The guide does not cover all specific situations, therefore, for any specific guidance related to your case, we advise you to request guidance from an immigration consultant.
Basic concepts first
Types of travel visas
Foreigners of certain nationalities must apply for a Romanian visa if they want to travel to Romania. Therefore, before traveling or moving to Romania, it is very important to check visa requirements for Romania, otherwise your entry to the country could be denied. The list of countries whose nationals must apply for visa before traveling to Romania can be found here.
Applications for any types of visas must be submitted to the Romanian embassies, consulates or missions in the applicant’s country of residence (please find an updated list here). The long-term visas can be granted only if prior approval from the Romanian Immigration Office was received by the consulate. Only by special exceptions, transit visas or short-term visas can also be issued by Romanian border checkpoint officers.
IMPORTANT: Before applying for any travel visa for Romania, please ensure that your passport meets the following criteria:
- its validity exceeds the validity of the visa for which you apply with at least 3 months
- it was issued during the prior 10 years.
Among the countries whose citizens need a visa to enter Romania, there are certain countries whose citizens need to obtain an invitation letter approved by the Romanian Immigration Office prior to applying for the travel visa.
Romanian work permits – types
Romanian residency permits (non-EU nationals)
Depending on the purpose of stay in Romania and on fulfilling the applicable conditions, Romanian immigration authorities can issue Romanian residency permits of the following types:
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Romania is member of the European Union as of 1 January 2007.
No, Romania is not yet part of the Schengen area. Nevertheless, it applies similar immigration rules as those applied by Schengen area member countries.
If you are citizen of any EU states, no visa is required for entering and staying in Romania. If you are citizen of a non-EU member country, depending on your citizenship, you may need a visa to be stamped in your passport prior to traveling to Romania. For verifying whether you need a Romanian travel visa, please check the official list updated by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, here: List of countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when traveling to Romania.
Travel visas are generally issued by the Romanian consulates abroad who deal with the immigration affairs. If you wish to apply for a Romanian entry visa, you need to reach out to the Romanian consulate in your country of residence. Ask the consulate for the list of documents that are required for a visa application. If there is no Romanian consulate in your country, please try to contact the consulate in one of your neighboring countries.
Yes, you can travel to Romania if you have a valid Schengen visa in your passport (with two or multiple entries). Or if you have a valid residence permit for any country part of the Schengen area.
No, there are no other requirements. And you can travel to Romania for a period/periods of no more than 90 days. Of course, depending on the purpose of your travel, the border police may have reasons to ask you different questions or documents proving the purpose or period of your stay.
There are many and different purposes for which you can choose to live in Romania for a long term. Some of them are: work (as employee or seconded to a Romanian company), studies, business activities, or sports activities. Depending on the specific purpose of your stay, different legal requirements and procedures apply. For example, if you want to enter into discussions for an employment offer with a Romanian company, you would need to know that a work permit application may be required (if you are citizen of a country which is not an EU member). The work permit application must be done by your future Romanian employer. You must not start any employment activities in Romania until the work permit is issued by authorities.
It depends a lot on your specific situation. The official deadline for having the work permit issued by the authorities is of 30 days from the date your employer submits the application. However, to be able to submit the work permit application, you or your employer will need to fulfill other mandatory steps before. Such steps are: certification on availability of Romanian or EU candidates for the same position, tax certification to be obtained by your employer, etc. Therefore, it may take 60 to 90 days from initiation of the work permit procedure until its issuance.
If you have a Romanian temporary or long-term residency permit which is valid for at least 12 months, you can apply for family reunification approval. The application for obtaining the approval must be done with the Romanian Immigration Office.
More exactly, you must submit an application, accompanied by relevant documentation (i.e. housing proof, marriage certificate, etc.). Through this application, you, as a sponsor, request for long-term visas to be approved for your family members. Once the application is submitted, you must wait for the authorities’ approval, which can take up to 90 days. The approval will be issued in writing. Afterwards, it must be used by your family to apply for long-term visas at the Romanian consulate in their home country. For a list of Romanian consulates abroad and their contact details, please check the following link: Romanian consulates and embassies abroad.
2 Comments
Hi,
I’m Marketing Professional; working in Saudi Arabia for the last 20 years now because they are nationalizing jobs therefore I would like to immigrate to Romania where I can continue my career.
I have following special traits;
1. I’m Marketing Professional since 1999 and will pursue PhD.
2. I’m Corporate Trainer and giving training to Hotels, Companies and Consulates.
3. I have one of the best tracking system in the world for tourists, we invented and applied in Saudi Arabia for pilgrims coming from across the world.
4. I’m Pakistani National but working in Dubai, Turkey and now in Saudi Arabia for the last 20 years.
Please review my CV and let me know if I can complete my PhD and subsequently apply for immigration in Romania.
Thank You,
Muhammad Aamir Shahzad
How can I check my Submission for TRC card, I have number of Submission slip