised institution and evidence of payment for at least one year of tuition, unless the relevant scholarship exemption applies.
For the visa, show maintenance at least at Romania's minimum gross monthly salary for the visa period, criminal-record evidence and travel medical cover of at least €30,000; minors need parental/guardian consent. The published long-stay visa fee is €300.
After entry, apply to the territorial IGI office at least 30 days before authorised stay expires. Residence evidence includes passport, initial acceptance, enrolment, accommodation, medical documents and support for at least six months at the applicable minimum gross salary.
A holder of study residence may work without a separate employment approval on a part-time employment contract for no more than six hours per day.
Employment long-stay visa and subsequent residence permission
Employer-linked employment with category-specific D/AM1 or D/AM2 procedures. September 2026 IGI notices warn of suspension of affected D/AM2 portal flows; this is not a shutdown of every work route.
Typical timeline / duration: Category/contract-specific visa and residence validity; September notices do not automatically extend existing permission.
Identify the applicable category: IGI's D/AM1 process is employer-filed for specified groups including highly qualified workers; D/AM2 for permanent, seasonal and cross-border workers is filed by a qualifying placement agency or authorised employer.
Prepare the registered employment contract, passport, category-specific qualifications, criminal-record and medical-insurance evidence. D/AM2 also has occupation-list conditions; do not assume any job offer is enough.
Follow the current category's single-application, visa and residence procedures. The older employment-notice process and its decision time must not be presented as the only current route.
Commercial-activity residence for an active company shareholder/member with management duties and an approved business plan, followed by visa and residence applications.
Typical timeline / duration: Ordinary extensions: one year. IGI lists three years for proven investment of at least €500,000 or more than 50 full-time jobs.
Hold the qualifying shareholder/member and management or administration role, and obtain the specialist technical approval for the business plan from the competent Romanian investment authority before applying for the commercial-activity visa.
Submit the technical approval, criminal-record certificate, accommodation and travel medical insurance covering at least €30,000. IGI publishes a €300 visa fee and a 90-day visa stay.
For the first residence application, provide passport, company registration and constitutive documents, the business approval, legal office and home-address evidence, health/medical documents and fees.
IGI lists maintenance of €500 per month for associates and €700 for shareholders throughout the requested permit period. Match the category to the company's legal form and document your own participation.
Visa rules change frequently. Figures and requirements above were reviewed on the dates shown; always confirm against the linked official source before applying.