Romania Work Visa and Residence Permit

Romania’s work visa and residence route is the national employee path for third-country nationals who will work for a Romanian employer but are not using the EU Blue Card. Since 2026, public route planning turns on the WorkinRomania single request and the D/AM1 or D/AM2 work visa category.

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Need	Best page
Compare with the EU Blue Card	Romania Work Visa vs EU Blue Card
Check salary and qualification rules	Salary and qualification rules
Plan employer steps and documents	Timeline and documents
Review family, job changes, unemployment, and settlement	Family, mobility, and settlement

Programme Snapshot

Item	Current Rule
Main audience	Third-country nationals employed by a Romanian employer
Route frame	Employer-filed WorkinRomania single request, work visa, then IGI residence permit after entry
Main visa split	D/AM1 for highly qualified and other listed special categories; D/AM2 for permanent, seasonal, and cross-border workers who do not fit D/AM1
D/AM2 constraint	Occupation must appear on Romania’s shortage occupations list
Salary signal	Ordinary employment salary must at least meet the minimum gross salary; from July 1, 2026 that is RON 4,325/month
Residence validity	Contract period, capped at 2 years for ordinary temporary work residence
Family	Family reunification is a separate residence basis and should be planned alongside the work route

Good Fit

This route is strongest for genuine Romanian employment that does not meet the EU Blue Card salary or qualification profile, especially where the job fits Romania’s D/AM2 shortage-occupation framework.

Poor Fit

It is usually a poor fit for independent contractors, foreign-payroll remote workers, roles outside the relevant D/AM category, and cases where EU Blue Card family or mobility rules make the Blue Card a better first route.