Romania currently offers 6 active paths relevant to remote workers, including a digital nomad visa (income requirement 27,576 RON/month). Conditions below come from official immigration sources — filter by your citizenship.
Verified
Getting in
Who can enter Romania and on what terms — visa-free windows and entry visas.
Visa-free short stay (Schengen 90/180)
activeVisa-free stay
For: US citizens, UK citizens, Ukrainian citizens
Duration
3 months
Path to PR
No
Requirements (3)
Passport of an Annex II visa-exempt country (for Ukraine and other Eastern Partnership states: biometric passports only)
Sufficient funds, accommodation, and no entry ban; visa-free entry is not an unconditional right
90 days within any rolling 180-day window — since 2025-01-01 counted across the whole Schengen area (Romania is now a full Schengen member)
Tax implications: No official Romanian position on working remotely for foreign clients during a visa-free stay; short stays generally do not trigger tax residency.
Modeled for the citizenship groups in our registry; the full Annex II visa-exempt list is much longer. Since Romania joined Schengen (air/sea 2024-03-31, land 2025-01-01) the 90/180 count pools with the rest of the area. EU citizens use free movement, not this route.
Long-stay visa for employment (D/AM)
activeNational visa
For: All except EU citizens
Income requirement:4,050 RON/month (financial means at least the guaranteed minimum gross wage (4,050 RON on 1 Jan 2026) for the visa period)
Duration
1 year, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Requirements (4)
A Romanian work permit (aviz de angajare) obtained by the employer, or proof of exemption
Financial means at least at the minimum gross wage level for the visa period
Medical insurance and clean criminal record
Moldovan, Ukrainian and Serbian citizens are exempt from the work-permit requirement for up to 9 months/year
Tax implications: Employer-tied route: income taxed as salary (not covered by our freelancer schemes). Relevant to remote workers only as a pivot into the local job market.
Included for completeness of the stay-grounds picture; requires a Romanian employer, so it is not a freelancer route. Leads to long-term residence after 5 years.
Staying long-term
Grounds for residence — business, employment, special programs — with the conditions to qualify.
Digital nomad long-stay visa & residence permit (D/DN)
activeDigital nomad visa
For: All except EU citizens
Income requirement:27,576 RON/month (at least 3× the average gross monthly salary in Romania, for each of the last 6 months before applying and for the whole visa period (≈ 27,576 RON ≈ EUR 5,270 at 5.2321, based on the 2026 reference average gross wage of 9,192 RON); the figure moves with the average wage)
Duration
1 year, renewable
Path to PR
No
Family
Included
Fee
300 EUR
Processing
15–45 days
Requirements (5)
Employed by, or owner of, a company registered OUTSIDE Romania, providing services remotely via information and communication technology (OUG 194/2002 as amended by Law 22/2022)
Proof of income ≥ 3× the Romanian average gross monthly wage for each of the last 6 months
Valid medical insurance for the whole stay and clean criminal record
Apply for the D/DN long-stay visa at a Romanian consulate, then obtain the residence permit from IGI after arrival
Proof of accommodation in Romania
Tax implications: Foreign-source income is exempt from Romanian income tax and social contributions while the nomad stays under 183 days in any 12-month window (Law 69/2023). Cross the 183-day / center-of-vital-interests line and Romanian tax residency applies — but the digital nomad status itself is designed for non-resident remote earners and does not route into the PFA/micro schemes.
Romania's dedicated remote-work route. Modeled for non-EU citizens (EU citizens use free movement). Residence permit valid 1 year, renewable once (max ~24 months on this path); it does NOT lead to permanent residence — long-term stayers switch to another ground. Long-stay (type D) visa fee rose to EUR 300 on 2026-04-27; the residence-permit card costs a further ~259 RON. Income threshold recomputes as the average wage changes; verify the current multiple at application.
Temporary residence for commercial/business activities
activeBusiness visa
For: All except EU citizens
Income requirement:700 EUR/month (financial means during the permit: EUR 500/month for associates, EUR 700/month for shareholders/administrators)
Duration
1 year, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Family
Not included
Fee
120 EUR
Processing
30–45 days
Requirements (5)
Own/administer a Romanian company (typically an SRL); the company administrator route generally requires a EUR 50,000 capital contribution or technology transfer
Proof of financial means: EUR 500/month (associates) or EUR 700/month (shareholders) for the permit period
Proof of legal possession of the registered office and of a residence address in Romania
Medical insurance, social-insurance proof, clean criminal record
First-year permit; renewed in successive 1-year periods (3 years if EUR 500,000 invested or 50+ full-time jobs created)
Tax implications: Company owners run their earnings through the Romanian company: micro-enterprise (1%) if eligible or standard 16% CIT, then 16% dividend tax to the owner. Personal tax residency follows the 183-day / center-of-vital-interests test.related scheme →related scheme →
The main non-EU route for a self-employed earner who forms a Romanian company. Leads to long-term (permanent) residence after 5 years of continuous legal stay. Fee figures: the long-stay visa itself is EUR 120 (employment/commercial D categories) — verify at the consulate, as MFA raised several D fees to EUR 300 from 2026-04-27.
Temporary residence for professional activities (independent professionals)
activeFreelance permit
For: All except EU citizens
Income requirement:9,192 RON/month (financial means at least at the level of the average monthly gross salary (2026 reference 9,192 RON) for the requested stay period)
Duration
1 year, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Fee
300 EUR
Processing
30–45 days
Requirements (3)
Proof of having practiced a similar regulated/liberal profession in the home country and intending to continue it in Romania
Proof of meeting the Romanian legal conditions to exercise that profession (special-law authorization)
Financial means at least at the average gross monthly wage level, medical insurance, clean criminal record, proof of accommodation
Tax implications: Independent professionals are taxed as PFA/liberal profession in the real system: 10% income tax plus capped CAS/CASS. Tax residency after 183 days or center of vital interests.related scheme →
Narrow route: restricted to regulated/liberal professions the applicant already practiced abroad and can be authorized to practice in Romania — it is NOT a general freelancer permit for arbitrary online services. Leads to long-term residence after 5 years. Long-stay (type D) visa fee EUR 300 from 2026-04-27.
EU/EEA/Swiss citizens — registration of residence
activeSpecial program
For: EU citizens
Duration
5 years, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Family
Included
Requirements (3)
No visa or permit needed; full labor-market access and self-employment/company formation on the same terms as Romanian citizens
For stays over 3 months: obtain a registration certificate from IGI (issued same day, valid 1–5 years)
Permanent residence card after 5 years of continuous legal stay (valid 10 years)
Tax implications: Full access to all Romanian tax schemes (PFA real system, micro-enterprise, standard SRL). Tax residency after 183 days or center of vital interests.related scheme →related scheme →related scheme →
The frictionless route for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens. initialDurationMonths shown as 60 (the upper bound of the registration certificate's 1–5 year validity, aligned with the 5-year mark for permanent residence).