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EU Immigration Portal

Romania - International service provider

Are you a non-EU citizen wishing to come to the EU for short-term business visits or to provide services in the framework of an EU Trade Agreement with a partner country? You can find information below on the conditions, procedures, and your rights.

                                                                       

Conditions

 

Business visitors for establishment purposes (BVEPs)

  • The current Romanian legislation does not foresee this kind of visa.

 

Short-term business visitors (STBV)

Categories of visa, permits or any similar type of authorisation regarding entry and temporary stay

  • The third-country national who intends to travel to Romania for economic or commercial purposes, for contracts or negotiations or the third-country national who is or will become an associate or shareholder of a Romanian company, may apply for a short-stay visa for business purposes, according to the provisions of art. 36 al. 1 lit.d of GEO no. 194/2002 on the regime of third-country nationals in Romania, with subsequent amendments and completions.

Work permit requirements

  • The right of stay on the territory of Romania granted to the third-country national by the short-stay visa cannot be extended.

Documentation required and conditions to be met

The short-term business visa application (C/A) shall be accompanied by the following documents:

  • a travel ticket valid to the destination;
  • medical insurance;
  • an invitation from a company or public authority to attend trade or industry-related meetings, conferences, fairs or congresses, attesting that the company or public authority concerned will cover the costs of executing the removal measures if the invited third-country national does not leave Romania until the date on which the staying right established by visa ends;
  • proof of subsistence means in the amount of 50 euros/day for the entire period, but not less than 500 euros or the equivalent in convertible currency;
  • proof of accommodation.

Where and how to file an application

  • The short-term business visa application (C/A) is submitted by the third-country national to one of the Romanian diplomatic missions or consular offices in the country of domicile or residence. The application could be submitted online, by accessing this link.

Application fees and indicative processing time

  • The application fees for requesting a short-term visa are 80 euros.
  • The application shall be solved within 15 calendar days from the submission date. This period may be extended to a maximum of 30 calendar days in individual cases, when further examination of the application is required. Exceptionally, where, in individual cases, additional documentation is required, that period may be extended up to a maximum of 60 calendar days.

The maximum period of stay under each type of authorisation

  • The short-stay visa allows third-country nationals to enter the territory of Romania for an uninterrupted stay or several stays whose duration does not exceed 90 days during any period of 180 days before each day of stay in Romania. This type of visa can be issued for one or multiple entries.
  • For third-country nationals who travel frequently to Romania, for business-cooperation purposes requested by the central administrative authorities or by the companies regulated by Law no. 31/1990, republished, with subsequent amendments and completions, with high economic-financial capacity, the short-stay visa with multiple entries can be granted for a period of one year and, exceptionally, for a period of up to 5 years. In these cases as well, the duration of the stay may not exceed 90 days during any period of 180 days prior to each day of stay on the territory of Romania. These provisions of the Emergency Ordinance No. 194/2002 are available here.

Conditions for any available extensions or renewal

  • The right of stay on the territory of Romania, granted to the third-country national through the short-stay visa, cannot be extended.

Rules regarding accompanying dependents

  • N/A

Available review and/or appeal procedures

  • According to art. 36, paragraph 3 of GEO 194/20020, the refusal to grant a short-stay visa cannot be contested.

Relevant laws of general application pertaining to the entry and temporary stay of natural persons

  • The Emergency Ordinance no. 194/2002 regarding the regime of third-country nationals in Romania, with subsequent amendments and completions, constitutes the framework which regulates the entry, residence and exit of third-country nationals to and from the Romanian territory, their rights and obligations, as well as specific measures of migration management.


 

Contractual service suppliers (CSSs)

Categories of visa, permits or any similar type of authorisation regarding entry and temporary stay

  • The Romanian legislation does not foresee explicitly this category, but its specific activities could be regulated within the purposes of the short-term business visa which, according to art. 23 para. 4 letter d) of GEO 194/2002, is granted to third-country nationals who intend to travel to Romania for economic or commercial purposes, for contracts or negotiations, for locating, operating or verifying the use and functioning of goods purchased or sold under commercial contracts and industrial cooperation, for training the staff in this respect, as well as for the third-country national who is or is to become an associate or shareholder of a Romanian company.
  • If a third-country national is temporarily seconded in Romania from an enterprise established in a third country, in which he/she is and remains employed under a valid employment contract, to a service beneficiary belonging to that enterprise or to the same group of enterprises, the service beneficiary must request a secondment authorisation.
    The following categories of third-country nationals may carry out work activities as seconded workers on the Romanian territory without prior obtaining the secondment authorisation by the services beneficiary:
    1. third-country employees of legal persons established in one of the E.U./E.E.A/CH Member States seconded to Romania, if they present a residence permit from that Member State;
    2. third-country nationals who carry out temporarily didactic, scientific or other categories of specific activities in specialised institutions accredited or provisionally authorised in Romania, based on treaties concluded by Romania with other states or as holders of a residence right for carrying out scientific research activities and staff with special qualifications, based on the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research's order, as well as third-country nationals who carry out artistic activities in cultural institutions in Romania, based on the Ministry of Culture's order;
    3. third-country nationals who will carry out in Romania temporary activities requested by Ministries or other authorities of the central or local public administration or by autonomous administrative authorities.

In order to obtain the secondment authorisation, the service beneficiary submits an application at the territorial units of the General Inspectorate for Immigration, accompanied by:

  • proof of the legal power of the service beneficiary;
  • the registration certificate at the Trade Register Office (copy and original);
  • the certificate issued by the Trade Register Office stating that no applications for bankruptcy declaration have been submitted (copy and original);
  • a copy of the document certifying the registration in a third country of the enterprise from which the third-country national is seconded, with an authorised translation;
  • the fiscal attestation certificate issued by the public finance administration in whose territorial area the service beneficiary has its registered office, regarding the payment of the obligations to the state budget in the last quarter;
  • the Curriculum Vitae of the third-country national, which should also include the statement on his/her own responsibility that he/she is medically fit and has minimal knowledge of the Romanian language or knows a language of international circulation, as well as two ¾ photographs;
  • a copy of the valid travel document of the third-country national;
  • a copy of the individual employment contract registered with the competent authorities of the country of origin, translated and legalised;
  • a copy of the contract concluded with the company from which the secondment is made, explicitly stating the secondment of its employee in Romania, as the case may be;
  • any document, translated and legalised, which shows that the service beneficiary and the enterprise from which the secondment is made are directly or indirectly affiliated within the meaning of O.G. no. 25/2016, when applicable;
  • a copy of the secondment deed, translated and legalised;
  • a recognition certificate of the studies necessary for the position for which the secondment authorisation is requested, issued by the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth under the conditions provided by the relevant legislation, or the diploma issued by educational institutions accredited in Romania;
  • copies of documents attesting the professional training obtained besides the education system or, as the case may be, attesting professional experience, translated and legalised;
  • documents certifying the professional qualification obtained in Romania or in another EU Member State, necessary for the occupation of the position (when applicable);
  • the third-country national’s criminal record or other document of the same legal value issued by the authorities of the country of origin or residence, translated and legalised;
  • the criminal record of the service beneficiary.

After obtaining the secondment authorisation, the service beneficiary must send this document to the third-country national and the latter will apply for a long-stay visa for secondment from the diplomatic missions and consular offices of Romania within 60 days from the date of obtaining the secondment authorisation.

The long-stay visa for secondment also certifies the third-country national’s right to work in Romania.

Work permit requirements

  • The right to stay on the Romanian territory granted to the third-country national by the short-stay visa cannot be extended.
  • If the third-country national obtained a long-stay visa for secondment, upon entering the territory of Romania, he/she must submit a personal application for extending the residence right and issuing a residence permit, at least 30 days before the expiration of the visa validity.

Documentation required and conditions to be met

The short-term business visa application (C/A) is accompanied by the following documents:

  • a travel ticket valid to the destination;
  • medical insurance;
  • an invitation from a company or public authority to attend trade or industry-related meetings, conferences, fairs or congresses, attesting that the company or public authority concerned will cover the costs of executing the removal measures if the invited third-country national does not leave Romania until the date on which the staying right established by visa ends;
  • proof of subsistence means in the amount of 50 euros/day for the entire period, but not less than 500 euros or the equivalent in convertible currency;
  • proof of accommodation.

The application for a long-stay visa for secondment purposes must be accompanied by the following documents:

  1. a copy of the secondment authorisation issued under the conditions of the special legislation regarding employment and secondment of third-country nationals on the Romanian territory;
  2. proof of subsistence means at the level of the minimum gross basic salary per country guaranteed in payment for the entire period foreseen in the visa;
  3. a criminal record certificate or another document with the same legal value, issued by the authorities of the country of origin or residence;
  4. medical insurance during the validity of the visa.

The application for extending the residence right and issuing a residence permit for secondment purposes will be accompanied by the following documents:

  • the travel document (original and copy);
  • translated and legalised secondment deed;
  • the order of the relevant ministry or, as the case may be, the express request of the central or local public administration bodies or of the autonomous administrative authorities (when applicable);
  • the address from the service beneficiary from which results the activity carried out by the third-country national and its duration (when applicable);
  • proof of legal possession of the living space at the address where he/she resides in Romania (original and copy);
  • proof of subsistence means;
  • proof of social health insurance;
  • a medical certificate attesting that he/she does not suffer from diseases that endanger public health.

Where and how to file an application

  • The short-term business visa application (C/A) and the long-stay visa is submitted by the third-country national to one of the Romanian diplomatic missions or consular offices in the country of origin or residence.
  • The application for extending the residence right and issuing a residence permit for secondment purposes is submitted at the territorial units of the General Inspectorate for Immigration.

Application fees and indicative processing time

  • The application fee for requesting a short-term visa is 80 euros.
  • The application shall be solved within 15 calendar days from the submission date. This period may be extended to a maximum of 30 calendar days in individual cases, when further examination of the application is required. Exceptionally, where, in individual cases, additional documentation is required, that period may be extended up to a maximum of 60 calendar days.
  • The application fee for requesting a long-term visa is 120 euros.
  • Applications for a long-stay visa shall be solved within 60 days from the date of their submission, following verification of compliance with the general and special conditions laid down by the Romanian legislation.
  • The application fees for extending the temporary residence right and issuing a residence permit are 120 euros - consular fee and 259 lei - the value of the residence permit.
  • The application shall be resolved within 30 days from the submission date. This term may be extended to a maximum of 15 days in individual cases where additional verifications are necessary, in order to establish the fulfilment of the residence conditions.

The maximum period of stay under each type of authorisation

  • The short-stay visa allows third-country nationals the entry into Romania for an uninterrupted stay or for several stays whose total duration does not exceed 90 days during any period of 180 days prior to each day of stay in Romania.
  • For third-country nationals who travel frequently to Romania, for business-cooperation relations requested by the central administrative authorities or by the companies regulated by the Law no. 31/1990, republished, with subsequent amendments and completions, with high economic-financial capacity, the short-stay visa with multiple entries can be granted for a period of one year and, exceptionally, for a period of up to 5 years. In these cases as well, the duration of the stay may not exceed 90 days during any period of 180 days prior to each day of stay on the territory of Romania.
    Third-country nationals who entered Romania with a long-stay visa can apply for the extension of the temporary residence right and issuance a residence permit for periods of up to one year.

Conditions for any available extensions or renewal

  • The right to stay on the Romanian territory granted to the third-country national by the short-stay visa cannot be extended.
  • The residence right granted by the long-term visa is 90 days since the entry day and the residence permit issued for the purpose of secondment is valid for one year.

Rules regarding accompanying dependents

  • The third-country national holding a short-term visa cannot request family reunification.
  • The third-country national holding a residence permit for the purpose of secondment may apply for family reunification with:
    • his/her spouse, if the marriage took place before acquiring the right to reside in Romania;
    • his/her (and his/her spouse's) unmarried minor son/s and/or daughter/s, including those adopted;
    • his/her unmarried minor son/s and/or daughter/s, including the adopted ones, who are dependent on him/her and over whom he/she exercises the parental rights. If the parental rights are exercised jointly, the consent of the other parent is also required;
    • his/her unmarried minor son/s and/or daughter/s of his/her spouse, including the adopted ones who are dependent on him/her and over whom his/her spouse exercises parental rights. If the parental rights are exercised jointly, the consent of the other parent is also required;
    • his/her (and/or your spouse's) ascending relatives, if they cannot support themselves and do not enjoy adequate family support in the origin country;
    • - his/her (and/or his/her spouse's) unmarried adult son/s and/or daughter/s of the sponsor or of the spouse, in case they cannot support themselves for medical reasons.

The application form shall be submitted to the territorial office of the General Inspectorate for Immigration responsible for the third-country national’s place of residence and shall be accompanied by the following supporting documents:

  • the marriage/birth certificate or, as the case may be, proof of kinship, issued by the competent authorities, translated and legalised in accordance with the law;
  • an authentic statement attesting that the family members will live with the sponsor;
  • a copy of the document certifying his/her residence right on the Romanian territory;
  • proof of legal possession of a living space;
  • proof of subsistence means;
  • proof of insurance;
  • the written statement of consent of the other parent who holds together with the sponsor the joint custody of the minor child for whom the family reunification is requested;
  • a copy of the travel document of the family member.

The request shall be processed within a time limit of maximum 3 months from the date of submission.

Approval of the request shall be communicated in writing to the applicant, in order to be forwarded to the interested family members, who shall present it to the diplomatic mission or consular office within 60 days of its issuance date, together with the application for a long-stay visa for family reunification. The visa shall be issued by the diplomatic missions or consular offices of Romania in the country where the family members have their residence or domicile.

After obtaining Romanian visa, the family members may be granted an extension of the residence right for the purpose of family reunification if they:

  • present documents attesting the existence of family relation;
  • live in the sponsor’s household;
  • present documents proving subsistence means amount to at least the net minimum wage at national economy level.

The right to temporary residence shall be extended individually, for each family member, for the same period for which the sponsor has been granted the residence right. Family members have the right to work in Romania, without the obligation to obtain a long-stay visa in this regard.

Available review and/or appeal procedures

  • According to art. 36, paragraph 3 of GEO 194/20020, the refusal to grant a short-stay visa cannot be appealed.
  • The decision of the competent Romanian authorities refusing to grant the long-term visa can be appealed under the conditions of the Law on administrative litigation no. 554/2004 with subsequent amendments and completions.
  • The refusal to extend the residence right is communicated by the return decision. This measure can be appealed within 10 days from the communication date to the court of appeal in whose territorial jurisdiction is the GII unit that issued the return decision. The court solves the appeal within 30 days from the receipt date. The court's decision is final.

Relevant laws of general application pertaining to the entry and temporary stay of natural persons

  • The Emergency Ordinance no. 194/2002 regarding the regime of third-country nationals in Romania, with subsequent completions and completions, constitutes the framework which regulates the entry, residence and exit of third-country nationals to and from the Romanian territory, their rights and obligations, as well as specific measures of migration management.

 

Independent professionals (IPs)

Categories of visa, permits or any similar type of authorisation regarding entry and temporary stay

The Romanian legislation does not foresee explicitly this category, but its specific activities could be regulated within the framework of a long-stay visa carrying out professional activities. Thus, according to art. 42 of GEO 194/2002, the long-stay visa for carrying out professional activities is granted to third-country nationals who are to exercise on the Romanian territory liberal professions regulated by special laws. Art. 54 foresees the conditions for extending the residence right in order to carry out professional activities and issuing the residence permit.

Work permit requirements

  • A third-country national who enters Romania for the purpose of exercising a liberal profession regulated by special laws shall be granted an extension of the temporary residence right for this purpose if he/she fulfils the following conditions:
    • he/she proves that he/she effectively carries out the professional activity, under the conditions provided by the special law;
    • he/she presents documents proving a personal income amounting to at least the level of the average gross salary, monthly, for the entire period the extension of residence right is requested.

Documentation required and conditions to be met

  • The application for obtaining the long-term visa for carrying out professional activities shall be submitted with the following documents:
    • proof of fulfilment of the legal conditions for exercising the respective profession;
    • proof that in the origin country the third-country national practices a profession similar to the one he/she intends to pursue in Romania;
    • medical insurance during the validity of the visa;
    • a criminal record certificate or other document with the same legal value.
  • The application for the extension of the residence right and for the issuance of the residence permit shall be submitted with the following documents:
  • the border crossing document, in original and in copy;
  • a medical certificate issued by a public or private health institution stating that he/she does not suffer from diseases which may endanger public health;
  • proof of legal possession of the living space at the address where he/she declares that he/she resides in Romania;
  • proof of social health insurance;
  • proof of subsistence means, at least at the level of the average gross monthly salary for the entire period the extension of the residence right is requested;
  • proof of payment of the fees related to the extension of the residence right and the cost of the document issued for this purpose;
  • proof that he/she effectively carries out his/her professional activity under the conditions provided by the special law.

Where and how to file an application

  • The application for the long-term visa shall be submitted by the third-country national to one of the Romanian diplomatic missions or consular offices in the third-country national's country of domicile or residence. The extension of residence right granted by the long-visa and the renewal of the residence permit shall be submitted to the competent territorial structure of the General Inspectorate for Immigration. Applications for the extension of the temporary residence right for the purpose of carrying out professional activities shall be submitted in person by the applicants, at least 30 days before the expiry of the residence period.
  • In order to improve the public immigration services provided, the General Inspectorate for Immigration has created an online Portal application which allows third-country nationals to upload, preview and verify the documents for scheduling their application. The online transmission of the application and the necessary documents does not represent the submission of the application in the sense provided by GEO 194/2002 regarding the regime of third-country nationals in Romania, republished, with subsequent amendments and completions.

Application fees and indicative processing time

  • The application fees for requesting a long-term visa are 120 euros.
  • The fees related to the extension of the residence right are 120 euros (the equivalent in lei at the payment date) and the cost of the permit issued for this purpose is 259 lei.
  • The application for granting the long-term visa shall be solved within up to 60 days from the date of the submission, following the verification of the fulfilment of the general and special conditions.
  • The request for granting a residence permit shall be solved within a time limit of 30 days from the date of its submission. In cases in which, in order to determine the fulfilment of the conditions for extending the right to residence, it is necessary to perform additional verifications, their processing term may be extended by a maximum of 15 days.

The maximum period of stay under each type of authorisation

  • The residence right granted by the long-term visa is 90 days since the entry day and the residence permit issued for the purpose of carrying out professional activities is valid for one year.

Conditions for any available extensions or renewal

  • The visa for long-term stay allows third-country nationals who have entered the territory of Romania to request the extension of the temporary residence right and to obtain a residence permit. The residence permit may be extended successively for periods of up to one year.

Rules regarding accompanying dependents

  • The third-country nationals holding a residence permit for the purpose of carrying out professional activities may apply for family reunification with:
    • his/her spouse, if the marriage took place before acquiring the right to reside in Romania;
    • his/her (and his/her spouse's) unmarried minor son/s and/or daughter/s, including those adopted;
    • his/her unmarried minor son/s and/or daughter/s, including the adopted ones, who are dependent on him/her and over whom he/she exercises the parental rights. If the parental rights are exercised jointly, the consent of the other parent is also required;
    • his/her unmarried minor son/s and/or daughter/s of his/her spouse, including the adopted ones who are dependent on him/her and over whom his/her spouse exercises parental rights. If the parental rights are exercised jointly, the consent of the other parent is also required;
    • his/her (and/or your spouse's) ascending relatives, if they cannot support themselves and do not enjoy adequate family support in the origin country;
    • his/her (and/or his/her spouse's) unmarried adult son/s and/or daughter/s of the sponsor or of the spouse, in case they cannot support themselves for medical reasons.
  • The application form shall be submitted to the territorial office of the General Inspectorate for Immigration responsible for the third-country national’s place of residence and shall be accompanied by the following supporting documents:
    • the marriage/birth certificate or, as the case may be, proof of kinship, issued by the competent authorities, translated and legalised in accordance with the law;
    • an authentic statement attesting that the family members will live with the sponsor;
    • a copy of the document certifying his/her residence right on the Romanian territory;
    • proof of legal possession of a living space;
    • proof of subsistence means;
    • proof of insurance;
    • the written statement of consent of the other parent who holds together with the sponsor the joint custody of the minor child for whom the family reunification is requested;
    • a copy of the travel document of the family member.
  • The request shall be processed within a time limit of maximum 3 months from the date of submission.
  • Approval of the request shall be communicated in writing to the applicant, in order to be forwarded to the interested family members, who shall present it to the diplomatic mission or consular office within 60 days of its issuance date, together with the application for a long-stay visa for family reunification. The visa shall be issued by the diplomatic missions or consular offices of Romania in the country where the family members have their residence or domicile.
  • After obtaining Romanian visa, the family members may be granted an extension of the residence right for the purpose of family reunification if they:
    • present documents attesting the existence of family relation;
    • live in the sponsor’s household;
    • present documents proving subsistence means to an amount of at least the net minimum wage at national economy level.
  • The right of temporary residence shall be extended individually, for each family member, for the same period for which the sponsor has been granted the residence right. Family members have the right to work in Romania, without the obligation to obtain a long-stay visa in this regard.

Available review and/or appeal procedures

  • The decision of the competent Romanian authorities refusing to grant the long-term visa can be appealed under the conditions of the Law on administrative litigation no. 554/2004 (its provisions are available here) with subsequent amendments and completions.
  • The refusal to extend the residence right and the reasons for it are communicated by the return decision. This measure can be appealed within 10 days from the communication date to the court of appeal in whose territorial jurisdiction is the GII unit that issued the return decision. The court solves the appeal within 30 days from the receipt date. The court's decision is final.

Relevant laws of general application pertaining to the entry and temporary stay of natural persons

  • The Emergency Ordinance no. 194/2002 regarding the regime of third-country nationals in Romania, with subsequent completions and modifications, constitutes the framework which regulates the entry, residence and exit of third-country nationals to and from the Romanian territory, their rights and obligations, as well as specific measures of migration management.

 

Investors

Categories of visa, permits or any similar type of authorisation regarding entry and temporary stay

The ‘investors’ category is regulated in the Romanian legislation by the provisions of GEO 194/2002 (the provisions of the Emergency Ordinance No. 194/2002 are available here) regarding the entry and temporary residence for the purpose of carrying out commercial activities. In order to enter and remain in Romania for more than 90 days, it is necessary to obtain a long-stay visa which grants third-country nationals the right to temporary stay and the possibility to apply for its extension and to obtain a residence permit within maximum 90 days after entering the country. Thus, according to the provisions of art. 24, para. (1), lit. c) of the O.U.G. 194/2002, the long-stay visa for the purpose of commercial activities (D/AC) is issued to third-country nationals who are or will become shareholders or associates with management and executive attributions of some commercial companies in Romania. After entering Romania with the long-stay visa for commercial activities purpose, the third-country nationals can apply for extending the residence right and obtain a residence permit.

Work permit requirements

  • The extension of the temporary residence right for the purpose of carrying out commercial activities is granted to the third-country national if general and special conditions provided in GEO 194/2002 are met, respectively:

    General conditions:

    • he/she meets the conditions regarding the entry into Romania;
    • the third-country national is not reported by the competent authorities as posing a danger to national defence and security or public health;
    • during the stay in Romania, none of the reasons for non-permission of entry has incurred;
    • he/she possesses a valid travel document, except in cases where the travel document has expired after entering Romania and, for reasons independent of the third-country national’s will, this could not be extended;
    • he/she requests the extension of the residence right for the same purpose for which he/she was granted a long-stay visa;
    • the purpose for which he/she has been granted residence in Romania has been previously respected;
    • he/she proves the legal possession of the accommodation space and effectively lives at the address where he/she declares he/she has the residence in Romania;
    • he/she presents the proof of the social health insurance. At the first extension of the residence right, the third-country nationals can present a health insurance for all the risks usually covered for the Romanian citizens;
    • he/she presents the proof of payment of the fees related to the extension of the residence right.

Special conditions:

  • he/she obtained the approval of the General Directorate for Foreign Investments within the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Business Environment;
  • he/she possesses legally the space for the registered office;
  • he/she is a shareholder or associate of the company, with management or executive responsibilities;
  • he/she presents subsistence means in the amount of at least 700 euros per month if he/she is a shareholder and 500 euros per month if he/she is an associate.

Subsequent extensions of the temporary residence right may be granted if the third-country national meets the following conditions:

  • the activity of the company is carried out in accordance with the business plan;
  • the object of the activity carried out is the initial one or a continuation or a result of it;
  • he/she proves legal possession for the registered headquarters;
  • he/she is a shareholder or associate of the company, with management or executive responsibilities;
  • the investment is made either by capital or technology contribution in the amount of 70,000 euros in case of the shareholder, or 50,000 euros in case of the associate, and in the creation of at least 15 jobs in case of the shareholder, respectively 10 jobs in case of the associate. In case of employment creation, these must be staffed by employees contracted full-time under legal conditions;
  • he/she possesses subsistence means in the amount of at least 700 euros per month if he/she is a shareholder and 500 euros per month if he/she is an associate, obtained from the activity carried out on the Romanian territory.

Documentation required and conditions to be met

  • Third-country nationals who are or will become shareholders or associates with management and executive responsibilities of a Romanian company, may apply for issuing a long-stay visa for commercial activities, identified by the symbol D/AC, based on the specialised technical approval issued by the General Directorate for Foreign Investments within the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Business Environment. The approval is valid for 6 months from the date of issuance and aims to ascertain the fulfilment of the technical, utility and economic feasibility conditions of the investment to be implemented by the third-country citizen.
  • At the same time, according to the provisions of art.43, para.(5) of the O.U.G. no. 194/2002, the third-country national's visa application will be accompanied, in addition to the specialised technical approval mentioned above, by a criminal record certificate or other document with the same legal value, medical insurance during the visa validity and proof of accommodation conditions.

  • The visa application is submitted to the diplomatic missions or consular offices of Romania and is sent, through the Consular Department within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to the General Inspectorate for Immigration, for approval according to its competencies.

    For the first extension of the residence right (obtaining the first residence permit) for the purpose of carrying out commercial activities, the following documents shall be submitted:

    • the application for extending the residence right;
    • the border crossing document (passport, travel document, etc.) in original and copy;
    • the ascertaining certificate issued by the Trade Register Authority;
    • the business plan and the specialised technical approval issued by the Ministry for Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship (M.M.A.C.A);
    • the registration certificate of the company (original and copy);
    • the constitutive act of the company (original and copy);
    • the court decision of the company establishment (original and copy);
    • proof of subsistence means (in the amount of 500 euros per month for associates and 700 euros per month for shareholders, during the period of validity of the permit);
    • proof of legal possession of the space for the registered office (original and copy);
    • proof of legal possession of the accommodation space (original and copy);
    • proof of social health insurance - according to art. 50 para. 2 letter g) of GEO 194/2002, at the first extension of the right of residence, third-country nationals can present a health insurance for all the risks usually covered for Romanian citizens;
    • a medical certificate issued by a public or private health institution stating that he/she does not suffer from diseases which may endanger public health;
    • proof of payment of the fees related to the extension of the residence right and the cost of the document issued for this purpose.

The following documents are submitted for the subsequent extension of the residence right:

  • the border crossing document, in original and in copy;
  • a medical certificate issued by a public or private health institution stating that he/she does not suffer from diseases which may endanger public health;
  • proof of legal possession of the living space at the address where he/she declares that he/she resides on the Romanian territory;
  • proof of social health insurance;
  • proof of possession of subsistence means (in the amount of at least 700 euros per month if he/she is a shareholder, and 500 euros per month if he/she is associated), obtained from the activity carried out on the Romanian territory. No proof of subsistence means is required in case of investments of at least 150,000 euros or of creation of at least 25 jobs. For investments of at least 200,000 euros or if at least 50 jobs have been created, proof of maintenance can be provided with other legal documents;
  • proof of payment of the fees related to the extension of the right of residence and the cost of the document issued for this purpose;
  • the specialised technical opinion issued by the Ministry of Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship (M.M.A.C.A) attesting that the activity of the company was carried out in accordance with the business plan;
  • the ascertaining certificate attesting the quality of the applicant, the name, the registered office and the main object of the company's activity, the mentions within the communication given by the courts, the functioning duration of the company, the main economic-financial indicators, respectively total fixed assets, turnover, net profit or loss, average number of employees;
  • the entries of mentions provided by law, corresponding to the modifications occurred regarding the constitutive act of the commercial company;
  • an attestation issued by the territorial labour inspectorate, certifying the number of employed persons.

Where and how to file an application

  • The application for the long-term visa shall be submitted by the third-country national to one of the Romanian diplomatic missions or consular offices in the third-country national's country of domicile or residence. The extension of residence right granted by the long-visa and the renewal of the residence permit shall be submitted to the competent territorial structure of the General Inspectorate for Immigration. Applications for the extension of the temporary residence right for the purpose of carrying out commercial activities shall be submitted in person by the applicants, at least 30 days before the expiry of the residence period.
  • In order to improve the public immigration services provided, the General Inspectorate for Immigration has created an online Portal application which allows third-country nationals to upload, preview and verify the documents for scheduling their application. The online transmission of the application and the necessary documents does not represent the submission of the application in the sense provided by GEO 194/2002 regarding the regime of third-country nationals in Romania, republished, with subsequent amendments and completions.

Application fees and indicative processing time

  • The application fees for requesting a long-term visa are 120 euros.
  • The fees related to the extension of the residence right are 120 euros (the equivalent in lei at the payment date) and the cost of the permit issued for this purpose is 259 lei.
  • The application for granting the long-term visa shall be solved within up to 60 days from the date of the submission, following the verification of the fulfilment of the general and special conditions.
  • The request for granting a residence permit shall be solved within a time limit of 30 days from the date of its submission. In cases in which, in order to determine the fulfillment of the conditions for extending the right to residence, it is necessary to perform additional verifications, their processing term may be extended by a maximum of 15 days.

The maximum period of stay under each type of authorisation

  • The visa for long-term stay allows third-country nationals who have entered the territory of Romania to request the extension of the temporary residence permit and obtain a residence permit. The right of temporary residence for commercial activities shall be extended successively for periods of 1 year. In the case of third-country nationals who prove that they have made investments of at least 500,000 euros or that they have created over 50 full-time jobs, the residence right is extended for 3 years.

Conditions for any available extensions or renewal

  • The visa for long-term stay allows third-country nationals who have entered the territory of Romania to request the extension of the temporary residence right and to obtain a residence permit. The residence permit may be extended successively for periods of up to one year, with the exception mentioned above.

Rules regarding accompanying dependents

  • The third-country national holding a residence permit for the purpose of carrying out professional activities may apply for family reunification with:
    • his/her spouse, if the marriage took place before acquiring the right to reside in Romania;
    • his/her (and his/her spouse's) unmarried minor son/s and/or daughter/s, including those adopted;
    • his/her unmarried minor son/s and/or daughter/s, including the adopted ones, who are dependent on him/her and over whom he/she exercises the parental rights. If the parental rights are exercised jointly, the consent of the other parent is also required;
    • his/her unmarried minor son/s and/or daughter/s of his/her spouse, including the adopted ones who are dependent on him/her and over whom his/her spouse exercises parental rights. If the parental rights are exercised jointly, the consent of the other parent is also required;
    • his/her (and/or your spouse's) ascending relatives, if they cannot support themselves and do not enjoy adequate family support in the origin country;
    • his/her (and/or his/her spouse's)  unmarried adult son/s and/or daughter/s of the sponsor or of the spouse, in case they cannot support themselves for medical reasons.
  • The application form shall be submitted to the territorial office of the General Inspectorate for Immigration responsible for the third-country national’s place of residence and shall be accompanied by the following supporting documents:
    • the marriage/birth certificate or, as the case may be, proof of kinship, issued by the competent authorities, translated and legalised in accordance with the law;
    • an authentic statement attesting that the family members will live with the sponsor;
    • a copy of the document certifying his/her residence right on the Romanian territory;
    • proof of legal possession of a living space;
    • proof of subsistence means;
    • proof of insurance;
    • the written statement of consent of the other parent who holds together with the sponsor the joint custody of the minor child for whom the family reunification is requested;
    • a copy of the travel document of the family member.
  • The request shall be processed within a time limit of maximum 3 months from the date of submission.
  • Approval of the request shall be communicated in writing to the applicant, in order to be forwarded to the interested family members, who shall present it to the diplomatic mission or consular office within 60 days of its issuance date, together with the application for a long-stay visa for family reunification. The visa shall be issued by the diplomatic missions or consular offices of Romania in the country where the family members have their residence or domicile.
  • After obtaining the Romanian visa, the family members may be granted an extension of the residence right for the purpose of family reunification if they:
    • present documents attesting the existence of family relations;
    • live in the sponsor’s household;
    • present documents proving subsistence means to an amount of at least the net minimum wage at national economy level.
  • The right to temporary residence shall be extended individually, for each family member, for the same period for which the sponsor has been granted the residence right. Family members have the right to work in Romania, without the obligation to obtain a long-stay visa in this regard.

Available review and/or appeal procedures

  • The decision of the competent Romanian authorities refusing to grant the long-term visa can be appealed under the conditions of the Law on administrative litigation no. 554/2004 with subsequent amendments and completions.
  • The refusal to extend the residence right is communicated by the return decision. This measure can be appealed within 10 days from the communication date to the court of appeal in whose territorial jurisdiction is the GII unit that issued the return decision. The court solves the appeal within 30 days from the receipt date. The court's decision is final.

Relevant laws of general application pertaining to the entry and temporary stay of natural persons

  • The Emergency Ordinance no. 194/2002 regarding the regime of third-country nationals in Romania, with subsequent completions and modifications, constitutes the framework which regulates the entry, residence and exit of third-country nationals to and from the Romanian territory, their rights and obligations, as well as specific measures of migration management.