Hiring Foreign Workers in Romania: Application Requirements, Visa Process, and Legal Obligations

Hiring Foreign Workers in Romania: Application Requirements, Visa Process, and Legal Obligations

If you are a citizen of a non -  EU/ EEA state or the Swiss Confederation, you may work in Romania

as a permanent worker / posted worker / cross-border worker / trainee, highly qualified worker, au pair / or seasonal

only with a PRIOR WORK PERMIT obtained by your future employer.

Anyone to be employed in Romania must prove:

• specific conditions regarding professional qualifications, relevant work experience, and authorizations.
  This may require the recognition or equivalence of certain diplomas and competencies.
• Medical fitness condition for targeted work
• NO CRIMINAL RECORDS incompatible with the intended activity – proven by a criminal record certificate or equivalent document / notary declaration, certified by a sworn translator.

AFTER FINDING AN EMPLOYER OR A FORM OF MOBILITY UNDER CURRENT REGULATIONS, AND CLARIFYING THE EMPLOYMENT AND ACCOMMODATION CONDITIONS:

• you will apply for a long-stay visa for the appropriate purpose;
• you will enter Romania legally;
• you will sign the contract offered by the employer – the employer is obliged to sign the individual employment contract within 15 working days from your entry into Romania;
• and you will obtain a residence permit, based on proper documentation and your personal presence at the competent IGI office, which grants you the right to reside and work in Romania.

In IDENTIFYING AN ELIGIBLE FUTURE EMPLOYER, please consider the following:

• The employing company must not be set up with the main goal of facilitating the entry of foreigners into Romania and must effectively carry out activities on Romanian territory that match the role for which the foreigner is to be employed.
• The company must be up to date with its fiscal obligations.
• The company must have a clear record of sanctions for undeclared work or illegal employment – see details below.
• It must have effectively operated in the field of activity for which it requests the work permit for at least 1 year

This requirement was introduced on March 22, 2024 (GEO 25/2024) and has generated significant debate. Its purpose is to act as a safeguard ensuring that the employer requesting foreign labor is financially viable, capable of running a productive business, paying salaries, possibly providing housing, and fulfilling all obligations toward the foreign employee. This measure is, in principle, welcomed by us, for the protection it aims to offer.

However, we believe that exceptions should be considered in the case of investors who can demonstrate from the outset a strong investment plan and  financial capacity.

FOR THOSE SEEKING ENTRY IN THE ROMANIAN MARKET - WITH THE INTENTION TO EMPLOY STAFF FROM THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN (NON-EU/EEA/SWISS):

Purchasing a company that has effectively operated in the targeted field and employed staff for at least 1 year in Romania, and continuing its operation under the same primary business objective with a business plan approved in advance, shall allow a nuanced interpretation of this condition, assessed case-by-case, so that foreign investment is not discouraged.

Work Permit Procedure:

The procedure is initiated by the future employer, who submits the documentation to any IGI branch and pays a fee of 100 EUR per foreign worker (exceptions: au pair workers, graduates, seasonal workers, or job/position changes within the same employer – fee: 25 EUR per worker).

Initially, the employer must obtain proof that the vacant positions cannot be filled by Romanian, EU/EEA citizens, or permanent residents in Romania.

Within the last 6 months prior to the decision, employers must not have any history or sanctions related to undeclared or illegal employment.

At the time of resolution, the application must fall within the approved annual quota.

For 2025, the maximum number of non-EU workers allowed on the Romanian labor market remains 100,000, same as in 2024.

According to IGI data, by the end of 2024, 98.3% of the approved quota was used, and between January–April 2025, 29.5% had been used.

Based on this evolution, companies needing foreign staff still have sufficient margin until the end of 2025.

At LegalProAdvisory, we offer full legal assistance and support for verifying all eligibility criteria and specific documentation requirements based on the type of application and applicant.

We coordinate all steps of the procedure, relations with notaries, certified translators, third-party institutions, and service providers, ensuring procedural efficiency, reasonable costs, and compliance with deadlines and validity periods of documents in each stage.