Temporary residence permit in Romania is an official status that is arranged by foreigners for moving to the country and legally staying there for a set period. The document is provided to applicants on average for a year with the right to reissue or for the period of performing planned tasks in the state. The grounds for obtaining the status of a Romanian resident are listed in the local law “On the Regime of Foreigners”. The holder of a temporary residence permit can immigrate and subsequently apply for local citizenship as a naturalized person, subject to the census of residence and compliance with other requirements for the applicant.

What opportunities does the residence permit in Romania open?

Temporary residence in Romania provides access to such privileges and advantages:

• living in a rapidly developing European country for a long time with the right to unlimited crossing of the state border;
• the opportunity for subsequent naturalization and obtaining EU citizenship;
• access to the labor market and commercial activities on equal terms (salary, work schedule) with local residents;
• the right to receive education of different levels for oneself and children who have moved with a parent;
• transition to the tax residence of Romania with the payment of contributions at one of the lowest rates in the EU (1% for micro-enterprises);
• increased chances of visa approval in EU and North American countries.

Ways to obtain residence permit of Romania

Romanian residence permit is most often arranged by work, study, for family reunification, opening a business. A TRP is approved for persons who move to the country to perform activities according to their professional qualification, for example, scientific research or the creation of journalistic materials and reports. Also, the resident card is provided to applicants for humanitarian reasons or for other tasks that do not contradict the legislation, such as treatment, internship, volunteering.

The choice of how to arrange a Romanian residence permit depends on the individual situation of the applicant. Specialists with a demanded profession can claim employment in the state, businessmen - on the international development of the enterprise or registration of a new company, students - on receiving education in local universities. To acquire a residence permit for investments is impossible, however, an interested person can invest financial resources in the assets of a company in the territory of the country in the amount of 100,000-150,000 EUR.

Work

Foreigners who have received a job in Romania are entitled to apply for a temporary resident card. Employment of citizens not included in the EU and EEA is available in the state with the approval of the General Immigration Inspectorate (except for a number of demanded professions). Persons who come to the country as seconded employees or permanent employees as part of a transfer within an international corporation can also claim a residence permit.

Persons working remotely for a foreign company in the field of IT or innovative technologies have the opportunity to apply for a special resident card of Romania for “digital nomads”. This type of residence permit does not allow a foreigner to naturalize in the country, and is intended for temporary stay. Highly qualified employees, employed for a vacancy according to their specialty and having the necessary experience/education, are entitled to receive a blue EU card - a residence permit together with family members.

Applicants for Romanian resident status can only be immigrants whose future salary is equal to or exceeds the minimum in the state - approximately 670 EUR per month before tax deductions (as of 2023). To apply for a temporary residence permit, the applicant must have an employment contract or a similar document. The standard validity of a resident card is up to 12 months with the possibility of re-registration or equal to the period of the contract.

Business

Persons planning to carry out economic activities in Romania can arrange a local residence permit. In most cases, applicants require approval from the local foreign trade and investment promotion center. The minimum starting capital of the future enterprise or the amount of assets purchased should exceed 100,000-150,000 EUR, depending on the legal type of organization (LLC, JSC respectively). Also, a foreign businessman needs to create 10-15 jobs for residents of Romania and maintain them for at least a year.

The document confirming the foreigner’s right to obtain a Romanian residence permit is a detailed business plan with a financial forecast of the enterprise, information about the place of registration, the field of activity, the authorized capital. Often, a temporary residence permit in the state is valid for up to a year with subsequent extension, provided all of the above conditions are met.

Relocation to a family member

Romanian refugees, temporary and permanent residents, as well as citizens of the state have the right to apply for reunification with close relatives from among foreigners. Family members include spouses (including unregistered ones, if the couple has a common child) and unmarried children under 21 years of age. Other relatives of the applicant can also move to Romania if they/the receiving party need care or are unable to provide for themselves.

The corresponding family ties when arranging a Romanian temporary residence permit, the applicant proves documentarily with a suitable certificate. If a relative is invited by a resident of the state (except for refugees), they must have sufficient living space for the reunited family to stay, and confirm financial security if immigrants will be dependent. The residence permit of the invited person cannot be valid more than the similar document of the receiving party.

Special activity

Foreigners planning to move to the country on the following grounds can become residents of Romania:

• unpaid volunteer work in a local or international company;
• activity of an accredited journalist with the permission of the authorities;
• participation in scientific research at the invitation of Romanian licensed organizations;
• service in the church with the approval of the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs.

The applicant must be financially secure and have a document confirming the basis, for example, an invitation from a church or a research institute.

Humanitarian grounds

Like other EU countries, Romania accepts foreign refugees, applicants for temporary protection or international asylum, victims of human trafficking or sexual exploitation. The listed categories of persons have the opportunity to claim the status of local residents even without confirming documents: each case is considered individually. There are restrictions: refugees undertake not to use the existing passport and not to visit their native state, which they were forced to leave due to a threat to life or health.

Education

Schoolchildren and students from among foreigners have the opportunity to apply for the status of a resident in Romania. A temporary residence permit is granted to persons who pay for the upcoming education and have the financial ability to provide for themselves during their stay in the state. The applicant must provide to the authorized body a certificate of enrollment in a university (academy, college, institute) or a similar document. If the applicant is under 18, they also need consent from parents or legal guardians.

In Romania, there are exchange programs for students from different countries, the participants of which have the right to obtain a local residence permit. A residence permit is also granted to persons who plan to undergo an internship in the state, improve their professional qualifications in relevant courses, or study for a doctorate or graduate student. With a student residence permit, a foreigner can work part-time (maximum 4 hours a day) without applying for a work permit.

Other reasons

A Romanian residence permit can be granted to other categories of foreigners - those wishing to undergo treatment in a local clinic or get a seasonal job for up to six months. A temporary residence permit in the state is granted individually to other persons in need of protection, whose arrival does not threaten national or public security. The purpose of the foreigner’s move is obliged to confirm documentarily.

The procedure of obtaining a residence permit

To obtain the status of a resident of Romania, an interested person step by step performs the following:

1. Choosing the basis for moving and preparing a dossier.

The foreigners should make sure that they meet the requirements for a residence permit applicant, according to the appropriate basis, after which they collect documents, if necessary - translate them into Romanian, certify and make apostille legalization.

1. Applying for a national visa.

The request for an entry permit to Romania, the applicant provides together with the formed dossier to the consular institution or embassy of the state in the country of permanent residence. During the application, the foreigner answers the questions of the visa officer and leaves their foreign passport.

1. Receiving a visa and moving to Romania.

When the request is approved, the foreigner is returned a foreign passport with a pasted entry permit. The applicant moves to Romania and applies to the local office of the General Immigration Inspectorate before the visa expires. The applicant applies for a temporary resident card, pays state fees, and undergoes a fingerprinting procedure.

1. Receiving a residence permit.

On average, the immigration service takes up to 30-45 days to study the foreigner’s application and make a decision. If the request is satisfied, the applicant is handed a ready-made residence permit personally in hand.

Expenses for obtaining a residence permit

The cost of arranging a long-term national visa to Romania is 120 EUR for all categories of applicants. Making a resident card will cost the applicant 52 EUR. The current details for payment of the administrative fee are provided to the applicant by the General Immigration Inspectorate. Additionally, the foreigner needs to take into account the costs of notary and translator services, which on average amount to 10-15 EUR per page.

Refusal on issuance a residence permit of Romania

A residence permit of Romania is not granted to persons who submit a dossier with mistakes or false documents. Resident status is denied to foreigners who previously had a criminal record, violated immigration laws, or were deported from EU countries with a ban on re-entry. Also, residence permits are not issued to terrorists, extremists, or members of organizations that may jeopardize national and public security.

If an application is rejected, a foreigner can file an appeal, but such cases are rarely decided in favor of immigrants. To be sure that the dossier is correctly compiled and meets the requirements for the applicant, the interested person can use the services of international law specialists. Legal professionals recommend clients the best immigration programs to Romania and other EU countries, and help them obtain an EU passport within 8 months, bypassing the stage of staying in the country with a residence permit. This method is available to most people from post-Soviet countries.