If you wish to carry out research in Romania, you must obtain a long-stay visa for scientific/research purposes.
Long-stay visas for the purpose of scientific research must be obtained following approval of the Ministry of Research and Innovation and the General Inspectorate for Immigration, at the request of the research institution at which you intend to carry out your research activities.
If you intend to stay in Romania for more than 90 days, you must also get a temporary residence permit after you arrive in the country.
You do not need a work authorisation.
If you hold a residence permit issued for research purposes in another EU country, you can apply to reside in Romania to carry out research activities, without having to obtain a visa. You must get approval from the Ministry of Research and Innovation.
Where and how to apply | You must obtain a long-stay visa at the Romanian embassy in your country of origin or of residence. This visa is identified by the symbol D/CS. Upon arrival, you must apply for a residence permit at the General Inspectorate for Immigration. |
Documents required | When applying for a long-stay visa for scientific research, you must provide:
When applying for a temporary residence permit for scientific research, you must show the agreement concluded between you and your research institution, countersigned by the Ministry ofResearch and Innovation. |
Duration of validity of permits | The long-stay visa for scientific/research purposes is valid for 90 days. The residence right for this purpose is extended for a period equal to the duration provided for in the agreement, but not more than 5 consecutive years. |
Further information | More on carrying out research in Romania (in Romanian). |
| Change of employment | You are tied to the research agreement concluded with the research institute. |
| Change of status | You are allowed to change status if conditions are met. |
| Long-term residence | To be granted a long-term residence permit, you must show that your temporary stay in Romania has been legal and continuous for at least five years. Only half the time spent as a student with a temporary residence permit can be taken into account when calculating this period. During the five-year period, you must not have left Romania for more than six months in one year or for more than ten months in total. You must show:
You must also do a language test to prove a satisfactory level of Romanian and must not pose a threat to public order or national security. If you have obtained a permanent right to stay, you will be issued with a long-term residence permit, renewable every five years. Long-term resident status gives you equal treatment with Romanian citizens regarding the conditions for access to the labour market (except public prerogatives), education and vocational training, social security, social and health care, social protection and medical assistance. More on permanent residence (in Romanian). |
| Family reunification | You may apply for family reunification, even if your residence permit is valid for less than one year. |
The temporary residence right for scientific research purpose on mobility | |
Short-term mobility | The third-country national, holder of a valid long-stay visa or a residence permit for scientific research, issued by another Member State of the European Union, may enter and remain in Romania to carry out research activities for a period of up to 180 days in any period of 360 days without the obligation to obtain a visa, from the date of notification sent by the research-development unit to the territorial unit of the General Inspectorate for Immigration on whose radius the third-country national is to carry out his/her activity. Family members, holders of a long-stay visa or a residence permit for family reunification, issued by the first Member State and accompanying the researcher, may enter and remain in Romania with him/her under the same conditions. Any objections to the mobility of researchers and their family members shall be communicated in writing to the competent authorities of the first Member State and to the research and development unit which submitted the notification and shall result in a ban on the researcher's activity in Romania. |
Long-term mobility | For the purpose of carrying out scientific research activities for a period of more than 180 days, , the third-country national holding a valid long-stay visa or residence permit for scientific research purposes, issued by another Member State of the European Union, as well as accompanying family members, holders of long-stay visas or residence permits for the purpose of family reunification issued by the first Member State, may enter and apply for long-term mobility (extension of the residence right on the territory of Romania), without the obligation to obtain a long-stay visa. During the long-term mobility, their residence right will be extended for scientific research, respectively for family reunification purposes, as the case may be, if they present the following documents:
In the context of long-term mobility, the researcher may carry out scientific research activities from the date of submission of the application for extending the residence right. The residence right for research purposes shall be extended for a period equal to the duration provided for in the agreement. The extension, revocation or cessation of the residence right for third-country nationals carrying out scientific research in the context of long-term mobility shall be notified by the General Inspectorate for Immigration to the competent authorities of the first Member State within 30 days of the measure. |